Found

For around a year, I have been on a quest to find the perfect vintage pull down school map for my office. It had to be a map of the United States, with just the right colors (more turquoise in the ocean than sky blue or cerulean, not too much black), had to have the roller mechanism in working order, had to be a reasonable price (this tripped me up several times), and it should have a touch of kitsch, but must also be usable.

And a few weeks ago, I finally found one and nabbed it off ebay, for less than $100.

I could write a little piece about how my new purchase fits me perfectly because I am a seeker and I feel like am constantly looking for my ideal place. I could explain how hanging it reminded me of putting up a new merchandise display in my store and just how good that felt. I could mention how symbolic this thing is for this time in my life, since we finally moved out west, satisfying what has been a lifelong quest to leave the southeast. Or that we are heading to Chicago for a month this summer, another place I have always wanted to live. Or how I am mapping out a new career in writing.

It's a map, all about places you have been, places you want to go, places you might find and lose yourself, getting there and getting back. So yes, there are a probably a million meaningful reasons why I have such a thing for maps, and this map in particular.

But I don't really want to get into any of that. What I really want to tell you is that it smells a little musty, but in a good way, and it's really really really cute.

And I wish I could hug it.