My Place in the World

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with this one wild and precious life?  Mary Oliver.

When the moving truck pulled into my home in Arizona it was my 26th move and it was the second  time I had said.  This is it.  I am done.  This time I am.  It’s not that I don’t like moving or experiencing new things… I do.  I just wanted a place to land, a place with the check marks, and treasures I have collected along the way.

I grew up in a military family and married into the military, so moving was a way of life.  Thankfully, we often summered on the New England coast, so we had a place to  call home.  It was where my parents grew up, so grandparents and cousins were often present for exploring tide pools,  and traditional lobster feeds.  College in NH seemed like a natural choice and yet so did the open road.  

So it still prompts the question about why Arizona made the cut and whether or not I belong in the dry desert.  It is not the first time I wonder if I will land on my feet, and I am a little antsy to think maybe my feet were not meant to land.  Tiny European villages, seaside towns, busy cities, and quiet mountains, have all been home. When asked where I am from, I find a shrug is a better response then everywhere, because an explanation will seem like a documentary.

And I am OK with that.  The stories are mine to tell.

So why not the desert?  I have never really worried about belonging, or fitting in.  I think when you are comfortable with who you are, you can always find your way. I remember the time I moved from a beach community to a suburb of  NYC.  The tears were not the first I had shed over this move as I was in high school, had to leave friends, and a lackadaisical beach life.   Before long teammates from my new high school  showed me the benefits of public transportation and that a city is as much of an adventure as exploring mountains and beaches.  

And I think that is the same anywhere you go.  A place is what you make it, and with the story  narrated by you, your journey is a choice by you.

So Arizona it is with its ever-present sense of adventure and outdoor living. It seems like a logical choice, and while there will always be inspiration to travel, at the end of the day, or the week, I will land at home.

Yes, I admit, maybe there is a slight hesitation to believe I am ready to land in this forever home, but what I do know, is the open road will always be open. And with a deep breath I realize one more thing. While I believe my place in the world might be the open road, my favorite place is exactly where I am at that moment.  

Inspired by this beautiful world we all call home .

Donna

Place in the World  Slight