Tuesday, April 16, 2013

One is Silver, the Other is Gold

"Make new friends but keep the old.  One is silver, the other is gold."

I was nine years old the first time I went away to Girl Scout summer camp.  I remember being excited, but also apprehensive.  I was, after all, only nine years old and I would be away from my family for two weeks with the only communication via hand-written letters sent through the mail.  I was also concerned about making friends.  A shy child, I wasn't used to putting myself "out there" and I was arriving at a camp where I didn't know a soul.  The start was a bit rocky, I'll admit, with homesickness and tears the first couple nights.  But then I settled in and began to enjoy everything camp offered, such as canoeing, swimming, nature hikes, crafts, sharing a tent with three other girls, making s'mores and banana boats over an open fire and outhouses.  Okay, so maybe not the outhouses.  ::wink::  What I discovered about myself during that first two-week camping experience was that even though I was a shy child, I enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends.  By the final night of camp, when we sat around the campfire holding hands and singing the words above, I knew that I had made new friends that I would treasure and looked forward to the next summer when I would meet even more.

Those summers at Girl Scout camp set the tone for the years to come.  I loved going on new adventures and
meeting new people.  The summer of my fourteenth year, I expanded my horizons across the border, traveling to Mexico as an exchange student and living with a family in Mexico City for three months.  A few years later, I spent the summer studying in Europe, making more new friends.  My parents moved from Michigan to Florida while I was in college and all it took was one snowfall to convince me that's where my next adventure awaited.  I was right.  It was in Florida where I met my late husband and I can't imagine what my life would have been like without him in it.  We moved several times during our marriage, eventually landing in South Carolina where I've lived for the last 17 years.  Other than my childhood home, that's the longest I've ever lived in one place.  But now, my next adventure has arrived.

Last week I bid farewell to my home in South Carolina, loaded all of my worldly possessions into a moving van and the dogs and I headed up the road to our new home in North Carolina.  Am I excited?  You bet!  Am I apprehensive?  No, I'm not.  I've learned over the years that each new adventure is a memory waiting to be made; a new friend waiting to be met.  I've also learned that leaving a place doesn't mean leaving the friends that I've made there.  With care, those friendships will endure.  I'm looking forward to future visits with treasured friends and welcoming them to my new home when they come here to visit me.

I'm moving into my new home today and excited for my adventure to begin.  Tell me about your adventures. Have you lived in a lot of different places?  Still living in the area where you grew up?  Do you enjoy the adventure of making new friends?  Any tips for settling into my new home without being overwhelmed by the sea of boxes?  

Speaking of boxes, I still have some boxes of books to give away to randomly chosen people who leave comments on today's blog.  (U.S. addresses only)


~PJ


57 comments:

  1. Congrats on your new home, PJ. I still live in my hometown, but moved a couple of times in between. It is fun to meet new people, but also a little nerve-wracking. Thanks for the giveaway.

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    1. Thanks, Jane! My belongings were delivered this afternoon. I'm living among a sea of boxes but have already met two of my new neighbors. Nice ladies! :)

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  2. Just move into a home and the Sam cite forever,Lke having new neighbors, Ty for great prizes
    Kimh

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  3. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us today, PJ! I wish you all the best on this latest move, but I know you will turn it into a brand new adventure and make the most of it.

    My biggest move came when I was too young to understand its significance. My parents, sister and I immigrated to the USA when I was only six months old. Even though I do not remember the trip, the experience has colored my life in many different ways throughout the years. My family was always a bit different in ways that I did not understand when I was growing up. It was not until I was a teen that I started to appreciate those special differences and embrace them! Now I am very proud of my roots and even chose to use a hyphenated last name when I got married because my maiden name reflects those roots and that history.
    Good luck my friend in your newest adventure!

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    1. I think it's wonderful to have that history and, even more, to be proud of it!

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  4. How nice you got a new home... Goo luck and much love in it. I have moved 4 times in my life when I was 10, our 1st apartment,home and the one we are in now... I hate packing!!


