moving

Thoughts on dwellings.

Recently I completed a move. In some senses I have been putting this off for years now, seeing as I was never truly in love with my old place.

I always felt my area to be uncessary as well, stepping outside into that place made me feel as though I were paying a premium to exist somewhere I didn't utilize to any real extent. Similar to high-end apartments with many extra facilities, gyms, gathering areas, ping pong tables, theaters, and so on. All these things they show off on the tour that you promptly forget about until you take a guest on tour to brag about how wonderful your place is, and you recall that you are paying a third more just to not use all of them.

That said, it can be quite easy to get into a habit of being somewhere. Neither happy nor unhappy, just existing.

I think a good home, even a temporary one, should be somewhere you don't mind being bored in. You ought to be able to to laze about and stare off into space without feeling emboxed-in. Or miserable, or even just without the vague discomfort that the walls around you are rotting. This doesn't have to be in a literal sense (though in some ways, maybe it was a bit too literal in my previous dwelling). I think ruts tend to strengthen bad habits more than good ones, they sap the energy and life out of you. I find that there are many angles of my new place that are pleasant to merely stare at and think, much unlike the dreary beige unlit corners of my old dwellings. Every roof, every wall, quite a pleasant place to merely be bored in.

It takes a shocking amount of energy to pack, clambering over the labyrinth of all your belongings to get to the next pile of things to stuff into boxes. I don't believe in feng-shui exactly, but I can attest to the navigability of a room deeply affecting mood. It is physically painful to have to take the scenic route to the bathroom, especially in the dark at night.

For all the energy it takes to pack, after the initial burst of getting things out of their boxes it seems to take even more energy to unpack. An exponential curve as each box has its contents stuffed into the space available. I think it is partly from a desire to start fresh, and also to make an attempt at a little bit more order than previous. Small steps to better living perhaps. I hope to be more active developing this place once again now that I have finally reconstituted my office.

All this said, I would very much prefer not to have to move again anytime soon, and certainly never again during a heat wave.