friday five: moving and changing

Sally at Revgals writes: ALL IS CHANGE.... and although I am looking forward to it, it is not without a sense of trepidation, as change always brings challenges.Changing location also means packing, so next month will be a month of clearing and sorting, deciding what comes and what gets left behind...So with change in mind I offer you this Friday five;

1. A big move is looming, name one thing that you could not possibly part with, it must be packed…
I can't think of one thing, but my grandmother's four-poster bed stands out as something I am loathe to part with. And my scrapbooks/photos. That's one category, does that count as one?

2. Name one thing that you would gladly leave behind...
those things have already been purged from the household—that’s what yard sales are for!

3. How do you prepare for a move:
a. practically? I start to pack as soon as possible, starting with the things I know I don’t need (seasonal items, books, etc.) I label boxes with contents, and sometimes I even color code the boxes with different colors of tape. It’s a “J” thing.
b. spiritually/ emotionally? I experience the process. I take time to grieve what I will miss, and say goodbye to the places and people that mean something to me. I find there is always something to look forward to in going to a new place, even if that something is the opportunity to “set up house.” I imagine the new place, anticipate the possibilities and what I know I will enjoy about it, and begin to shift the internal gears.

4. What is the first thing you look for in a new place?
Where the Christmas tree will go!
In terms of places to go to--I was reminded while at the nursery the other day how much I need access to beauty. That is a "fix" far more important than say, Starbucks!

5. Do you settle in easily, or does it take time for you to find your feet in a new location?
I settle in pretty easily. I enjoy exploring a new place, finding my way, learning the roads, the shops, the “green places.” And I like to set up house, so that aspect is always fun, even with challenges.

The bonus for today; a new opportunity has come up for you to spend 5 years in a new area, where would you go and why?
I’ve experienced a variety of ministry opportunities in a mix of places: urban/cathedral in the northeast, large suburban church in the mid-west, small and smaller churches in the southeast, town and rural, associate, rector and interim, mountains and not-so-mountainous… I think it’s time to head to the water, and the northwest—someplace near Seattle, perhaps? There are some new cyber friends in that area I would love to spend some time with IRL, and from all accounts it’s a great place to live.