Two days.
In two days I will be diving head first in to not one, but two math classes. Statistics and Finite Math. I have to admit, I’m a little scared. This is definitely gonna be a tough summer.
It’s funny the mix of excitement and apprehension I am feeling. This is what I live for. The constant change. Never knowing what I am jumping into. Being in a constant state of “What?!?” Call me crazy, but I love not being comfortable. Sure, the fact that I have no job and no place to stay after classes are over is just a little unnerving, but I like being stretched like this. It keeps me on my toes.
A close friend of mine often throws praises at me for being able to drop everything and go here and go there. It’s not something that feels praise worthy to me. However, I guess its just like the thinking thing. Not everyone thinks like me, and I have learned that the hard way. So to many people, being able to jump up and move to a new place with no idea of what’s ahead is a scary thing. To me, it’s exhilarating.
I would make a good vagabond. A traveling minstrel. Moving from place to place, offering my services, lending a hand, then moving on to the next town or city.
The only problem with this is that it feeds into my loner tendencies. I would be alone all the time if I had my way. Traveling alone is one of my favorite ways to have fun. I would be lying if there weren’t times when I come across something that makes me wish someone was there to share the experience. For the most part though, I can travel for quite long stretches of time alone. Maybe that’s what makes it so easy for me to pick up and go.
Now that I think about it, there are a lot of other things that seem to make me more suited for a traveling lifestyle. I’m very minimal. I don’t keep many belongings. I get rid of old stuff every month. I keep my collections down to just what I need. Anything else that can be stored away, and it isn’t much, gets stored away in a closet or an attic somewhere. Everything I own that is worth owning can fit in my car. If I go somewhere for less than a month, I don’t even unpack. I just live out of my suitcase. This probably sounds horrible, but it’s actually much easier than unpacking everything into a dresser or chest of drawers, only to have to repack again a couple weeks later.
After a while, you develop all of these systems for packing, unpacking, and arranging your temporary space. You learn how to make the most of the space you’re given, and you learn how to make friends real quick and keep them at arms length. I’ve come to see the truth behind what Edward Norton’s character in Fight Club called “Single Serving Friends.” I’m really good at making friends. I’m just not very good at opening up to people. It’s one of the sad downsides to constantly moving around. It’s hard to develop and maintain the essential one or two close friendships needed to keep one sane. I have to admit, I miss having that companionship. Granted, it hasn’t been all bad. I’ve managed to develop at least one very close friendship at every place I’ve planted myself for any length of time. They’ve either been roommates from home, locals, or fellow vagabonds like myself. So it’s managed to work itself out in one way or another.
I think this time though, I’m going to be in one place for longer than I have been anywhere in the past 4 years. I plan to be in this place for the next two years. That should be ample time to make some solid friendships I’ll be keeping up with till I’m old and wrinkled. Or so I hope.
I’ll know soon enough.
On the road again…
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