As an exercise in
self-reflection, ask yourself, “why am I here?” This is NOT the existential
version of this question but rather the very literal question about how you
ended up in the geographic location you currently call home.
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Did you move for a job,
school, a man or woman? Did you always want to live near the ocean or
mountains? Did you flee a small town to live in the city or did you flee the
city for the peace of the country? Did you run to the place you currently live?
Or did you run from something?
That answer to the above
questions may be a good opportunity to reflect on your past and get a sense of
what may influence your future. Or it may just make you appreciate or resent
the physical space you occupy.
Some of the most interesting
moments of our life are the days/weeks spent deciding and acting on the decision
to migrate. During this time, you typically mull over the pros and cons of
leaving a place where you felt like a citizen – where you felt like you were
home. You stress about the unknown, making new friends, losing touch with old
friends. Then you have the actual act of moving which is a disruptive,
stressful, endeavor that requires an inventory of your possessions and if you
are like me a payment to your landlord because you forgot to empty your
refrigerator.
Once you have landed the
story gets even more interesting. Were you inspired to find a new hobby, or did
you discover something new about yourself because you had to spend more time
alone?
Somewhere between landing
in your new place and the time you feel at home is a story. I challenge you to
think about it or better yet, write about it – it will uncover memories and
feelings that are unique to any journey. When you are done with that; find
someone you know or a total stranger and ask if they will share their story or
stories. And when you have exhausted, dissected, and reminisced you can now
have an honest conversation about why we stay.
