My family and I will be making an interstate move soon.
We're moving much closer to our extended family--within a day's drive of everyone. We'll be able to see our aging parents more frequently, and my daughter will be able to see her beloved cousins too. I won't say specifically where we're moving for privacy reasons, but I want to talk about the internal journey that accompanies our move.
This is a very turbulent time, emotionally, but in the best way ever!
Only after this move was finalized did I realize that we've been living in limbo for over ten years, spending a couple of years in Atlanta, four years in Ohio, then five years here in the southwest..
Don't get me wrong: we have loved our time in the southwest, where we've made many close friendships that will not end just because we move.
But here's the huge difference about this move: in 2012, we are going somewhere to STAY.
When we moved here, we never knew if we would stay in the southwest. My husband took a job opportunity, and we were happy to come explore a sunny, warm climate. Whether we would stay was always an open question, because we love it here, but our family is very far away.
But for our upcoming move, we know that we're about to put down roots, God willing, for a long time, Maybe decades. Maybe the rest of our lives. Having grown up in an Air Force family, I've never lived anywhere longer than five years in my whole life.
Tomorrow, we'll close on our new house. It's beautiful. We'll have land and horses. I've never owned my own horse, though I've worked with many other people's horses over the course of my life, and learned a fair amount in several equestrian disciplines--plus a lot about horse care. Getting our own horses is the fulfillment of a lifetime dream.
Our life already feels different, because we're going to a home, not another way station. We're energized, making long-term plans. We haven't made long-term plans like this for our whole marriage. It's exciting--it feels great. It's funny to think this is how many other people have lived for a long time, with roots, community ideals, networks of local friends made over decades. Now, we're going to be able to really settle into our community without wondering if we're going to make another move in five years.
I'll miss our friends here very much. For the past few weeks, I've been emotionally-stirred whenever I sit in church on Sundays. It has been the only time when I can sit still and reflect, and so I find myself processing the move, the ups and downs of our time here, the sadness of leaving. (I am paying some attention to what's going on in church. :-) It's just that everything in the worship taps into spiritual issues related to our current situation.)
I've been a stranger in a strange land all my life. This move to a permanent home feels a little bit like heaven.
How is your moving status? Are you rooted down and loving it? Rooted down and restless? Or a nomad, as I have been for my whole life? What represents 'home' to you in this earthly life?
17 comments:
It's late, but I had to comment before bed. So very happy for all of you, even if it means I'm losing you nearby. What a gift this next phase will be!
xo
Aw, Rosslyn, I'm so happy for you that this new and more permanent season of home is just around the corner. I grew up living right outside of Chicago in the same house for 20+ years, but when I got married we moved to Miami for 3 years due to my husband's job. We knew we'd only be there temporarily, and it was (mostly) a fun time, but it was never home. Then when we started our family we came back to Illinois and re-rooted ourselves here (yay!). I never realized how much I missed home until I was away. I have no intentions of leaving again.
Hope your move goes well, and I look forward to (possibly?) some updates about owning a horse (how neat)! :D
This is beautiful, Rosslyn. I can't imagine what it's like moving so often. I've only ever lived two places. Iowa and Wisconsin. I lived in Wisconsin for seven years for college (yeah....it took me awhile). When we moved back to Iowa, we knew it would be permanent.
Unless God calls us to be missionaries (I don't foresee this....but you just never know), we're here to stay.
I'm so excited that you get to put down roots. That you'll get a horse and land a beautiful house to call home-home. Praying God is over the details and the transition goes smoothly.
We're nomads. We made an unexpected move to the state I grew up in about four years ago. It's felt most like home, but we are movers, that's for sure.
I'll be praying you through this.
And uh, coming to visit. Didn't know about the horses!
~ Wendy
Moving brings with it a mixture of emotions. Currently I am wanting to move but God hasn't given us the "go", so for now I am trying to be content.
I wish you many many blessings in your new home, and new community.
This move sounds exciting. Land and horses...sounds like the makings of a new novel. God Bless you all as you embark on this new journey!
My roots run deep in Indiana...
