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Eight Positives of Moving A Lot

Moving isn’t bad. I should know. I would call myself a pro. I have moved so many times in my lifetime, I lost count. My parents were adventurous and my Dad had job opportunities all over the world. That’s why we moved so much. There are five major things I took away from moving so much.

1. You will always make new friends. By the time I was six, I had already experienced 3 major moves, the last of which I was able to realize that I would be leaving behind some very special people and my best friend. My Mom soothed my fears by telling me that we could still stay in touch by writing. She also told me I could look forward to making new friends. She was right. Everywhere I moved, I made a new best friend. I kept in touch with some of them through the years and they are still my best friends. I have a lot of best friends.
2. There are friendly people everywhere. These people welcome you into their community and treat you kindly. They are just like us.
3. People are eager to share their culture and learn about yours. Fortunately, I had parents that loved to explore their new surroundings. We met many new friends and spent time with them. They took us to their local hangouts and sightseeing. My parents also loved to entertain, so we often had dinner guests.
4. You learn to appreciate other cultures and people. Each culture has its own unique flavor and traditions. Their people love their families just as much as we do. Getting to know them gives you insight into their thinking and can help you develop a respect you may have never had before.
5. You own way too much stuff. It seemed like everywhere we moved, we accumulated more stuff. Each time we moved we had to get rid of things. That sounds bad, but it’s not. It can actually be a good feeling to give away or sell things you no longer need.
6. You run into old friends in new places. I have always been amazed at the fact that we could move to another location only to find out that friends my parents had in another country also live there. Sometimes it occurred the other way around. The reunion was always fun.
7. You make connections that may aid you in the future. One example is that my parents had some good friends in another country. I was tiny when we lived near them, so I really don’t remember their children. I recently wanted to take a vacation to California. My Mom advised me to contact their son who now lives in California. I did, and the fact that I was my parents’ child made me a friend. My family was invited to stay with them when we took our trip.
8. Home is where your loved ones are. I definitely had places that I favored over others, but I never felt like I wasn’t home. Wherever my parents were was home. Possibly the reason we felt that way was because we carried our family traditions with us. Holidays were celebrated in a similar manner each year.

If you are dreading moving or in a quandary about taking a job that may cause you to move often, try to consider the above points. I don’t believe I was harmed in any way by all the moves we made.