The other day after work my “team” met at an English pub to wish me well after I leave. Nothing real special to mention there, aside from the fact that “The Lion and the Rose” is easily one of the coolest pub names ever. While there I got to answer some of the usual questions I get from people, the absolute most common of which is “so do you have a job lined up there (Seattle)?” After indicating for the one hundred and fiftieth time that no, I do not, a gentleman I work with remarked that “that’s really out there.”

I wonder now if people associate me with that type of person you might once upon a time have called a rambler. The types that travel often and who can’t seem to build a foundation anywhere they go. Living in hostels, bumming from friends, working in intermittent spurts at low wage jobs, etc. The truth is I’m nothing like that. For most intents and purposes, I enjoy staying in one place. I enjoy having a somewhat regular day to day life. I don’t get uncomfortable living in one place for an extended period of time either. All of these characteristics seem at odds with the type of person who normally just “ups and leaves” without “having a job lined up.”

What I don’t understand is why people have a hard time comprehending or accepting my decision to move without first attempting to stereotype me. To me, my moving to the place I want to live is the same basic concept as picking out the car you want to drive or the clothes you want to wear. Capitalism allows for us to consider these kinds of choices, so why not take full advantage? Where I live is every bit as much a part of me as the other decisions I make, or the things I buy. It becomes a part of my personality, and plays a large part in my overall happiness. So why not shop around? Why not do my research and decide on the best available option? I do the exact same thing when I make large purchases. Consider the pros and cons, perform an economic cost/benefit analysis, and move forward rationally. In the past when I use this approach for decision making, I usually end up happy with the results.

I would ideally like to see other people deciding where they want to live, and taking steps towards living there. Greater social harmony would result, if nothing else. As well, it would instill in many of us an appreciation for the land we live on, the people we live with, and the local government. This is an inevitable result, because you would have researched these things to begin with in arriving at your decision. This contrasts strongly with simply being somewhere because of other circumstances, as in those situations we tend to take our homes for granted.

With the passing of time comes greater methods of both traveling and communicating long distance, and partly as a result of this I feel that the age of being essentially stuck in the place where you grow up is coming to an end. I don’t personally think that my moving to Seattle is “out there.” On the contrary, I think its the most rational decision I could have made.