Passing a Milestone
Until now, the longest I have lived in one area was the first 6 years of my life in Seattle. I have since lived in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Alabama and Southern California, but never in one place for more than 5 years.
I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in February of 2000. Now in February of 2007, I have lived here longer than any one other place. A few thoughts:
1. Never say never. Before coming here, I said this is the last place I would ever go. Not exactly sure why (too expensive, too liberal, too far), but that was my feeling. So here I am now, and I find it hard to imagine leaving.
2. One of the things that was difficult about moving so often was that friendships were gained and lost frequently. I hoped that by staying put, I could build more lasting friendships. To a great degree, this has happened - I have many wonderful relationships with friends and family which came with being here for so long.
At the same time, I have found myself at the dock waving goodbye not from the departing ship, but from shore. So, even though I might not soon leave, separation in this life (by circumstance or death) is sure to come. There is a time for everything, so take no good thing for granted.
I am grateful to God for the experiences that have brought me to this point and look forward to enjoying each day in the future wherever I am.
I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in February of 2000. Now in February of 2007, I have lived here longer than any one other place. A few thoughts:
1. Never say never. Before coming here, I said this is the last place I would ever go. Not exactly sure why (too expensive, too liberal, too far), but that was my feeling. So here I am now, and I find it hard to imagine leaving.
2. One of the things that was difficult about moving so often was that friendships were gained and lost frequently. I hoped that by staying put, I could build more lasting friendships. To a great degree, this has happened - I have many wonderful relationships with friends and family which came with being here for so long.
At the same time, I have found myself at the dock waving goodbye not from the departing ship, but from shore. So, even though I might not soon leave, separation in this life (by circumstance or death) is sure to come. There is a time for everything, so take no good thing for granted.
I am grateful to God for the experiences that have brought me to this point and look forward to enjoying each day in the future wherever I am.
posted by Vijay Swamidass at
12:48 PM
2 Comments:
Much better to pass a milestone than a kidney stone...
I just heard my wife telling Kathleen Shelton on the phone that she has lived here for the past 16 years! And I'm taking her away; the nerve.
(Not assuming that you're thinking of me in this post, rather I'm realizing that it applies to my situation) Make sure you get on a speedboat sometime and dock on our shore down in L.A. You and your family will be missed by the Richardsons.
By
DrewDog, At
12:14 AM
I think it just came to me that I'm coming to the 7 year anniversary of moving here. But even though it is a long time for me, it isn't really a long time compared to others - 16 years for your wife, 30+ for mine.
You and your family were certainly fresh in my thoughts when writing this, and there are many other friends who are leaving the area or left over the past 7 years. (It also brings to mind the picture of the hobbits watching Frodo leave with Gandalf on the Elven Ship, since I just watched that)
Thanks for the invite. I'm sure we will take you up on it. And you'll always be a neighbor in blogville.
By
Vijay Swamidass, At
11:30 AM
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