The typical conversation that happens when people find out how much we actually move:
“Wow, you guys move a lot, you must be great at packing?”
“Yea, I can pack up our entire house in about 2 days.”
“You guys must be really good at getting rid of things and only moving what you need?”
“Not even close, we move plenty of things that we don’t need but we definitely want.”
This same conversation happens almost every single time my husband or I meet someone new and explain how are lives work.
My husband works as an industrial construction project manager, so we move to the project. It makes it easier on his job and on our marriage to be together. Let me tell you, it isn’t always a cake walk for me. The longest we have lived somewhere was 18 months and that was on his first project. The shortest was about 3 months, that we actually spent apart. He was at project, we knew would be short term and it was close enough to our hometown that I lived at home with my parents.
I was thinking about this conversation the last few days, because this most recent move seems to be weighing on me. So, I started thinking back to what makes these new places feel more like home to me.
Whether, we are living in an apartment or house there are a few things I like to do right away to feel more at home. When we bring all of our stuff in, I try to unpack things in a certain order. The bed gets made first, so when we are totally exhausted, we at least have that to fall into, then its the kitchen. The last thing you want to do is try to make a sandwich or find a glass for water among all of your knick-knacks. Plus, it makes it much easier to grocery shop when you know what made the move and what did not.
Usually, while I unpack the kitchen because I am very specific about where I want things (some may say slightly obsessive); my husband sets up the electronics, TVs, blu-ray players, speakers and whatever else he comes up with to do. Essentially, just trying to stay out of my way.
After the basic things are done, I move on to hanging pictures, setting up the guest bedroom and setting up my space.
Since, we do not have any children besides our fur baby, we have been lucky enough to find houses on the last few moves that allow both of us to have our own little space. My space is, of course, covered in anything and everything pink because it is where I get to keep it. I try not to torture my husband with my love of pink, so this space is where I get to go nuts with it.
I have my vanity set up in here, my shoes are displayed, well some of them; and it just gives me a place that I can escape for a moment.
This move has been more difficult for me than the last couple have been and I did not think it would be, since we were moving closer to home. Then I realized today, I haven't taken the time to finish setting up all those sentimental things that we move every single time. Part of the reason it is difficult for us to slim down the things we move is because these are the things that make each new house feel like home.
We haven’t been able to really put roots down anywhere yet, but having pictures of family and friends around make it seem like we are closer to them.
There are certain things that always go in the same rooms, when we move.
This frame collage always goes above the couch, because that's typically where we spend most of our free time.
What you will see on any typical afternoon at our house.
This map usually goes somewhere that we will see it everyday. It was a wedding present from one of our close friends and groomsmen. It is a map of Muncie, IN where my husband and I started dating.
Good Ol' Ball State University. Chirp, Chirp.
There are some pictures I seem to always group together. My sister-in-law made us a picture collage of some photos from our wedding and instead of a guestbook we had a frame that everyone signed. The guestbook frame has a copy of the program from our wedding. One of my close friends created a wedding logo for us, she has a style blog! You should check her out Style Sidekick!!
The frame to the right also gets added to this group.
It s a Scrabble piece puzzle, a friend gave us at our engagement party.
One of the things, I always put close to the door is this small frame with a Peanuts cartoon in it. My mother-in-law gave us this for our first wedding anniversary. I like to remind myself of this quote when things get hard during this traveling and moving.
“In life, it’s not where you go - it’s who you travel with.”
Although its hard to live far away from family and friends, not many people can say that have lived so many places over just a few years.
In this house we remind ourselves its an adventure!
And, the adventure continues….
