A room of one's own?

Virgina Wolf in 1929 thought a room of one's own was a requisite to independent thought and the ability to write fiction. I am sure that she never considered my situation the last week; moving into an apartment, moving out of a condo, and keeping my room at the house clean and organized. Shelter is an essential component of survival, in extreme conditions even more important than food or water but its importance to survival does little to mitigate stress involved with moving. While in Denver, chatting with my friends, it occurred to me that most of us graduates, one year removed, are moving-all for different reasons-relationships/marriage, returning to school, promotions at work leading to buying over renting. In fact, the "wow we're old" moment happened when Matt, Jen & Ian, Nashwa, and I were all discussing our housing search sagas and looking at home decor options (Ian-even though you don't have a basement, I think you should stick to your guns and go with a Broncos Orange accent wall-regardless of how it looks you will have a great story...and you can always repaint in a year). I took possession of my apartment keys on Friday afternoon and all weekend my family and I spent moving furniture, shopping for household staples, and packing and unpacking. Monday was my first night sleeping in Pomona which was great but emphasized the items I had forgot to pack (like a pillow case-at least I remembered the other linens). In the midst of the chaos of moving I've realized somethings: One, I own too much stuff and need a better appreciation for what is essential versus cosmetic; two, moving is a prelude to bigger and better, to new adventures and opportunities; three, home is an attitude not a location; and four, friends (and family) are invaluable. Whether it's commiserating about moving woes, lending a hand carrying a couch or dresser, or providing an escape to ignore the mess and just chat over coffee (tea) or on the phone about non-moving topics, friends provide stability in the midst of chaos of any form. And even though it may be challenging at first- moving forces you to make new friends and foster old friendships. I am anxious to feel settled again but am doing my best to enjoy the process of adapting to a new environment, making new friends, and balancing my attachments to the places I am leaving behind.