Sipping the Tea

I have taken change in stride my whole life.

Moving four hours from Pineville, from my family, from my mother, in second grade...

Moving from best friends in the summer before 9th to brave high school alone...

And going to college, finally, and making friends on the first day - friends that I still have at this very moment.

When I moved from GA to Myrtle Beach, it was like a dream come true - a chance at new beginnings. For my brother, it was hell.


I'm in college now, and I shouldn't mind so much since I've lived in my own apartment for year.

But I'm moving out of my apartment now for the summer and for the semester after, so I could take a break at home.

Anyway, Dad calls this morning.

"So about the things you're bringing back -everything needs to go into storage for awhile, because the house is going up for sale at the end of the month, and less clutter is going to help us sell it faster."

....Naturally. I mean, naturally, I was a little shocked. And this was the first time I heard ANYTHING about moving, and I mean, he had mentioned it, but said that if we did, we'd rent out the little house.

This is .. my little beach house. My green room. My tiny kitchen. Our tiny porch...

"I'm moving up in the world, Hal!" He explained.

...and I want to scream, "What exactly does that MEAN? That we can go and jump on the next big boat that sails? Isn't this all a bit hasty? Aren't we a little too excited? You've been seeing this girl we're moving with for a year - and while she's wonderful, will you regret it if things go wrong? (It's gone wrong before, three times, big time.)"

Instead, I just took a deep (really deep) breath, and he laughed.

"Hal, the house is going to be closer to the beach!"

"We're TWO BLOCKS from the beach!"

"It's gonna be on STILTS. "

"That's...kind of terrifying!"

" Hal, come on!"

It's not like I cried. I just ... rubbed my face. I know I'm being selfish. Dad was never satisfied with the most comfortable route. He needs to move - he's like me.

But while I move, I always want a place to come back to. I don't know.

... This is his life now. I'm on my way to starting my own life. I can't fight this - I don't exactly want to. Sometimes I can't help but to be excited about something new, like now...

still, I wanted....

I wanted that little house for myself one day.