Easter Sunday began my time with new “roommates”: my dear friend and her family had generously agreed to house me for an interim period. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know many adults (with young kiddos) who would be willing to add another adult to their home. It is an act of kindness and generosity I may never be able to truly comprehend.
I wasn’t sure how it would feel not to live in my own home for an extended period of time. During Covid, I went back to Texas for 3 months to work remotely and spend the holidays with my family, so I had that experience to reference. Yet, I hadn’t had a real roommate in over 15 years. One nice part of my new arrangement was that our travel plans rarely overlapped. There have been weeks when I was gone, soon to be followed by their own travel adventures. Yes, there are certainly anxieties about it all, but the truth is that this living arrangement provides me with a safe place to land while not settling in anywhere just yet.
The interim period I envisioned was (and still is) a bit undefined. I knew I would take at least the first 3 months to decompress from the move and allow myself to explore a few potential places to live. Massachusetts has been my home for over 20 years. I never intended to stay this long, but I’ve grown to love New England deeply. I often do a little check with myself anytime I am flying back to Boston: Do I still want to live here? And for 20+ years, the answer consistently came back as a yes. Yet, this summer, upon my return from San Diego, the answer was I’m not sure there’s much left for you there. A sobering reality check.
I went into this interim period believing it was about finding a new home (and location). Logic would say that when you sell a home, the next step is finding the next one. And yes, while relocating homes is a primary goal, it became bigger than my external surroundings. “Home” suddenly got redefined in a big way. It was no longer only in the external environment that I looked for safety, security, and shelter. A dear friend insightfully shared,
“Maria, I think you’re being called to create home within yourself, too.”
She was right: I am certainly on a relocation journey for a more vibrant lifestyle. AND I am on a rediscovery journey for a more vibrant me. Home suddenly is cultivated anywhere I place myself. And my Spirit, while a bit shaken and nervous about this truth, started to crave adventure. The freedom to be without a physical home and explore how home is also an internal state of being.
What does a vibrant home mean to me? Living in this body…at this point in time…with these resources and opportunities available?
This is where “interim” expands beyond a traditional timeline. No, I cannot live with my friends indefinitely (they deserve to have their home back!), but it also means I don’t have to settle down someplace just yet.
