On moving...

As I began to pack to come back to school, I immediately encountered unsurmountable frustration. While I wasn't taking back much more than I came home with, I found that nothing fit anywhere. I just ended up with tons and tons of extra bags, and this overwhelming feeling of disorganization. But it got me thinking.....

The majority of us have a fear of moving and change. I myself, am included in this group of fear. I do not like change. Once things are well and settled, I want them to stay. I am a creature of habit. I like what I like and I like it that way. However, I find myself to be a transient person. I do not like staying in any one place for too long, and I get bored if I am in any one pattern for two long. Yet when things change, I long to go back for what I once had. It's a giant conundrum. If you got lost in that last paragraph, I apologize. 

Think about it this way - we all have a fear of change, and by packing we all are about to experience a change, be it temporary or permanent. But that little voice inside all of us longs for the change, which is why we ignore our fears and we pack and continue on. As the packing process continues, we soon learn that everything fits in the suitcase. This fabric case that can be transported wherever we go holds our lives. Upon traveling, the suitcase is opened up and our lives are examined before our very eyes by people we know little to nothing about. After that examination, we continue to move on. As much as the change and the unknown scares us, we take the suitcase with us, and we take all that we need to keep the familiar close and soften the blow of the unknown. 

Packing is one of the most stressful things I can possibly do. However, I enjoy unpacking and organizing. I don't enjoy the anxiety of the change, but I enjoy the final results of it. Life never stops changing. It's terrifying and we can never understand what is coming next. As scared as we are of change and what's next, everything fits in a suitcase. The suitcase is always with us, and so is the change. Don't let the change scare you, but let the suitcase comfort you.

Now, of course this is all metaphorical speak. The metaphor of packing and the suitcase stands for a larger theme of traveling and denial of stasis. The point of this being, that whatever we may need, we can always take with us. It will all fit in the suitcase. If it doesn't, that means it's meant to be left behind because something greater is coming to take its place. As you travel and people examine you before your very eyes, don't be afraid of the things they will see. Open up your story and share the contents of your suitcase as loud and proud as you can. Your story is beautiful and unique and deserves to be shared. Enjoy the change, as it stands for something greater that is in store. Do not fear the unknown, but let it be a comfort knowing what life is in store for you. 

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” 
― Terry Pratchett