    Donna

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    1. Thanks, Donna! Yeah, I'm not too fond of packing either. lol!

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  5. Good luck with your move to NC. I've heard it has some very beautiful areas.

    I've lived in only 2 states Wisconsin and Florida.
    I'm seasonal so every year twice a year we move back and forth. You'd think it would be easy but you forget what you have and where you put things.

    I moved away from my hometown to go to college, lived in 5 different places, moved to another city and lived in an apartment for 2 years, then bought our first home, after husband finished graduate degree moved to another city, then second job transfer, finally third job transfer. We still own that home since 1986. We bought our Florida condo in 1990.

    I don't find it hard to make superficial friendships. However, I do find it hard to make close friends. It takes a lot of time and effort.

    Label boxes with enough detail so that you know how important the stuff inside is and in what priority it should be opened and what room it should be placed in.

    GOOD LUCK and BEST WISHES!

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    1. Hi Laurie! I have friends who do the six-month move. I'm afraid I'd be trying to move my entire house's contents twice a year. lol

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  6. I have no suggestions I am afraid, I am not a good mover. I moved when I was 12, 21, 25, 38, 43,and 50. I really don't want to do that anymore......LOL I was just looking at boxes that have never been unpacked from the last move 11 years ago. Something tells me I don't need anything in those boxes.

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    1. Wow, that's a lot of moves, Dianna. No wonder you want to stay in place! :)

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  7. What a lovely & positive post. Best wishes in your new home and sounds like you will have no problem making friends and acclamating to your new environment.

    Here you are in the middle of moving and offering up more books.

    I really have no suggestions other than to say, just take it easy, go with the flow which - but I think you already know that. LOL.

    I have only moved a few times, once when I was 7, then to our apt when we got married and to our present home and the thought of moving makes me not happy. My husband wants to downsize.

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    1. Thank you, Pat. I've already met two of my new neighbors. They seem like nice ladies!

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  8. Congrats on the new house. I was married to a military guy so we moved every 4 yrs. I learned how to infuse excitement about all the new places to explore so that our 4 children would have something to look forward to. it was always hard to leave old friends, but we now have friends all over the place and have explored so many of our great states. enjoy your new adventure.

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    1. Trish, my late husband was career military and taught me a lot about moving when we married. (he was out of the military by that time) Those lessons have served me well!

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  9. How wonderful to read this beautiful and uplifting post today. Best wishes on this move and much happiness in your new home. You sound brave and resilient. I have moved only twice in my life but one to the U.S. which was exciting and new. Moves are always traumatic but make one stronger and more adaptable. Thanks for your giveaway.

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    1. Glad I could lift your spirits, petite. I wrote and scheduled this over the weekend which, of course, was before the tragic events of yesterday.

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  10. Good luck and best wishes with your new home and locale. I enjoyed your inspiring post which traced the changes from very young until now. Very meaningful and true. I have moved only once to another city but moving requires strength and adjustment. Thanks for your post and giveaway.

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    1. Thanks so much, traveler. I'd add one more thing to strength and adjustment. Sleep. Moving definitely requires sleep! ;-)

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  11. Best wishes with your new home. It is always stressful but exciting too. And you have a wonderul outlook. You will be find - I have only moved a few times in my life and it last move was so long ago, so really don't have any advice - seems like you have it all under control.

    Thank you for your genorosity with all the giveaways.

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    1. I figure if I tell myself I have it under control enough times, then I will! ::grin::

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  12. I wish you a happy transition to your new digs! I've moved a ton of times, and have lived in seven different states. There are some boxes I've never unpacked from one move to the next, LOL. (and don't put me in the book drawing...I'm in the process of getting rid of a couple of hundred books myself).

    When I move, I always make sure the new bathroom gets done immediately--it's a small room, and rather critical. :)Once that's done, I can hide out there from the chaos if I need to. Just pace yourself--it will all come together!

