I feel a traipse coming on

I have commitment issues.

With geography.

As a therapist in training, I could probably dig into my patterns of behavior, emotional responses and life choices regarding my inability to stay in one place longer than 3 or 4 months at a time, and perhaps really uncover the source of my aversion to putting down roots and settling in to my surroundings.

I could...

...but that seems like a lot of work.

Instead, I will be a red-blooded American and blame it on my childhood.

My dad was in the Air Force until I was about 9 years old.  During those formative years, we moved 4 times.  Each time we had to pick up and leave for a new place, we gathered only what we could carry, stuffed it in our knapsacks and set off through the foothills of the snowy, majestic Alpine mountains.

Shut up, Julie Andrews, I'm telling it!  (Man... how do you solve a problem like Maria?)

Also, we traveled quite a bit while in these new places.  When we lived in England, my parents took full advantage.  For example, our vacations were often in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.  (*Note: My brother and I have both thrown up in every country in the United Kingdom.  And Ireland.)

When we lived in Germany, we visited France, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands and a few other countries, all of which insist on putting mayonnaise on everything (blerg).

The point is, we moved and traveled a fair amount and I loved it.  Sure, it was hard to leave friends behind, but it was the life.  Nothing and no one was permanent and I always looked forward to wherever we might get to go next.

I think this is why I got me some real itchy feet right now.

Within the last two years, I have moved at least 7 times.

I have been in North Carolina for almost 5 months now, and I know I'm going to be here for another year and a half.

And, to be perfectly honest, I don't see it working out for us in the long run.  NC hates how anal retentive I am and I can't stand how NC can't seem to learn to put the cap back on the freakin' toothpaste!  I mean, how hard is it??  Son of a bitch!



Aren't you glad we didn't dig into any of those deeper, underlying issues?

That could've been graphic.

Really? We're doing this?

Well, that settles it.

I cannot move back to my hometown. EVER.

Please don't misunderstand. I still love it here. I'm terribly happy to be home and will continue to be filled with joy and bunnies whenever I visit.

What does not fill me with a butt-load of elation is every awkward encounter I get to have with people...

• ...with whom I used to attend high school
• ...I know through a friend of a friend
• ...I met that one time at the place with the stuff
  

I am most definitely not a fan of these chance meetings. I mean, is anybody?

"Hey... I'm fine, yeah...how are you?...cool, yeah...so...grad school...yeah...no, it's good, I like it....what are you up to?...wow, I love needlepoint....haha...no, me too...sure....yeah, so...great to see you....right, for sure....take care...bye!"

Sweet mother of pearl. Few things make me itchier than some version of that conversation.

I hate these chats so much that when I see someone I sort of know from that one time we may or may not have sat next to each other in chemistry that one day, I will avoid eye contact like the plague and suddenly become incredibly fascinated with my shoelace.

Ever so rarely will I invite another person into my line of vision, let alone engage him or her in conversation.

What ever happened to the classic smile and wave? Or the ever so impersonal:

"Hey, how are you? Yeah, me too. Well, good seeing you!"

Or, my personal favorite, simply pretending you didn't see each other?

It's not just me, is it?

Oh hell, is it?