Nomadic Lifestyle

I have started to accept that I have become a nomad. With this lifestyle comes a lot of goodbyes. Some for the best and some that break my heart. I wish I could say that leaving friends and family gets easier but it doesn’t. I am not a crier, yet I still cry every-time my mom drops me off at the airport to go back to the west coast for college. 

I often see the sayings “home is where the heart is” or “home is where the people you love are” painted on wooden boards or crotched onto pillows. Although cheesy, I think the saying has truth to it but what do you do when you heart is torn between different places and the people you love are spread out all over the map. It travels from the east to the west, including the prairie in between. I’m thankful to have so many places that feel like a home, but it sometimes feels like I’m being pulled in so many directions.

I sometimes catch myself wishing that I lived in one place my whole life and all my family and friends lived in a 20 mile radius. I would get to see people around town who knew me when I was in kindergarten and they would make comments that start with “wow I remember when...” The longest I would be away from all those important to me would be a vacation or two during holidays or summers. But then I think about how different life would be if I stayed in my birth state, New York. So many people that are currently in my life, I would have never met. If I hadn’t moved to Nebraska, North Carolina, or Oregon, I would of missed out on great friendships and memories. I wouldn’t have grown up living next door to the two craziest red heads west of the Mississippi River or a Dr. Pepper loving kid who I now consider as my third brother. I would have missed out on the best road trips to the beaches, mountains, and music festivals (shout-out to my CCMF fam) in the Carolinas. If I had not gone to Portland, I would not have DJ or Natalia... who else would watch stupid YouTube Videos with me until 2 am or deal with my islander alter ego.

I’m sure there are people I would of met in New York had I stayed there my whole life, that would have filled my life with happiness. But I can’t imagine them being better than my humans right now. 

My point is I’m a nomad and I am fine with it. People might say that “I’m never content” or I’m just “running away.” But there is nothing I’m running from. I love Nebraska and North Carolina. Obviously there are things or people in those states I don’t enjoy, but I didn’t run away. I was running towards something. I was looking forward to more people and relationships. Because of this, I don’t get to reconnect with people as often or see people who knew me when I was little. And it sucks. But all the new people I meet make it worth it. And I’m not replacing people, rather I’m just expanding my community filled with people I care about.

See ya when I see ya,

Erin