Hi Rosslyn,
I'm happy for you and your family. Sounds like a fun move. And if there are horses involved, you'll love it, you might not like the work that comes with them and the feed bills, and the vet bills, but they are still worth it. :)
Keep us posted.
Hugs,
Jill
Hey everybody! I am so filled with love and gratitude for you right now. I would be anyway, but when I tell you why, you will laugh with me at my stupidity!
I've clicked on my blog about three times today and seen no comments, and I was feeling confused and lame at the 0 comments. My thoughts: "I have no friends! Where are my friends? They've all started to hate me because I've been gone for so long on deadline!" THEN I remembered I had full moderation on my comments, and so none of them would show up unless I signed in and authorized them. DUH! Paranoia will destroy ya! Anyway, I'm much relieved. :-)
Caroline - I know, it's bittersweet. It's hard to go through all the 'lasts' with local friends.
Barb - That's wonderful that you've been able to be rooted for so long. We can serve no matter where we are, but there's a lot to be said for community.
Katie - On the missionary thing...I'm so impressed by you and your husband and your following of the call you hear with adoption that I wouldn't be totally suprised to learn one day that you were headed off to the mission field! But adoption is a ministry of its own, too.
Wendy - Yes, you and everybody else are invited! We love visitors, and we want our house to be a hospitable place of rest and refuge.
TC - That's a hard stage. Despite the handful of absolutely wonderful friends I made in Ohio, and the privilege of telling my Ohio-based true story in my novelseries, it never felt like home. I couldn't adjust to the weather. So I know the feeling of having to work to accept where I was.
Loree - I think that our move is going to bring me some new writing material, for sure. I look forward to that adventure.
Jill - I love horses so much that I won't mind the work. The farrier, feed, and vet bills are significant, that's for sure, so one has to be careful not to become a horse hoarder. LOL!
Rosslyn, I am so happy for you! This reminds me of leaving Washington for North Dakota. Washington was beautiful and we learned so much from heading off into a new land, but it was agonizing to be away from family when our first child was born. I have loved being back in the state where I have deep roots, and never regretted, for a moment, moving back "home." I am thrilled for you and know how you feel to be returning to a place of grounding. So excited to hear about this newest transition, and happy to be reading you again for a bit of a hiatus. :) Stay in touch!
Roxane, it's SO great to see your smiling face! Another wonderful conversationalist friend I was afraid I had lost forever to my eight months of deadline pressure...I'm looking forward to resuming our exchanges.
I wish you well on your move. How wonderful to be going home. I'm delighted to hear that you'll be able to have horses.
As one who moved every year or two throughout my childhood, I craved a real hometown and love the one where my hubby and I have lived for going on twenty years now.
Rosslyn, there's nothing like horses, land, and permanence. I'm so, so very happy for you! I love the way that you've intentionally looked back to see where/how God has moved and worked to bring you and your family to this point. Just awesome.
Keli and Donna - thank you for coming by!
I came by earlier in the week but was interrupted before leaving my comment, so I'm back now to wish you rich blessings during your move and in your new home.
Because my hubby is a pastor I expected there would be a number of moves in our future, and have always held to the adage, "Home is where you hang your hat." I don't think I ever approached a new locale thinking of how long or short our time there might be.
But our last move was to a house on 2+ acres in a semi-rural locale and when my hubby retired we continued to live here. We've been here for 16 years now. It's in the same province and within a day's drive of all of our family, and I can't imagine being anywhere else. I'm realistic enough to know the time will come when the property is too much for us to keep up, and we have no idea where we'll go then. But God has always provided the guidance we needed and I trust he will again.
Your move sounds exciting! So much to look forward to. And horses!! I hope you'll be able to keep blogging and share your adventure with us. :)
I'll miss you!! :(((
But I'm excited about your new home and horse!
We HAVE to keep in touch.
Carol - That is true about pastor's families! They have even less knowledge of when and where they might be moving than military families (unless they belong to one of the huge mainline denominations, in which jobs are a little more stable). I will certainly plan to keep blogging and "hanging out" with you here. One thing the internet has provided since my last move is more contact with long-distance friends, which is a real blessing.
Lorena - Thank you! I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.
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