My daily view: the Remarkables range in Queenstown, New Zealand.

What’s the longest period of time you’ve lived in one place?

455 days at one address is my newest record. I haven’t had such free access to a closet since University. And even then, postcodes differed between spring and autumn, when a change in location neatly marked the start and end of summer holidays.

Tidy life chapters – or, as I use them, excuses to start the next travel journal – appeal to me. Better than school semesters or birthdays, they are a constant clean slate. New postbox, new person.

The Remarkables range at dusk.

Yet staying in one place fosters change in it’s own way. I’ve rarely celebrated Christmas traditions under a traditional tree, or witnessed a full cycle of seasons out any one window. And this means I fail to notice Time’s subtle alterations on the world around me.

Until now. When a very settled position (we bought a house!) offered unexpected views, and a brand new perspective on what I’d previously considered familiar scenery.

The Remarkables range in April.

15 months in Queenstown, New Zealand is a surprising achievement. Not just for its duration, but for its ability to alter my entire understanding of sedentary stability.

What can you learn from a seemingly stagnant image?

As the Greeks say, “Nothing is more permanent than temporary.” And when I finally learned to accept the irregularity of my situation, this semi-permanent address became a bigger adventure than having none.

The Remarkables range in May.

You’d be surprised by what you can learn in 455 days. . .

Like, what magic hides in a full spice cabinet. Oh, the things you can cook!

Which may take a bit of practice, but as it turns out, not all useful skills are gleaned from a two-hour online course.

The Remarkables range in May.

Hobbies, as well, need hours and hours to truly cultivate.

Luckily, with a year or more to spare, you may finally have to time join a community of equally impassioned locals.

The Remarkables range in November.

Goals can be accomplished, or ignored, no matter where you are.

And friendships should be completely beyond the limitations of a calendar year; depending, instead, on open hearts and willing minds. (Just as common on long-haul flights as at neighborhood block parties).

For 455 days, these have been my efforts at a staying-put education. And this has been my view. . .

The Remarkables range in June.

Tell me about your longest stay somewhere!