Here Comes Change!

We bought a condo in Philly!  Well, actually just outside Philly in Bucks County.  Now that we are retired we had to decide where to live for the next phase of our lives.  We lived in the Philadelphia area for sixteen years before moving to Kentucky to be near family.  We have good friends in the area and have made it a habit to return for visits and to travel with them.

I feel sad about leaving our house here.  I have come to love this house, as I loved the one we had before in Philly.  What can I say?  I have a tendency to put down roots.  It's quiet here, and it's pretty here.  I like the rolling hills and farms and country roads.  However, I keep reading how important it is to surround yourself with a social network with shared interests.  We are missing doing things with our friends back in Philly.  We know so many people there our age who are young at heart and leading more interesting lives.

We are really busy trying to pare down our belongings so they will fit into a condo.  I have collected way too much over the years, books, fabric, clothes, china, all kinds of "collectibles".  I can take only a fraction of it with me.  Weeding out my belongings is hard, both physically and emotionally.  Giving up  certain items is like giving up part of my life, giving up on projects I will never finish.  I look at every item, thinking maybe it's one of those hidden treasures, a collectible that ends up being valuable.  I have to check every old book to see whether it is a first edition.  I need to just clear things out indiscriminately or I will never finish the job.

I am looking forward to a more interesting and carefree lifestyle.  However, some days I feel that I will never get there.