George,

After I moved out on my own at the age of 19, I didn't know if I'd be heading off to college out of the area, living in starter apartments around Charlottesville, getting a house in the county, backpacking across the country... you know, the usual quasi-vagrant-lifestyle that all newly-on-their-own teenagers go through. So I continued to get mail at my family's home in Free Union, and continued to vote out there. An added benefit was that I was assured of a free, home-cooked meal at least once a year, in November.

Now that I've been settled for a couple of years at the same place on North First Street (having lived prior to that on South Street and on Market Street), I've since switched over the important things, such as my driver's license, voter registration, library overdue notices, and, of course, my Linux Journal subscription. In addition to these symptoms of permanence, I now own not merely a faux-leather couch, but also a rather nice KitchenAid mixer, a desk suitable for aircraft landings, and a shower curtain with rubber ducks on it. I believe I'm getting to enjoy this consistency thing.

Life takes a while to settle into. It's a good feeling to sink into it.

Best,

Waldo Jaquith (electronic mail, February 4, 2002)