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    1. Thanks, Maggie. I packed toilet paper in a "carry on" bag. Don't want to be without that! Tomorrow, we start on the kitchen. Internet and television service were installed today. It's coming together! :)

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  13. Hi, PJ! I’m betting that you are really going to love your new home in NC. My son and his family lives there and we enjoy visiting when we can. The beautiful state has so much to offer. We love the mountains where you can hike and enjoy the beautiful vistas all the way to the gorgeous beaches of the Outer Banks. Not many states can claim such a difference in topography.

    My husband and I have moved several times during our marriage. First to Blacksburg, VA where he was attending graduate school and then back to our home in the Tidewater area of VA. Then to Washington, DC, and back to Tidewater. Then to Paris and back to VA. Then to Paris and back to VA again. (Dizzying, isn’t it? ;-) When we retired, we moved to Florida. We absolutely love it here. My advice is to embrace every move and change that you make in your life. It’s a new adventure and so exciting. Don’t be afraid to “clean house” when you move and get rid of old things. You will feel like you just love at least ten pounds and isn’t that a wonderful feeling? Your old friends will always be there and you can keep in touch. Now, you can meet new friends to get to know. I’ve always thought that change makes us a better person. Smile and jump right in. I’m betting you are going to love your new home!!

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  14. Hi PJ -

    I hope your having fun settling into your new home! Ironically we're hoping to get our home in Rhode Island on the market this summer and move to South Carolina to be near our grandchildren!

    While I'm a wanderlust at heart my husband likes to stay in just one place. When I graduated from High School I went to Arizona for college and then moved to Florida. I grew up in up-state New York and my main goal in life was to never live anywhere they had snow again! I met my husband in Florida where he was attached to an squadron during Vietnam and we married less than a year later. When he finally finished his duty he decided we'd move back "home" - to Rhode Island. Can you hear be yelling "NO!!!". I lost the argument but he told me we'd only live here for a few years before deciding where we wanted to be. Did I mention that was in 1971?

    Fortunately I've been able to visit relatives in Arizona over the years and when our sons were young we went camping from Maine to Florida - and visited every historical site on the East Coast!

    But for now we're painting and clearing out and hopefully the housing market will come back so that "promised" move all those years ago can finally come true!

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    1. Hi Jeanne,

      In what part of South Carolina do your grandchildren live? Lots of beautiful areas in SC (the state I just moved from).

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    2. Hi PJ!

      I'm sorry it took me so long to check back! My son keeps getting relocated and so far they've lived in Charleston, Greenville, Charleston, Greenville and now just outside of Columbia where the main office is located. I love Charleston and that's where he went to college (The Citadel) and we have good friends who live there as well. I loved the Zoo in Greenville and my husband loved the "mini" "Fenway Park" in downtown Greenville!

      We hope to find a small town somewhere between Charleston and Columbia but of course that might change if he gets transferred again!

      PS: If you have any suggestions on a great town to live in let me know!

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  15. I hope everything is going smoothly for you today and this week, PJ! (((hugs)))

    I have had two major moves in my life. The first was when I was 14 and we moved from Melbourne, FL to Tampa, FL. It was big because it was one coast to the other and being that I was 14, it was tough for me. But I persevered and made new friends. The other big move was 8 1/2 years ago when I moved from Tampa to Atlanta. Not as "devastating" as the other move because I was moving with my husband and kids to be closer to family up here. And I love it here!

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    1. Thanks, Andrea! I have lots of help. It should come together pretty quickly.

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  16. Your life sounds so exciting!! I myself have only moved out of my parents house and I only moved 2 minutes away.... Really if I stood on my porch and yelled my dad could hear me lol
    When I moved from my parents house I was 5 months pregnant and was dreading unpacking. So I made a deal with myself if I got done 5 boxes a day that was good enough. SO maybe you could do something like that! Set yourself an unpacking goal and after you reach that goal each day sit down and enjoy the work you done instead of stressing about what still needs to be done.

    I'm so happy for you that you get to start the next adventure in your life. I'm sending lots of love your way and wishing you all the best :)

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    1. Savannah, I like your five boxes rule! Thank you for the good wishes!

