Spring In Our Step
Spring was always my least favorite time of year. As a kid in school, it served as the final stretch before summer vacation. The outdoor aesthetic never changed much, considering Southern California has one season. The mall Easter bunny looked demonic and we were not particularly religious, so there were no holidays to look forward to between Christmas and, well, next Christmas. But I did enjoy Cadbury Creme Eggs.
Later as an adult, spring became a buffer between two busy blocks of time: baking in the kitchen and baking on the sand. Living right by the coast in Orange County, spring was a warm-up act for the beach crowds. When we moved to the drought-stricken high desert of Central Oregon, spring meant preparing for a brutal fire season. Again, spring was just a three-month waiting period for something else.
This spring we once more found ourselves in a “wait and see” situation, this time job-related. It could mean another relocation is imminent. In the past, I would sit tight before putting my energy into endeavors that may come to an abrupt end. I had been bookmarking parks and wide-open spaces to wander and run wild, yet as soon as we got word about work, I started to build up walls. But I love Corvallis and its community, and I thought, “What if we stay, and we missed out on making memories here?” Or, “What if we move, and we missed out on making memories there?” We’ve been living in a holding pattern for too long, it’s time to spring forward.
That’s not stopping me from planning for two very different possibilities — if not, total chaos, amirite?! Whether our next move is out-of-state or state-of-mind, I found a project that benefits either one: purging. I’ve been taking a hard look at what weighs us down in both cost and time. Sometimes it takes brutal honesty, such as realizing we are not bound to the belongings of our dearly departed like the demise of the Crown. Other times it’s admitting a craft, with all its lovely accessories, no longer appeals to you. It’s not like I’m going old-school Marie Kondo, but I can be hardcore when it comes to letting go — I sold most of my Sassy magazines on eBay years ago!
Living day-to-day wondering if we should be packing up the garage or planting a vegetable garden isn’t easy. We want to believe staying in Corvallis is in the cards for us, though. I hope so, ’cause around every corner we find something more to love about our new adopted hometown.
