Fun with Moving
As I’ve said before, I like moving. Not the act itself, which is tedious and expensive, but the experience of being in a new place. Moving shakes things up and gives me a chance to redefine myself.
My new apartment complex has its advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side, the apartment is beautiful and roomy, and the complex offers amenities that I appreciate, like a gym and a grocery store and sushi restaurant within walking distance. And today I got my internet account set up. On the minus side, my neighbors don’t seem to comprehend that running their washers and dryers at 5 a.m. or past 11 p.m. is rather discourteous. I’m a very light sleeper.
But I am enjoying the freedom to change my habits.
Although I already live a pretty uncluttered life, there’s nothing like pulling everything out of a box and trying to find a new home for it to make you re-evaluate its importance to you. I’ve managed to get rid of a little more “stuff” that way, which I always consider to be a plus. I’ve also been able to shove the inherited and unwanted statues out of sight until I can sell them.
I’ve also taken this opportunity to go a little greener — I’ve replaced all my plastic food storage containers with Pyrex and given up paper towels and napkins for cloth.
Having my own kitchen and walking access to a gym also gives me a chance to return to the healthful lifestyle I abandoned during my 11 months as a boarder. Two days ago, I was ridiculously happy to cook my own meal from scratch for the first time in ages, breaking out my Williams-Sonoma cookbook to whip up a cold potato, sausage, goat cheese and arugula salad. (Several recent articles have said that cold potatoes are good for your weight-loss goals, although sausage and goat cheese aren’t, especially.). I’ve also visited the gym several times already. It’ll take me a month or two to get back to my pre-hiatus fitness level, I expect, but already I’m feeling good enough about the effort to add a nightly stretching session to my evening rituals.
I didn’t get much original writing done in the last 11 months, which I think was the result of being under constant mild discomfort. I write best in a comfortable rut. Now that I’m in my own space again, I hope to buckle down and get some fresh stories written — as well as work on my existing novels, of course. Already my friend in Nevada has agreed to a weekly “check-in” session with me over the summer — every Monday, we’ll post the last week’s writing in Google Docs for comments. We’re both hoping that the added accountability will force us to sit down and work.
Now, if the neighbors would just ease up on their early-morning and late-night laundry loads, so I wouldn’t have to wear earplugs to bed…
drupagliassotti @ May 16, 2008