Moving/living in different cities/countries in life

[GLC1968]

I've had experiences similiar to a lot of the moving gals. In fact, while I was not a military brat, most of my friends were because we could relate to each other. 10 schools by 10th grade - two highschools, 3 colleges. I've never lived anywhere (ever) for more than 3 years except for having spent 7 in the Tampa area of FL. Just to make that bareable, in those 7 years I had two careers, two majors and 7 addresses...so it wasn't like I was settled!

But, to answer the original question, I've moved 14 times since graduating highschool (not counting relocating for college). Some of those moves were within the same general area and others were across the country. When I got my security clearance at one of my jobs, it was a serious challenge for me to recall all my addresses in the previous 10 years.

I'm good at moving. I enjoy it. It's an adventure to me. It's also all I've ever known. I cannot imagine growing up in one house or living in one place my whole life. Moving as a child was really hard. Moving as a HS student really, really, really sucked (english speaking or not - it SUCKS being the new kid as a fragile teenager and entering a school system where the kids have all been together since kindergarten!!) That was by far, the worst. As an adult, it's easier to adjust to a new place, but it's much harder to make new friends. I've gotten good at being very open and trusting. Yes, I get hurt...but whatever. Honestly, I think having been such a rolling stone as a child, it taught me to not bother holding onto emotional baggage. I just let it go and move on. Moving all the time has also kept my family close (not geographically, but emotionally).

I also have friends in just about every major city and metropolitan area across the country.

[sfa]

Since high school I've lived in Washington, DC, Winston-Salem, NC, and in three locations in the Baltimore area. I also spent one year abroad in western Europe, but I was peripatetic so didn't really "live" anywhere. The longest I stayed put was four weeks in Verona, otherwise it was just a day or so at each location.

Growing up, I lived in the same house my whole life, the same one my parents still live in. I longed to move anywhere--I loved going new places and getting to know new areas, so I would beg my parents to please, please, please move. I don't know if it would have been so much fun in reality, but I still think one of the most fun things to do is find a new city or town and wander around unfamiliar streets. I'm getting antsy in my current house--we intended it as a starter home and planned to live there for five years, but it's now been 12 years (housing bubble popped up just after we bought) and I spend a lot of time looking at real estate listings, just dreaming of going someplace new.

Sarah

[Jolt]

I haven't done a lot of moving since finishing high school...attended college in the same state but different city, and have stayed in that same city since college (my family did move to NJ my freshman year, but I only spent summers and breaks there so I'm not really counting that). It looks like I will have to move soon though, once I find a job in whichever state that may be; current possibilities in the pipeline are in upstate NY, PA, WI and MN...there are very few possibilities here in MA for a new grad acute care NP (and the ones I do see are in completely different parts of the state anyway, so would still require a move). Actually, not a whole lot in New England in general (bummer...I wouldn't mind being in NH or VT at all!). Looking forward to starting to practice but nervous about having to start over in an entirely new place. As far as before high school, I did have to move a few times as a kid: born in SF bay area, lived in VA for a few years, then moved to MA and lived in two different towns (right next to each other, but still required changing schools in 6th grade which was not fun) before college. Hopefully when I have kids someday I won't have to put them through moving and changing schools...in my experience, that sucked; I got picked on a lot and I think coming in as a new kid was part of the reason. Guess I'd better stay away from military guys or others who have to move around for work; heck, even without kids in the picture I still don't want to be forced to move around! I'd much rather find a place I like and stick around; I can still travel and see other places on vacation etc. but then come back to something familiar.

[TsPoet]

Santa Fe New Mexico, Boulder Colorado, Tucson Arizona, Chapel Hill North Carolina, and Richland Washington.
Took me 5 years to start liking it here. Now I love it. I didn't love it anywhere else, but 5 years was as long as I lived in any of those places. I loved Santa Fe, but I grew up there.
North Carolina was the worst. The personalities of the communities in NM, Co, and AZ were all so similar there wasn't a culture shock moving between them. The scenery in all of the Western states is similar, I hated all those claustrophobic trees in NC.
The culture shock and lack of space in NC was mind boggling. I had to get back west.

