Transition

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of a series of transitions: the end of nannydom, the beginning of teaching, lots of moving around between countries and states and various friends homes. Being in transition feels more like home to me in some ways than stability does. I like to anticipate what is coming next, what I have to look forward to, who I will meet, and how I will grow and change along the way. Most of the things I've done and places I've been have had an expiration date: graduations, round-trip airline tickets, the date by which my host needs their couch/floor/inflatable mattress back. I realized recently that the idea of committing to a single location for more than a few years is unappealing to me. I found myself wondering why I would aim for tenure when I could teach at a new school in a new state or country. I assume that will change with age, especially if family ever comes into the picture, but even that possibility holds no allure for me as of now. I'm thankful for the ease with which I relocate. It makes times like this, summers of 3 suitcases, and many good byes feel temporary. I'm not concerned about whether I will see these people or places again, because I am confident that none of my good byes are forever. I buy plane tickets with a spontaneity that borders on irresponsibility, and between flights I have the various forms of social network technology that keep me as informed about my friends in Germany and Australia as in whatever location I myself happen to be that week. I welcome change. I yearn for the next thing, while staying firmly planted in my present experience. And when I feel like I have become rootless I call to mind the admonition of Jeremiah: "Seek the Shalom of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for in it's Shalom you will find your Shalom."