New Neighbors

My neighbors behind us are moving. I am starting to feel like I stick or something; I've had four sets of neighbors on both sides of us and now I'm going on my third set behind us. Am I that bad of a neighbor? The really bad thing is every time I complain about my neighbors worse ones move in.

On one side of us we had a teenage heavy metal band with a dog's skull over their mantel. They moved out and ten families moved in with hellion children who would steal my kid's toys and throw pool balls at them. I tried to keep my mouth shut and just pray for them to leave. My prayer's were answered and now we have a nice quiet single women who lives there. She works so much we hardly ever see her, it's great.

The neighbors behind us have been great. We got together and would do BBQ night every Tuesday and each of us invited different people every week. They have a daughter the same age as Buddy Boons and they play well together. These are the kinds of neighbors you pray never move, but alas the time has come for them to move on and make their mark on this world and leave me behind.

It's hard to not have a twinge of jealousy. They are embarking on a new adventure, meeting new people, seeing new places, and experiencing life through the view of new surroundings. I myself have lived in the same house for the past eight years and with the housing market the way it is now I wouldn't be able to purchase my own house again let alone one bigger.

Don't get me wrong I love my house. It is in the perfect location, it only takes us five minutes to get anywhere in town. It is an older home with character and charm, two things that are very important to me. Our backyard is our oasis, which we enjoy hosting parties in. I have a great life and a great home. I don't know why I am jealous of my neighbors. I guess I hunger for adventure. But who says my adventure can't be bike riding with my kids or hiking in the local mountains and discovering the beauty we miss everyday in our rush to have a "normal life".

It seems we are always wishing things could just settle down. We were in the early years of college and we wished we could hurry up and graduate. Well we are here now and I got to say the settled down "normal life" isn't all it's cracked up to be. I get complacent and bored, which can only lead to trouble. I search for ways to shake things up again so what did I do? I went back to school and so did Big D. Well now we are right back to thinking how great life is going to be when we are done. How ironic is that?

Everyone needs adventure in their life, but I don't necessarily think it has to come from moving. I think you can get it right in your own home. It take creativity, time, and energy, but it is possible. I am going to search out the ways to do this for my family, in the mean time I am going to wish my old neighbors luck and invite my new neighbors over for a BBQ.