I grew up in Western Washington. I live in Southern California. I’ve always planned to one day return to Western Washington. Now, I’m thinking that journey is going to require a number of detours.
At camp one year, we had to introduce ourselves to everyone by choosing an adjective that started with the same letter as our first names. I introduced myself as Adventurous Ashley, because it was the only thing I could think of. Fewer things could be further from the truth. I’m not adventurous. I never have been.
I’m not scared of new things. I’m actually a person who enjoys change. But, adventure is something else. I think that requires leaving the house and I’m what you’d call an inside person. For that reason and a few others, I’ve done very little traveling. Embarrassingly little. I’ve really never been interested until now. At 26, suddenly I want to see things.
I want to travel like I never have before, but I also have this desire to do more than just visit a place for a short while. As a person and especially as a writer, I want to really experience a place. I want to live there. It started pretty simply with a thought that I want to live in New York City, as impractical as that may be. But, it didn’t stop there, because then I thought of DC and Boston and Portland and Chicago and San Francisco. Give me a few more weeks and I’m sure I’ll go international.
I don’t know if my life is big enough to fit all of this in. In some ways, the life of an academic allows for this flexibility, but in other ways it doesn’t. I’ll probably have to go wherever I can find a job and given the best of circumstances, I will get tenure, which will pretty much cement me staying in the same locale for the duration of my career. But, there’s the fact that I will be starting my career later in life (30!) and then there’s sabbatical, and while we’re dreaming, maybe writing will allow for even more flexibility.
For now, I’m going to focus on getting from California to New York. It’s going to take a few years, because I’ve got money to save and a PhD to finish, so in the meantime, tell me if you’re happy where you are or if you can picture yourself somewhere else.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
I think its great that you want to see and experince more of the country. I haven’t traveled a whole lot either, but I am entirely ok with that. I imagine I will end up living a few different places other than my small town but I don’t really see myself moving that far away. For me, I need to be around my family and moving someplace like Seattle or Portland wouldn’t allow for that. I love where I live currently. Its a small town but in such close proximity to other places it makes roadtrips completely do-able. I’m about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh, 2 hours from Columbus, 4 hours to DC, 6 to NYC and Philly, 6 to Chicago.
I’m pretty much happy in Glasgow. I grew up in a town about 10 miles south of the city, always wanted to move to the west end of Glasgow while I was growing up, and now I have. I love Glasgow, and can only see myself moving if I was heading abroad to sunnier climes. I’d love to live somewhere like the Canary Islands, where I wouldn’t feel cold all the time.
Good for you! I am wicked excited to travel and live new places as well… I definitely want to live in California at some point and Boston. Next year I will be moving to NYC and I am beyond excited… it has always been a dream of mine! As far as traveling goes, I want to go everywhere! Especially Budapest, India and Ireland.
Best,
Hannah Katy
If you’re ever in Chicago, know that you have a place to crash!
Also, if you want an adventure…just saying, you know that adventure (and trouble) that I can get into. =D
Scratch that, the adventure starts this summer at VidCon! Prepare yourself for some awesome fun!
These are pretty much the things I’ve always wanted. I have no idea how to make them happen, though. I have a job with 10 paid days off for the entire year. There’s never enough time for much of anything, other than a couple of days here. A 3-day weekend there. I keep hoping that once my husband gets settled into his job, we’ll be able to take more time, because I can take days off without pay (however much it’s frowned upon.) Until then, though, I just keep dreaming.
I’m really interested in travelling, and I think it’s important for people to see some of the world. I’d like to live in Manchester at some point, which is close to home, but it would still very different to where I am now. I’d also like to try living abroad. I have a real thing for cities, so basically any major one in a safe country is attractive to me. But at the same time, I enjoy the comfort of my life now, and I’m not sure how well I’d cope with big changes. I guess taking those kind of risks is an important part of life though, and if you have urges to live in other places, you should definitely follow through on them.
If you ever want to visit SF, you can always visit me!
I’m very interested in travelling, too. It’s so important to see other parts of the world, other ways of living, other cultures, and history… it’s all so fascinating. I’m excited for you to get to NY – it’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to see. I miss living in England so I think any vacation time I do get, I inevitably end up being drawn back to Europe, but one day I’d really like to visit New Zealand, India, and Italy.
I am a traveling JUNKIE!! I think ever since my mom took me on my first plane when I was a little baby (maybe 8 months?) it has been my number one passion!
I’m finding that I don’t mind the idea of living in San Diego for a long time, but always finding the time to travel every year. I think I can accomplish this. When you are passionate enough, you find a way!! I even might move in the future…who knows!?
I have lived in the Washington DC area all my life. I love it… all my friends and family are here. However, I’m ready for change. I have traveled a little bit – but my goal is to be overseas by next April… living and traveling for a good year. And then come back to DC or some other fun city. But I think it’s great that you are thinking of making a change! That is definitely very adventurous.
I’m kind of the opposite, I want to live in one place but travel LOTS! I love British Columbia and would NEVER want to live in any other province for an extended period of time. I especially love the southern part of the province (where I am now) but all of my family and Eric are in the northern part so I definitely see myself settling down up there.
