I hate moving. I just hate it. But, moving is a necessary ingredient for most of us in radio.
Ok, I landed in Des Moines, and I have a terrific apartment leased until late summer. My house in Joplin is on the market. I am learning the roads and meeting my new co-workers.
Hey, I am no longer in my 20’s. One of the great challenges of being an adult is finding a new social life. I am not married and frequently when you are in your 40s, relationships are built by wives. The random single guy is not invited to dinner parties. So, building new friendships is a challenge.
Getting set up with the internet and DMV stuff takes up time that you want to be at the office working. I had my internet appointment from 8-11 AM and my installer showed up at 9:48. Not terrible, but it seemed like it was his first installation. We had to wait for the building maintenance to arrive to open the door to the internet room. He was done at 11:20. I pulled into the office right after noon. You cannot survive without internet, obviously, and my home did not qualify for 5G internet from my cell phone provider.
Oh, here is a pain: insurance. Car insurance is easy, but I have 30 days to get renters insurance, or the leasing company soaks me. Insurance people want to meet on weekdays. They want me to bundle, of course. I read that bundling is a scam. I need to figure that out. We all need insurance. It is an expense without a visible benefit. Yes, if you rear-end a Ferrari, you will see a benefit, but most of us rarely make a claim. We just pay the premium in the hopes of never needing to use insurance because the rates will be raised. I don’t hate the insurance salespeople. They are generally quite pleasant. It is seemingly a waste of time when you can be working.
Ok, the other issue is being a dog owner. I generally want to come home, eat lunch, and do the midday walk with the dog. With a new job, I want to be there as I meet the staff and get oriented in the new surroundings. My dog had to go through an all-day evaluation to be accepted by the doggie daycare. I have decided that I am not that excited about this particular daycare. So, there is another place near my home. They want to interview my dog. It is a stringent test according to the prospective daycare’s website. This exam will take place at 9:30 AM or 2:30 PM Monday – Friday. More hours out of my workday. My dog will pass. She is a Brittany and loves everyone and plays well with others.
Is there anything worse than the DMV? I am told that Iowa has a pretty good system. You can make an appointment and it goes smoothly. Is it just me? How many hours will this take? I have waited at the DMV for hours. The DMV employees are generally the unhappiest people on Earth. It is like these people had to give up their eternal souls for this job. Doesn’t the DMV hire individuals who claim to like people? How many employees at the DMV are watching the calendar to retirement? What a wretched way to live a life.
Finding places to shop for groceries? I am a normal human and I like routines. I want to stop on the way home and pick up a couple of things. This is all upended in a move. I probably also need a dentist and a doctor. Thankfully, you can get your haircut after work or on the weekend.
There is good in this as well. I have already stumbled into a couple of good restaurants. Lots of stuff to try and I am enjoying the exploration.
Then there is work. I like to hit the ground running when I move. There are always hiccups in arriving at a new workplace. New people to meet, understanding the talents, and challenges of your team. I want to be working. All these errands slow down the progress that I am seeking to achieve. I want to work. I moved for the job and I want to get things done.
What do I do with these boxes? I am hopefully going to purchase a house later this year. Do I rent storage for empty boxes? Recycle? Where do you do that? I am told that we don’t need these things in landfills, but I am guessing that the recycling center is only open Monday – Friday from 9-5. Another errand to pull me out of the office.
Ok, a ray of light. I love my new employer, teammates, and city. I am looking forward to exploring new restaurants, activities, and learning about my neighborhood because I love new adventures and I certainly know people who are married to their routines.
Moving forces you to change your schedule. It creates the need to get out of your comfort zone. Moving also allows us to evaluate what is needed in life. I shed a lot of possessions in every move. I do have the radio memorabilia tubs, though. So, moving sucks, but adventures and personal growth are the benefits.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He recently served as program director for WHO/KXNO in Des Moines, IA. Prior to that role he held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