[shootingstar]

Interesting TSPoet, on your need for visual spaciousness.

When I moved to Toronto, the first year I had to get used to just houses and buildings located more closely together. I lived there for 2 decades in 2 different neighbourhoods.

But later, enjoyed what the city offered in close proximity in terms of transportation options, services, cultural activities, compared to the suburbs or other cities that are sprawl and have less highrises, etc.

I like little quiet residential side streets running 1 kms. or less from a downtown corridor..but not so far out that I can't get there to enjoy city life.

When I worked out in the suburbs here in Metro Vancouver outside of downtown Vancouver, I hated it. Just way too sprawly and isolating. No sidewalks to walk safely to worksite.

From another engineer, who was Canadian and who returned to Vancouver after working abroad in Asia for a decade, he bought a house for his family in the Metro Vancouver 'burbs. They like the house, but his wife disliked having to drive all over the place just to do simple errands, shopping, etc. She lived a chunk of her life in Hong Kong and Taipei before immigrating to Canada. They now live near busy arterial roads, not conducive to cycling nor walking.

[Jolt]

North Carolina was the worst. The personalities of the communities in NM, Co, and AZ were all so similar there wasn't a culture shock moving between them. The scenery in all of the Western states is similar, I hated all those claustrophobic trees in NC.
The culture shock and lack of space in NC was mind boggling. I had to get back west.

Interesting that you say that about the trees...I have relatives in Montana who say the same thing when they come east to visit. For me it would be weird to not have a lot of trees around since I'm used to living in New England.

[Crankin]

Yep, I felt the same way. Everything in the west seemed brown to me. When I lived there, and I came back east, the greenness was so "real." I came to appreciate the beauty of the west, but since living in Phoenix is just living in endless stucco/suburban sprawl, I rarely got to see the "real" west. It was there when I moved to AZ, but disappeared shortly thereafter. That's why we left.
One of the saddest things I have on videotape is my 2 and 4 year old kids playing in the foundation plants of my house in Tempe, saying, "We're in the woods!" I think you can hear me say in the background, "I am outta here!"

[sfa]

On one of my trips to the midwest I was in the middle of taking a photography course, so I got a photo of the landscape near my grandmother's home--empty field on the lower half (it was November), sky on the upper half, farm house dead center. My professor hated the photo--said the composition was dull and empty. My mother loved the photo--she said she misses that view so much, so she had me enlarge the photo and frame it.

I can appreciate the beauty of different landscapes, but I don't think I could live without trees.

Sarah

[GLC1968]

One of the saddest things I have on videotape is my 2 and 4 year old kids playing in the foundation plants of my house in Tempe, saying, "We're in the woods!" I think you can hear me say in the background, "I am outta here!"

This totally made me LOL! I'd have thought/said the same thing.

In fact, when I moved to NC, at first I felt it was too brown and barren! I grew up in New England, Michigan and Wisconsin...so I'm used to trees. A lot of the Greensboro, NC area is farmland, so it felt really barren to me. It wasn't until I got a chance to visit the NC mountains that I felt the beauty of the state.

As we drove from NC to Oregon (in February, mind you), I was constantly amazed at the changing landscape. We live in a VERY big country here! The west was amazing - and felt very foriegn and kind of 'powerful' to me (not sure that's the right word, but it'll do for now). I enjoyed seeing it, but it wasn't until we passed thorugh the Columbia River Gorge that I started to feel 'at home'. I think that's why I love it here in the western part of Oregon. I get the big trees and green forested areas like I grew up with, rolling hills, small farms, mountain views, etc...(oh and rocky beach shorelines)...but I also get the western laid back attitude that I'm learning to love. It's like the best of both coasts all rolled into one!

[shootingstar]

I'm getting antsy in my current house--we intended it as a starter home and planned to live there for five years, but it's now been 12 years (housing bubble popped up just after we bought) and I spend a lot of time looking at real estate listings, just dreaming of going someplace new.

Sarah

Well, change for the sake of change is not terrible if there are other compelling, long-term reasons also. Just be grateful if you have liked your neighbourhood for a long time.

A person's mental health and safety, can be affected by where they choose to live.