The Big Move

June 5, 2011

Now I’m just a boy on a mission to manhood.

When I last wrote, I had just gone through one of the more physically demanding journeys of my life. At that point I made it clear to myself and to you that that was the beginning to something great and wonderful in my life. Well, action speaks louder than words, and I set out to do something that would change my life forever. At the point of the last entry (which was some time ago) I began researching a move to the west coast, something that I had always dreamed of doing since I knew the west coast existed. I guess I always had a nomadic soul, and I was always itching to move.

Well, after some research, I found a nice home with a room for rent in Seattle, WA, living with two other people I had never met before. Talk about a risk. All of my friends and family gawked at such a decision, but I knew this was my way into a new world. So after a series (a long series) of emails and a consequent phone call, it was all set up, I would be living in a basement room sharing a house with two “strangers” (I use that term loosely, after all, strangers are just family you have yet to meet).

I would tell you that the time leading up to my departure were nerve racking, but that would be a clear understatement. I had to go through graduation from college, saying goodbye to my family and friends, and try to come to the realization I was moving almost 3000 miles away from home, away from everything and anything I have ever known. Yea, to say I was nervous is not doing my emotions justice.

But somehow, I managed to say goodbye to my mom, dad and brother, all of whom were on the edge of tears, at the airport last Thursday morning while boarding the 5:40 am flight from Syracuse, NY to Seattle, WA (briefly stopping in Philly) and I was on my way. Those tears from my mom ate at me the whole plane trip, and I myself had to choke back a few while being surrounded by passengers on the airplane. But I had to be strong, for no one except myself, because this was my dream, and you can never compromise on your dreams.

The hardest part of this whole trip came once I got into Seattle, and had to navigate my way 15 miles North to West Seattle from the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. Readers, if you take nothing else from any of my writing, take this: When traveling, whether it’s up the street or to the other side of the country, pay attention to your surroundings, and read anything that can give you an ounce of information about those surroundings. After receiving some help from an airport security officer, I made it to the public transport stop, and started reading the schedule. It took me asking three different bus drivers before I was on the right bus. The reason I say to pay attention is because a girl not too much younger than me (I’m a week shy of 22) got on a bus that even I knew wasn’t going where she wanted. She exited the bus with some not so kind words for the driver, but really could’ve saved herself lots of trouble if she read the big digital readout on the top of all the buses in the country. JUST READ PEOPLE! Anyway, I was off, although still a little disappointed the cute TSA woman didn’t give me a pat down.

West Seattle, dropped off on a random street and told to head “that way”, which I come to find out is North. I must insert here that I had nearly 70 pounds of luggage (I was moving my whole life here) and I was told to walk over half a mile in “that direction”. Longest ½ mile of my life! But I made it, safe and exhausted, home at last.

I am lucky to say that my housemates aren’t home yet. As I write this I am in my fourth day in West Seattle and still have two days to be here alone. This has helped me to focus on seeing the neighborhood, find out where the beach is, and get adjusted to some of the quirks of my home. Someday I will get the nerve to post about the house, but for now, I leave you guessing.

For the next series of my posts I am probably going to try and feed you some of the knowledge I have gained from this whole experience. I want you all to know I am not a travel expert or a tour guide, and I am just passing things on as I see them. But I feel like the only ones with any credible advice on how to go about succeeding in a life like this are those who have lived it. So, I hope to pass knowledge onto you.

The plan for the future lies like a telephone wire: dangling in the wind, only supported by a few strong points and ever vulnerable to storms. I will attempt to budget my money (which I can see will be a problem here) by keeping ALL of my receipts and a detailed list of the money I spend from day to day. At the end of every month, we’ll see if I improve on my spending habits at all, and hopefully these first few weeks are the worst. I have already found the University of Washington, which in my opinion has a beautiful campus (remember I was in college in Northern New York at a fairly small school). I have to get a Metro card to keep me from having to carry change for the bus, which seems to have a semi-decent system for lugging my butt around town (I know exactly how to get two blocks from Safeco Field, that was enough for me). But now I need to get active, find some people to play Ultimate Frisbee with, find a job and meet some people. I have some connections which will help immensely, but it never hurts to have too many friends.

So four days in and I haven’t burned down the house, I only got lost in my neighborhood once, and I’m not starving. So far I would call this experiment a success!

Stay tuned for more and please, if you see anything you would like to comment on, I love feedback. I’m a writer; it’s the only way we get better!