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  17. Oh, new adventures for you :) I was married at 18 and when I was 20 I moved to MS while my husband was in the service. I had never been away from home but as long as I had my husband, I thought of it as an adventure. Having to move back home while he went to Vietnam was a lot harder. I've not moved since but I'm sure you will get along fine and you seem like a very friendly soul :) Talking about books may be an ice breaker. And I loved the girl scouts. I never got to go away as a child but I made sure my two girls did and I was an assistant leader for 3 of those years which meant I got to go along on some of their trips and had a great time. Best wishes, PJ.

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    1. Coincidentally, my new neighborhood is having a pancake breakfast this Saturday and everyone is asked to bring a book for the new 'book exchange' they are setting up at the clubhouse. I think I can manage to find one...or two! :)

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  18. North Carolina is my second favorite state, my first choice for a visit whether I want mountains or beaches. I'm sure you're going to love it, PJ, and your new community is blessed to have you.

    I remember singing that song at camp too. :) Except for college and a few years immediately after I graduated, I have lived my whole life in one town. All my moves have been local, although that doesn't make the packing and unpacking any less onerous. I still have unpacked boxes from my most recent move--five years ago. My only advice is if the bathroom is functional, window coverings are in place, and your bed is made, everything else can be handled one thing at a time. (((Hugs))) and best wishes for the rest of the moving process.

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    1. Remember, Janga. I have a guest bedroom!

      Hmmmm....let's see. Bathroom is functional, windows are covered, bed will be made tomorrow. Looks like I'm right on target! :)

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  19. I've only lived in 3 different homes....but now that I'm in my "senior" years, we have to move south in order to hold onto our retirement money longer than if we stayed where we are....

    Some advise on moving in....do one room at a time emptying boxes. You'll rearrange all your stuff once or twice before things find their new home and go with the flow! If you were organized when you packed, it'll be a piece of cake when you unpack! therein is the secret to a "good" move! hope all our advise helps you to enjoying your new home....

    Now all you have to do is find that box of books to send out to the winner!!!! LOL!!!

    Mickey3214

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    1. Not to worry, Mickey. The box of books is found! :)

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  20. I have moved a lot over the years, 17 times at last count. I got so good at it that my husband would come home to tell me that we needed to move and I could be ready in less than a week (pre-children of course).

    We have lived in the same place for the last 15 years, mostly because of our children but also because of technology advances. Where once my husband would have to move for a job, he can now do it from home and we don't have to move.

    It has been interesting though, as he has been able to stay in one place, my job has increased in travel requirements. I have traveled throughout the US, into Mexico and right now am in Paris. I have no problems trying out the Metro, the Tube in London or the EuroStar train. I have gone to Poland on the local train, been stuck in a town there that I still really have no idea what I was doing there and have tried a lot of different wines.

    My only advice: stuff is just that---stuff. One of our moves required downsizing and I had to get rid of a lot of "stuff". Never missed it and have never really gone back and accumlated that "stuff" again. Our attic is pretty clear....only some seasonal decorations.

    I used to have a master list for moving. Boxes had numbers and those numbers were on my master list with a good description of what was in the box. I color-coded the boxes so it was easy to denote the room they belonged to. I always got my bedroom in order first. A place of calm to retire to when all the rest was a jumble.

    Good luck!

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    1. Whoa! Seventeen times? I think you hold the record!

      My only advice: stuff is just that---stuff.

      So true! This was a major downsize for me and I got rid of a lot of stuff. A lot! Things I've been collecting for more than thirty years. The most surprising part? I don't miss it at all. If fact, the more I got rid of, the better I felt!

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  21. I loved this post, PJ, and I hope your move goes smoothly!

    I've only ever lived in Michigan, but I've lived in six different cities and on both sides of the state. While I like the change of seasons I find as I get older that I like the winters much less. LOL

    Marcy Shuler
    bmndshuler(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. It was a major snow storm that convinced me to leave Michigan and join my parents and younger brothers in Florida several years ago. That's a move I've never regretted!

