New View and Viewpoints

Usually when I pack up all of my things, it isn't too long until I unpack them in a new place and partake in the fun of decorating and arranging. This time, my things are all packed up and staying in storage. Make no mistake, it's a very nice storage facility and will definitely be the subject of a future blog post, but storage does not afford one the opportunity to unpack or decorate. Yet if one packs, one should unpack. There's something yin and yang about it. To complete the second half of my equation, I went to Vernon, NJ where my friends Chris and Jamie and their two sons just moved into a new home. I pitched in to paint walls, organize toys, collapse boxes and distract the 2-year-old when other projects needed to be finished. Our favorite project was to put the crosspieces into the windows so that each larger window was divided into eight panes of glass. The dividers were a struggle to install, but each finally fell into place with a satisfying snap. Once we were done scrutinizing each window during installation, it was exciting to step back and take in the larger effect. The windows themselves had a finished touch to them, and outside those windows was a view much different than the view I'd left behind in Manhattan.

I will enjoy many different views as an Urban Nomad, sleeping in different places, but I am more excited about the different viewpoints. By staying with Chris and Jamie, I had the opportunity to peek at the world from their point of view, from the parsonage at the edge of the church property, where one can hear the choir practicing if the windows are open and where one can look out over a majestic valley of trees while grilling. I got to learn more of their personal story and hear the reasons behind some of the choices they've made for everything from paint colors to parenting styles. That is a privilege of being an Urban Nomad.