The Feeling of Being Untethered

I find myself in a unique position lately. This summer, Matt and I moved from our home in Asheville, North Carolina to a new adventure in Decatur, Georgia. We were brought here by law school, and since I can work from anywhere, it didn't matter much which university we choose. Matt had the freedom to choose the best school for his education.

Atlanta was a good choice for a lot of reasons. We lived here for 10 years before moving to the mountains and I feel comfortable in the city. Decatur, a city center with a small town feel surrounded by the Atlanta metropolis, was an equally good choice. Close to the college, walkable neighborhoods. It meets all of my needs. And as much as some other cities sounded fun, it was quite possible I would have felt isolated in an unfamiliar place.

And this adventure is incredible. I am reconnecting with old friends, making new relationships. I'm writing more and finishing my novel. But I can't quite shake this feeling that I don't belong.

Moving to Atlanta again was always temporary. Three years until graduation and then back to Asheville. And right now, I'm struggling with where I'm from.

When someone asks me where I'm from, do I say "Asheville, NC?" or do I say "Decatur, GA." Maybe, "I'm from Asheville, NC but I'm currently living in Decatur, GA for the next couple of years." And then there's the sticky problem of what exactly "from" means to begin with. I have a friend who tells me I can't be "from" more than one place. I'm "from" southeast Michigan, but I live somewhere else. But that's not entirely accurate, either. I haven't lived in Michigan since 2003. It's not home. Atlanta was home for 10 years, and that was great. And we were only in Asheville for 6, but that's where my roots took hold.

So where am I from? What do I get to tell people right now, in this moment? Is Asheville still home? Is home Decatur?

And I know this is only temporary. And that travel has long been a priority, including the idea of possibly living somewhere completely new from time to time. And while I love what I'm doing, and support Matt in what he's doing, I can't shake this feeling of being out of place. Not able to call anywhere home.

All I can do now is hold on tight and see where this adventure takes us.