Recent events in my life have made me a semi-nomad. I move so much that when I say, “I am going home,” I don’t really know where I am referring to anymore. Currently I am staying with a friend and looking for a place of my own- it is really hard to find an apartment in this city with only 4 days notice. This means I have some of my stuff at my friend’s place, some stuff at my parent’s place and a lot of my stuff in the back of my car.
I consider myself to be an environmentalist and consider it important to care for the atmosphere and try to use alternative or public transportation. I also believe that it is important to cultivate a sense of place and put down roots in a home and community. That is why I find it ironic that, in the past year, the place I could most truly call my home is my gas-guzzling, 4- wheel drive, bright yellow, Ford Escape. I would consider public transportation however I grew up in a rural area where public transportation is not a viable option, and I tend to find myself living in small cities where public transportation exists, but is impractical. I used to have a more fuel efficient car however it was getting old, and it was not so good with winter driving. This one time it ran over a piece of debris on the highway and it put the car out of commission for a few weeks. I live in Northern Ontario , we get snow- lots of snow, and our roads get icy-very icy. My wallet really misses that car when I am filling up my tank, but my parents feel much better about me driving a more rugged vehicle.
So I am living out of my gas-guzzling SUV which I named “The Bumblebee.” Currently you will find my office located in the backseat next to my lawnchair and snowshoes. In the back you will find my pantry, linen cupboard and miscellaneous kitchen supplies. My cutlery drawer has been relocated to the front passenger seat because I needed some utensils for lunch the other day. I would be very happy to find a place so I can stop living out of my vehicle. I would be even happier if I could stay in that place for more than 6 months- at least two years would be preferred.
One downside to my semi-nomadic lifestyle is that I frequently feel like all my friendships have ticking timers counting down the time until I once again load up my vehicle and move away. I would really like to have the luxury of setting down roots and developing friendships with a sense of permanence and commitment. Modern communication does provide a means to continue friendships after I have moved out of an area, but I am not particularly good at keeping up a long-distance friendship. I have been blessed with a few friends who don’t accept that excuse and stick with me anyway, and a few other friends with who I don’t have as regular of contact, but readily accept me back when we happen to be in the same geographical area. I guess that is all this semi-nomadic girl can ask for- I AM BLESSED!!
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