'Stuff'

I have always thought it an admirable quality to take life as it comes and enjoy the most of it without worrying about anything else.  Therefore, I have aspired to be a person who can 'go without' and does not depend on material items.  When I went to Ghana, for example, I could fit ALL of my belongings in a small coat closet in my parents house.  Therefore, when I was getting ready for the move to Dominica (where Ross pays to move a 20' shipping container full of 'stuff' to start the new job) I was kind of disappointed to look around and see just exactly how much 'stuff' i really have, and that i WANTED to take it with me...it was kind of like a character trait that i was trying to deminish had snuck up on me... In interest of insanity, however, i chose to focus on and worry about things that were more pertenant at the time:  thesis defense, brand new nephew, laughing as much as possible, 'seeing' whatever i was missing or going to miss, and spending LOTS of time with family and friends.  Therefore, the movers came in, packed up my belongings (before i truely had a chance to decide what to send and what to take with me on the plane...a consequence of having them come a week after the defense and just 2 days after the grad-party) and they were put into a sealed container headed for the island.  I thought 'i've done this before, i'll just show up and 'make do' until my stuff gets there.  Well...i think i did a fairly good job.  I arrived with enough suitable cloths to get me by, enough toiletries to hold me over, a few coffee mugs for fluid intake, ALMOST enough dog food to last, a few things to hold off the homesickness, and an excitement about my new job.  The last few weeks have been grand.  The pup is beginning to adjust to her new surroundings and accept the fact that i'm not going to be near her all day.  I'm trying to get 'out' as much as she'll allow me to do FUN things in addition to getting to know the new job.  All-in-all, things are good... What i didn't anticipate, however, was the feeling of RELIEF i would get when my stuff would actually arrive.  Now, it is no where near unpacked...but its HERE!  A feeling of 'this is where you are absolutely supposed to be right now and all of the pieces are going to begin to fall into place VERY soon' came over me last night as i layed down to sleep in my OWN bed, with my OWN pillows!  It is certainly not easy to move period, to move around the world, to get to know a new culture, to get to know a new job/surroundings/friends/life, to take the next step at adulthood...but at least for now it feels like i may have actually made the 'right' decision and this place is actually going to become HOME afterall...and after a night of 'excited to unpack and get everything situated' restless sleep, its a pretty good feeling to have!