I want to live in NYC after college I think.
We grew up as nomads – my parents’ jobs kept us shifting and moving until we were old enough to live by ourselves. Sometimes I think the only thing I’d really want is to settle down… but now that I have a life on my own, I have itchy feet and move every few years too! My home is where I happen to be. ;-)
I know what you mean. New York actually has that allure for me too, but I have to work within the boundaries of my vacation time. You should start off with random weekend getaways to places that are close by, but that you never thought to visit. You’ll really start to look at travel in a different way.
I’m a big proponent of living outside of where you grew up and went to school. I think that’s where you really learn, grow and find your place in life. At least, that’s where I gained my independence. But, in the end, I came back home. I am glad I got to experience living in Boston and SF because I know this is the right place for me.
I live in Johannesburg. Typically, people from all over the country move here for better job oppertunities and more money. I wouldn’t mind moving to the coast but like I said, I am where the job oppertunies are. I wouldn’t mind living in UK for a few years though.
I would love to travel! Once I have saved up a bit of money, I plan to travel to various places when I’m married, even internationally. The Boyfriend and I have discusses many places like Germany, Switzerland, Japan, France, and a couple of places in the US – Seattle was my personal choice.
I’m not dissatisfied with where I am currently. I have a great little place to live in, but I don’t see myself staying put. I will probably move just outside the city I’m in, mostly because it is cheaper and the crime isn’t as bad. I’ll just be happy when I own a little house I can call mine. I need a kitchen and craft room/office of my very own. Is that too much to hope for?
I absolutely LOVE Cambridge, and really, the only other place I can imagine living right now is Berkeley. The two cities have a lot in common, and if I end up doing grad school, it will either be here or there.
I can get pretty much any kind of food I want, hear six languages on any given day, and walk everywhere. I don’t miss driving one bit.
I really enjoy living in northern VA. I’m close enough to get into DC on the metro in 30 minutes or so, yet I’m also close to nature and wineries and other such outdoorsy-ness. There is so much to do. And spring comes a bit earlier than it does even a couple hours north.
I’m not sure exactly what town I will end up in, but I love this region in general. I can see myself calling it home for the rest of my life.
I truly don’t think I’ll ever leave DC. And I am so incredibly happy about it :-)
I can totally relate to this blog entry because I find myself wanting to travel around the country and living in different places all of the time.
I wrote a blog about, you wanna read it, here it goes (http://poppacos.wordpress.com/2010/01/29/my-tumbling-tumbleweed/).
I just wanted to share with you that your blog spoke to me, and I enjoyed reading it :)
I’m happy where I am right now, but I’m sure I won’t be for too long. My home is in Rhode Island. It’s well and nice enough here in Mississippi, but ultimately I want to build my family in RI.
I grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania and never planned to stay there. I figured I’d end up in a big city, but my goal was San Francisco. Why exactly? I’m not even sure, but something about there has always piqued my interest.
But I managed to move to North Carolina – somewhere I not once thought about before college graduated neared. And though part of me would LOVE to move somewhere else – Paris, NYC, Boston, etc. – I have a feeling that this is where I’ll be staying. I’m creating roots with my boyfriend (and he’s not thinking about leaving) and my parents just moved here, leaving behind their life in my hometown. How do I move away from them AGAIN!? I guess I’m in that confused middle-part – do I stay or do I go? Ha. I guess it’ll all depend on where the road takes me… But for now, I’m very happy where I’m at.
I am incredibly happy where I am in my small town. I love it here, have grown up here, and would love to stay here. Realisitically though, I’m not sure how sustainable that idea is, my area is incredibly economically depressed (our main industries are steel and coal). Pittsburgh is only a 45 minute jaunt up the road and I love it there, I could very easily slip into life there and still be a part of my families lives here in my small town. I’ve done some traveling, but I don’t in any way have a travel bug or a deep seeded need to travel. I’m quite content in OH and my tri-state area.
I almost cried a little when you mentioned NYC as a destination for you. It was mostly for selfish reasons. I’m super excited to see where life takes you.
Mostly if it takes you close to Philadelphia/Jersey.
Hi Ashley; your plans sound great.
I’m currently in the UK and moving to Portugal in 2012…or possibly Vancouver if a job there works out.
I also have plans for an extended stay in NY {we can’t really move there for more than 3 months} I’ve been quite a bit but never for more than a week; not long enough to really experience the city
I’ve waited 20 years to get out into the world; it’s never too late ;)
Much like you, I grew up in Western WA, then moved elsewhere. I stayed for eight years, then moved back this past December.
We’re the same age, so maybe it’s that we’re at a wanderlust period of life, but I agree. I want to travel and go and experience and live new lives that aren’t practical if I also have goals requiring time and effort.
It’s hard to know what to choose.
But it’s also amazing how when you work toward what you want, some of those other doors open… at least a crack… so you get a taste of what you want. Sometimes just enough to realize you don’t want it after all.
Good luck with the dreams and deciding!