Saving the Boxes for the Next Move by Fariba Kalantari

Fariba Kalantari's Website

Saving the Boxes for the Next Move, Ink on Paper, 2024, 12x9

I save my moving boxes. Following a move, they are neatly packed away in a corner and stay dependably there. Over the years, they have served me in moving homes, cities, countries, and continents. Once, they travelled on a ship, but mostly, they piled up on the back of a truck. I am a first-generation immigrant, and the moving boxes have safely stored my belongings and protected my memories, photographs, books, and cherished knick-knacks.

The boxes have been used many times and are covered with writings, signs,

and marks showing what was once inside and where it belonged, and this reminds me where I previously was and where I am standing now. When I got married, the boxes helped us to move in together. Since then, they have been packed and unpacked two more times, between three different cities.

I don’t have one place to call home. All these places have been my home—I have lived there and made memories; I have discovered them and then missed their unique character. I am older now, but I know I would be ok if my moving boxes come out again.