When a cold air mass meets a warm air mass conditions become ripe for tornados. I knew a cold air mass was coming to Florida, so I left not wanting to spend any more money for the pleasures of being cold in South Florida. Fortunately, I beat a path to Tennessee before the tornados struck central Florida.I bogged down in Tennessee waiting for a mixture of snow, freezing rain and sleet to pass. The forecast did not materialize, but the time gave me a chance to rummage through my storage unit looking for my roller blades.
Few of us choose where we end up living. Usually circumstances of birth and later economics determine our geographic anchorages. We ended up in places like Manhattan, Kansas because of an employment opportunity (there isn’t any other reason), or we tagged along with a spouse, other person we thought to be significant enough to uproot with everything we own and cram it into the back of a Honda Element or Volkswagen Bus or even a Datsun Honeybee depending on how old we are.
While some people just plain run away to the big city lights or the oil fields of Texas or the wilds of Alaska, it is usually a situation of an over active imagination or the result of not having much of a plan. Once the sense of adventure runs out and the reality of the situation sets in, going home or someplace else may not be an option and the choice to move to a more “appropriate” place is not available because of economic reasons.
Most people just don’t relocate for no go reason. Most stay put for no good reason.
For me, I am almost normal. For the next year I’ll be in Tarpon Springs, Florida. I know my heart was set on Hawaii and I had an opportunity to go to Kauai and housesit, but I gave myself a week or two to ponder the logistics of the move and concluded that the costs were not adding up. It nearly killed me to say no.
It wasn’t all about economics. I applied a bit of logic to my options. I outlined my four—Saratoga, Bean Station, Kauai and Tarpon Springs. I came up with a list of the pros and cons for each. Then I assigned points, added up the totals and threw the results away when it said I should live with Dad. The most compelling reason to live at home was economics, proving my theories.
The other day I ate at a Chinese restaurant and my fortune cookie said, “This year your highest priority will be your family.” But my decision-making mantra I adopted was to take care of myself. It would be hard to focus on writing if I stayed in New York and eating three meals a day with Dad would not do me any good.
Sticking to my logical approach, the second outcome was Tennessee. Again economics weighted the result. But if I moved into one of my apartments, I’d find myself standing in the kitchen with a hammer and a strong inclination to tear the cabinets out. Another kitchen renovation, as fun and appealing as that might be (I know that is weird), would distract me from writing and while I’d lose weight, I would not exercise beyond hauling building materials up and down two flights of stairs.
My serious contemplation was stressing me out. I had driven 1600 miles south and never got into a pair of shorts or a t-shirt. I needed to make a decision. I had to surrender.
In the scheme of things this is not really a big life decision. Yes, it is a major event—moving. But it is not a major decision. Hell, I have lived in 11 states and 16 cities and two foreign countries.
The fact was I was having a hard time making a commitment to living in one place for any length of time. My problem is I want to see so many places and I only have so much time and money. I’ll run out of both before I run out of places. Being "stuck" in one place was making me...ill?
Why Tarpon Springs? I found a large one bedroom condo on a canal, close to paved trails, where I can roller blade, run and bike for $795 (cable included) and it is completely furnished. I can kayak on the river, in the bayous or in the Gulf of Mexico. I’ll be able run, bike and swim with gators and stingrays. And I’ll sit on the screened in porch and write while looking out over the canal where heron and seagulls will tease Phoenix and Diablo.
For me, I am almost normal. For the next year I’ll be in Tarpon Springs, Florida. I know my heart was set on Hawaii and I had an opportunity to go to Kauai and housesit, but I gave myself a week or two to ponder the logistics of the move and concluded that the costs were not adding up. It nearly killed me to say no.
It wasn’t all about economics. I applied a bit of logic to my options. I outlined my four—Saratoga, Bean Station, Kauai and Tarpon Springs. I came up with a list of the pros and cons for each. Then I assigned points, added up the totals and threw the results away when it said I should live with Dad. The most compelling reason to live at home was economics, proving my theories.
The other day I ate at a Chinese restaurant and my fortune cookie said, “This year your highest priority will be your family.” But my decision-making mantra I adopted was to take care of myself. It would be hard to focus on writing if I stayed in New York and eating three meals a day with Dad would not do me any good.
Sticking to my logical approach, the second outcome was Tennessee. Again economics weighted the result. But if I moved into one of my apartments, I’d find myself standing in the kitchen with a hammer and a strong inclination to tear the cabinets out. Another kitchen renovation, as fun and appealing as that might be (I know that is weird), would distract me from writing and while I’d lose weight, I would not exercise beyond hauling building materials up and down two flights of stairs.
My serious contemplation was stressing me out. I had driven 1600 miles south and never got into a pair of shorts or a t-shirt. I needed to make a decision. I had to surrender.
In the scheme of things this is not really a big life decision. Yes, it is a major event—moving. But it is not a major decision. Hell, I have lived in 11 states and 16 cities and two foreign countries.
The fact was I was having a hard time making a commitment to living in one place for any length of time. My problem is I want to see so many places and I only have so much time and money. I’ll run out of both before I run out of places. Being "stuck" in one place was making me...ill?
Why Tarpon Springs? I found a large one bedroom condo on a canal, close to paved trails, where I can roller blade, run and bike for $795 (cable included) and it is completely furnished. I can kayak on the river, in the bayous or in the Gulf of Mexico. I’ll be able run, bike and swim with gators and stingrays. And I’ll sit on the screened in porch and write while looking out over the canal where heron and seagulls will tease Phoenix and Diablo.
That is taking care of myself, even if it is not as warm as Hawaii. The islands are not going anywhere and now maybe I am.
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