This morning, I walked back into my house with the dog and felt a familiar yearning in the pit of my stomach. Between leaving for our walk and our return, a moving truck had pulled up at the bottom of our cul-de-sac.
This was probably the fourth or fifth move-out I had witnessed in our neighborhood in as many weeks. My feelings weren’t because I had strong ties to any of the neighbors who were moving. Nope, I can only attribute this twinge of sadness to one thing: the itch to move.
The itch to move is a condition that a military lifestyle induces. No-one warned me that three years between the same four walls would ultimately leave me, if not quite “The Yellow Wallpaper” mad, at least impatient. Now I’ve reached a point where talk of orders and new duty stations has me virtually swooning. I think there were a few things that may have sparked this particular desire to pack on up and move on out. More than just the sight of another moving truck. The moving itch, well, there are many causes.
Maybe you’re ready to move because…
You’d be pretty cool with your SO having a totally different job
Awww, snap, I said it. Now, don’t come at me waving the “you knew what you were in for!” stick. I get it, y’all, I do. But let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment: on the spectrum of jobs that you’re SO can have, some will suck, and some won’t be so bad. And, really, on the DL: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with admitting that.
Whether you’re longing for your partner to just be home a little more often (or, hell, if you want them to pick up and deploy again, damnit) … it’s okay. We can all nod together in silence if you like.
You just need a total change of scenery
Hands up if you’ve ever been stationed somewhere you really didn’t want to go! … Aaand then kinda-sorta fell in love with it. (I know all — okay, some of — my 29 Palms ladies will be right there with me).
That was 110% me, guys. Or at least, it was. I balked when my husband got orders to stay out here, and then I surprised myself and developed a deep affection for this strange, Martian place. Now we have another long summer in the desert to brace ourselves for — and, having endured three, round four could not seem any less painful.
Wherever you’re at, I know I can’t be the only one to simply want a change of freaking scenery. Nowhere’s perfect, after all!
You’re the last friend standing
Coming in last in the sack race of social turnover is by no means the worst thing that can happen to a grown-ass adult, but for a certified introvert like me, it’s uncomfortable; the energy I once channeled into making new friendships has waned significantly, simmering away for the next round. Over the course of the coming year I can expect almost all of my closest friends here at our current duty station to start moving on — and I’m thrilled for them, of course, but being left to simply watch the exodus is always sad.
You’re just craving some good old-fashioned change
I’ve never been a big New Year’s girl; the whole “new year, who dis?” caption got old quick, and honestly I’ve never seen the turn of the year as being anything more than an excuse for champagne and a few months of low-key struggling to remember the correct date.
A change of scenery, though, I can get on board with. That’s what I’d call a real “fresh start”: new digs, a new city to explore, new hills to hike and new people with different ways of living. By no means will moving ever become less daunting, but stripping away the inevitable PCS hassle and getting on board with the new adventure vibe has me wiggling in my seat.
So, if you’re moving this year, be safe, have fun — and know that one little desert person is really kinda jealous of you right now.