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  22. What a wonderful attitude you have, PJ! Hubby and I have moved only once, and that was 20+ years ago. Where we live now is away from where we each grew up. Now that we're retired--and are watching our friends do likewise--we're going through the whole "making new friends" process without leaving our home. They're coming here, as folks move in and out!

    As for the process of moving, I think the stuff is less important than the support networks. So, instead of being too concerned about unpacking, I'd find a new church, medical providers, grocery store, etc. Boxes can wait. Take care.

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    1. I agree, LSUReader. Support networks are essential. I'm fortunate in that I have very good friends who live nearby...and I know I'll make new ones too!

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  23. Congrats on the move... I think one way to meet new people is to volunteer in an area of interest... Help out in a school, library, food bank... what ever floats your boat... I'm sure you'll love NC!

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    1. Great advice! I've volunteered at the local hospital (in my former home) for the past eleven years. I'm sure I'll be looking for new volunteer opportunities as soon as I'm settled.

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  24. Congrats on your move and new house! I have been living in the same place for the past 28 years and only about an hour from where I grew up. So there has never been any big changes here.

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    1. I love new adventures but there's something to be said for constancy too. I have friends and relatives who have lived in one place their entire lives. They've built strong, lifelong relationships that, in many cases, span generations.

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  25. PJ my first move happened right before my 6th birthday when we were flooded out of the place I was raised from birth and for 13 years lived in our new location with my parents in a town 22 miles away, I hated every minute of it.

    A year after graduating got married and ironically moved back to the town I was born and raised in where we lived in an upstairs attic apartment for three months until our landlady died and then we rented a small one bedroom/1 bath home from my husband's supervisor for 2 1/2 years.

    Since then we have moved a over Texas a total of 7 times making and leaving wonderful friends behind and so many good memories to boot.

    I too am fairly shy but once make a friend they are in my heart forever and all those moves taught me to be sure and pack three suitcases of essential items because putting things away that are boxed up took me weeks!

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  26. Happy new house!! :) Ummm... I've only moved a few times locally. From house to apartment to house again. I hate moving, so I think I'm pretty much stuck where I'm at ;) I also live in the same city I grew up and I love it. But I wish I could travel more!

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  27. Enjoy your new digs, if you tackle at least 2 boxes a day of unpacking, reward your accomplishment. I live close by to my hometown and I like the familiarity and connection I have with local spots. Thanks for the latest giveaway!
    Karen T

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  28. Ha, I know that song - I'm a GS leader! I even remember it from when I was a Brownie, in the Dark Ages. LOL! I would give this advise on moving, based on mistakes I made. Don't bring everything with you! I didn't have time to sort boxes. My son was under 2 & we were moving from a rental 1 bedroom to a 4 bedroom house with a full basement. I don't think we ever got rid of the crap we came here with & just added to it with the 2nd kid. It becomes daunting!

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  29. Good luck in your new home! We haven't moved in twenty years but since both our kids are close to moving out on their own it will soon be time to downsize.

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  30. We have not moved in a while either, but take it a little bit at a time and don't look at the big picture; that is too overwhelming. Doing one room at a time along with essentials if you can for the other rooms - sounds like you have a good handle on it and don't need my advise. Keep getting rid of those boxes of books - LOL and you will be unpacked in no time.

    LRMegtom
    lrmegtom@gmail.com

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  31. My husband was in the military for 24 years. That of course meant several moves, either from base to base or house to house at the same assignment. We lived in 3 different houses at each of two different assignments. I got good at moving in and being set up within a week. We always took advantage of the area and saw and did as much as we could while we lived there. He is retired now and we have been in this house for many years - and I'm still not moved in. It needed major renovation/restoration and we are still working on it. As a result, there are still boxes of stuff waiting to be unpacked. We live in TN on the border with NC. Both areas are in the Smokey/Blue Ridge Mountains.
    I am not sure what part of NC you are in, but it is a lovely state with much to discover and enjoy. Good luck with unpacking and settling in.

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  32. Sounds like you have it under control. Just take it one day at a time. Best wishes with your new home.

    Patty B

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