Hello, my name is Jim. I am a 47-year-old, single man. I was born and raised in the Chicago area. I graduated from a local college with a degree in computer science and got a job programming in a bank downtown. After several years and a few herniated disks, I realized it wasn’t the career for me. I didn’t mind the programming, but there was no way I could sit at a desk all day (the cause for the back problems) for the rest of my working life. As I approached my thirtieth birthday I decided it was time to shake things up. My first attempt at college wasn’t the experience I had hoped for (an essay for another time), so I was going to try again. I moved to California, went back to school and got a teaching degree. I have been a teacher ever since. A couple years ago, the urge to shake things up resurfaced. I decided to chuck everything except what I could carry in my car and some boxes I mailed ahead to my brother, and headed for the east coast.
I ended up in Maine. I’ve been having a hard time explaining why here, although with time the answer is becoming clearer. The calmer pace of living is becoming more and more appealing and I am beginning to see opportunities here that I might not have had in a larger metropolitan area. This journey is about more than a physical move; it is spiritual as well. I want to make sure life continues to move forward; I don’t want to feel too ‘settled’ in any one spot.
I have been journaling along the way and sharing my experiences and thoughts with family and friends. There are so many times that the choices I’ve made this past year seem irresponsible and just plain crazy. On the other hand, writing about it seems to give purpose and direction to this path I’ve been following. This blog is about organizing my thoughts, looking for themes and patterns and sharing with others who may be on a similar journey or just find my lunacy interesting.
Exploring the world has been a major theme in my life. I enjoy traveling but not necessarily in the traditional sense. Yes, I like to take trips, weekend getaways, a week in a particular location, and the occasional two-week tour. I have taken a few three-week excursions and have found them to be a bit too long. By the third week spectacular scenery seems mundane, the different wine tastings become muddled and it’s just a continuous buzz, and as I roam through yet another historic church I begin to have doubts about heaven, but am certain of the existence of hell. Too much of one thing and I get restless.
Instead of short trips, I have always dreamed of living in different places. I am intrigued by the nuances of living in the country versus the city or suburbs. How does the outlook of a New Englander differ from a Californian or Midwesterner? As we become a more transient society, I find I enjoy hearing why people choose to move. That has been especially true here in Maine. There are lots of obvious reasons people move to California – weather, scenery, opportunities, etc. Maine, on the other hand, seems like an unlikely place to end up. There is beautiful scenery here but you better bundle up to enjoy it during the long, harsh winters. There are some impressive small towns but no major cities and the benefits they offer (though I will admit Portland does an amazing job considering its size). Yet I regularly meet people that were drawn here by some inexplicable need to be a Mainer. I’ve thought about writing a collection of essays about how people ended up in this area. I could call it Why ME? I am inspired to journal here; even the name lends itself to writing. It’s the only single-syllable state name, it’s easy to rhyme and there are all kinds of things you can do with a postal code of ME.
For me, traveling is more than sightseeing. I want to experience the local culture and learn about the subtleties of day-to-day life. What does the typical day look like of the residents of a particular community? How do they address each other, what do they talk about, what is considered appropriate behavior and how is inappropriate behavior addressed? It seems we define culture in terms of food and dress, which is about all a short vacation allows for. My dream is to be able to spend a significant amount of time in different locales so as to pick up the subtler nuances of the culture.
To date, I’ve lived in three parts of this country and spent several months in Kenya. I suspect I’ll be in Maine for a least a few more years, then lord knows what’s next. Through blogging, I hope to share stories and experiences with others on similar journeys. There is only so much you can do in a lifetime so I appreciate the opportunity to hear stories and learn about life in places I’ll probably never get to. Hopefully, I can do the same for others.
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