Movin' Out (Klang's Song)

Movin' Out (Klang's Song)

And then it was July. I moved to Burlington, Vermont, in July twelve years ago. I moved to Baltimore in July ten years ago. I moved to Iowa City in July six years ago. And this July, I'll move to Jefferson. 

Snapshots of the next two weeks in Iowa City: couches discarded on curbs, arms hanging out of cars to hold on to mattresses barely secured on top, moving trucks speeding the wrong way down one-way streets. This is the time when those with the dreaded gap-in-between-leases try to find another place to stay. I've spent many a late-July sleeping on friends' couches, house sitting, or going elsewhere to stay with family. I thought this was normal. It wasn't until I moved to Baltimore that I learned that it's Iowa City, or at least college-town specific for leases to end around July 27 and for new leases to not begin until August 1. This time of housing uncertainty and transition is a time of community stress, no doubt, and seemingly, even as someone that has no affiliation with the college part of this town, I find myself again with a lease gap. 

I like to think that I thrive in times of transition. This isn't my first move and likely won't be my last. I enjoy the decluttering that comes with packing- the shedding of what no longer serves me (I'm looking at you, higher education research methods book in my donation pile). I love the idea of unpacking and making a new space feel cozy. I've also been known to start unpacking only to be found napping minutes later (perhaps from making the space too cozy?).

I am trying to mentally prepare for what will likely be an unwieldy late-July/early-August, full of lease-gap-family-basement times and finding my way in a new/old town. It has already felt like a transitional time between the soft-opening and now, and I'm excited to finally settle into the brick-and-mortar store. It's hard to believe just a month ago I was cleaning up after the soft-opening and that a month from now, Warm Wishes will be filled with new back-to-school inventory and other fun stuff. Plans are underway for the Warm Wishes grand opening in early August (more to come on that soon...). Until then, happy packing (and maybe some napping?)! 

 

 

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