The thing about moving to a new city is that you have to learn new patterns. Over time, we make grooves in our lives. This helps us keep some order in what otherwise might become a frantic mess. For example, you know the guy you buy your Friday paper from at the corner of Zia and St. Francis's name is Bob. Eventually you find out that his daughter works at the same hospital as you do but you suspect he hasn't talked to her in many years. You also suspect he mostly sleeps under the bridge and you give him an extra dollar because he is always there and always tells you to have a good day. Every day except Monday, 12 hours a day. Monday is his day off.
You learn all the back ways to every business on Cerrillos Road because traffic there is bad but the rest of town is cake. Only the tourists drive on Cerrillos.
You know which coffee shop newstand carries the craft magazine you love but just haven't somehow subscribed to yet and you also know that the new edition won't be on the shelf until a few days into the new month. These kinds of delays are to be expected in New Mexico.
You know the guy at the pizza place who doesn't speak English won't get your gluten free order right but if you ask for his daughter to take the order he will make you the best pizza in the world. And this is the best course of action until your Spanish gets better.
And now you know which liquor stores have the divided boxes great to pack glasses in and where to get boxes to pack books and how amazingly great my Lena Street Lofts landlady really is and whether my studio and all our household stuff really fits in the biggest UHaul possible (it does. barely.)
When you move, the patterns are gone. I did go to graduate school in Fort Collins, the city we just moved to. But despite my youthful appearance and tendency to act like a total goof, I completed that graduate degree over 17 years ago. The city is not the same and my old grooves are completely gone now. I'll have to find new trails, a new library, new fiber stores, new bookstores, and the REI.
So yes, I have moved again. It has been a crazy couple of weeks and I am exhausted, dirty, and I can't find my favorite hat or my bike pump.
Yarn makes a great packing material. I had plenty of it.
I am so sorry we won't get to Santa Fe while you were there. We keep talking about visiting with our kid to see acoma and Santa Fe and bandoliers.
ReplyDeleteYour lovely studio. I am sure you will miss it. I hope you settle in quickly.
I have been unpacking boxes this week that we didn't unpack from our move 4 1/2 years ago and cleaning and reprinting as our replaced floor goes in. Just thankful I only have a few boxes to unpack.
Good luck
May you find everything quickly! All best to you!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain! Moving is so awful (it is a good weight-loss plan, but you don't need that). Selfishly, though, I'm delighted you'll be closer to Montrose. Now I have a prayer of taking a reality-based (or what's the opposite of online? that's not exactly it) workshop with you.
ReplyDeleteI like the "reality-based" term for workshops! :) I hope to meet you in person one of these days! Montrose is not all that far. I'd love to teach in the western CO mountains and one of these days I'll set something up out there.
DeleteAs a member of the on-line workshop community, I wonder if we are not "reality-based", then what ARE we?
DeleteCrazy?
DeleteJust kidding. I hope we all have at least one foot in reality. :)
Rebecca, I'm sorry I didn't get to see your studio in Santa Fe before you moved. I know you will find an equally wonderful place in Fort Collins. You moved a little farther away from my Texas home though. Good luck and take lots of deep breathes.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, I learned after the fact (your workshop at Convergence, that is) that my aunt, Judy McCarthy is a member of your tapestry group in Santa Fe. I think that the tapestry community there, vibrant as it is, will miss your vibrancy. I hope you find your new peeps in Fort Collins.
ReplyDeleteI will miss those Santa Fe weavers. But I'll be back often. I don't think I know your aunt. I wasn't really a member of the tapestry group mostly because I was too busy to attend those meetings, etc etc. I am fortunate that I have taught frequently in Colorado and I do know some people here already. There is a fiber school at CSU and perhaps I will meet some new fiber artists soon.
DeleteCool to know there is a fiber school there. I was thinking about your move this morning and realized I have moved four times in five years, including three different cities. That might explain some of the disconnection I feel at times! Hope the settling process goes smoothly and quickly for you.
DeleteJust a note here. I hope you can attend an occasional Northern Colorado Weavers Guild meeting held the first Saturday morning of every month. We have a web site. Hope to see you soon. And much luck settling.
ReplyDeleteYep. A lot of life lessons tend to be learned from moving from one house to another. First, is the logistical aspects of it. Second, is the value of memory. You easily find the things you value as important, versus the things that weighed down on our minds and hearts as necessary at the time. However, you don't have to pick between them, since you can lump them all together in ways where not one among our important stuff is lost or stolen along the way.
ReplyDeleteLauren Woods @ Adhesive Tapes Australia