Goodbye, Coolio II!

My dear car, Collio II, is getting picked up in less than two hours so that it can be shipped to Phoenix. It's the first time I've ever had my car shipped anywhere, and I'm a bit nervous. Pretty much all the reviews and ratings that I read on car shipping companies were 50/50. Some people were very pleased with the service, while others vowed never to do it again. When it came time for me to pick a company and book the trip, I went with the one that had the better feedback, but that was also reasonable in price. I've had a couple of friends that reassure me that the car will indeed get there safely, but I'm still getting a bit nervous. In fact, I'm getting nervous about the whole trip. I had been feeling quite calm for the past month, not trying to freak out about packing, finding a new place, and saying bye to my family and friends here in State College. Not anymore, though. Just last week I started to feel a hint of nervousness, and things I thought I had completely taken care of actually got a bit more complicated. And, even though I tried to fool myself into not getting sad about parting with people, I'm definitely starting to get a bit teary-eyed.

But all of this got me thinking about the moving process. I've met lots of people that, like me, have constantly been moving around and living in different places. I've also met people that are completely opposite and have lived in the same house they were born in for their entire lives. Both cases have their ups and downs, but can we say that one experience is better than the other? At first, I'm tempted to just say that each experience is the best when it comes to the individual's taste, and if they're happy, then that's what works for them. But after thinking about it for a bit, it's obvious that the whole experience of moving around has many things that the sedentary life will never be able to offer. Although getting somewhere new can be tough at first, I'm going to be bold and say that it's completely worth it. I mean, yea, it's hard saying goodbye to the people you love and care about. Yes, it's hard adjusting to a new community. But, once some time has gone by, you begin to establish yourself and the process of challenging yourself to be out in a foreign place and push your boundaries becomes really exciting. In fact, it becomes addicting. For me, the move from Venezuela to Texas was the one. When I moved before that, I didn't really care for the experience. I just went where my parents went, and didn't really mind any of it. But the last one was the toughest, and I was so miserable the first year I was in Texas. After that, however, it all started to come into place. It really came down to a simple decision - stay bitter and angry at my parents for moving, or take this time to explore and experiment? I did the latter - a lot of it. You get used to the new place, you make new friends, and you always find out new things about yourself and those around you all the time. There's something about starting fresh, challenging yourself to see how quickly you can adjust and evolve, but still maintain your core, that is so rewarding and refreshing - it makes you want to do it all over again. And I guess this is why I found myself wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. I see myself doing this for quite a long time. Am I addicted to moving/traveling? And is there even a cure?

On a different note, this past Wednesday was probably one of the best nights I've ever had in my life. Not only did we all dance our asses off to some groovy tunes at Roustabout, but we continued the party over at DZ's place 'till the wee hours of the morning. Amazing.

I'm off to bed. Much lovin' for all of you!