Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Thoughts on an Empty House

Moving Sucks! That's it, enough said, there are no redeeming qualities to moving. I'm not talking about the big sense of moving, I'm talking about the grunt work of moving, packing, cleaning, disposing, loading, unloading, etc. Yes, the opportunity to purge unneeded stuff (and its amazing how quickly it adds up!) is awesome, and starting fresh in a new place is great, but the work of getting it done is unpleasant.

Anyway, the point of this update is to talk about the feeling I had making one final walk through the townhouse I'd called home for a year and a half. It was really pretty sad. An empty, just moved out of house seems lonely and sad to me, yeah its corny, but its true. Its like all the good memories and happiness have been taken out and just the melancholy left behind. This one was a particularly hard move for me because this was the first place I could ever really call my own (as much as you can with a rental). It wasn't my parents, I didn't have roommates, and I didn't have a wife. I'd never lived alone before, and it was an adjustment. I'd never really given a flip about furniture, what went on the wall, and all that went in to making a house your own because I'd never had to. So, this place was the first that I really could put my imprint on, and I really liked it.

The flip side to the melancholy of the newly emptied home is the excitement and joy of the new home. The chance to totally rearrange everything, add new color, new layout, completely start over with what the house will say. Its an empty house like the one you just left, but its like its ready to take the new memories and joys that will be created in it.

I have a few weeks in between the two homes. Staying with my parents because the new place won't be open until May. Its not really coming home for me even though its the same house I lived in when I graduated high school. That's not meant to disparage being here, I appreciate my parents generosity in allowing me to stay. Rather, its meant as home to me has become the place that I make for myself and my kids. We will be getting settled in to the new place soon enough and it will very, very quickly become home for us. Hopefully, we can stay there a little longer than a year and a half.

2 comments:

  1. Moving does suck BUT change is good! Lots of wonderful memories to be made in your new place:)

    Get excited about it:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Barb, I needed that, just a little bummed that night. You're right, there are new memories to be made!

    ReplyDelete