Have you moved around a bunch at any point
 

I'm just wondering. We have an interesting mix of folks here.

I'm just wondering how many folks lived in one place vs moved around (different cities, states, or countries) when they were young (often child of military parent) or as an adult (military is a big reason) or if you've mostly lived in one place.

When I was 5, I think, dad went "back" into the military (had been in the reserves and deployed when my parents were first married). From then until I was out of the house, we moved every 2.5-3 years.

I know that Glenn moved around a lot, I think every year, or maybe sometimes multiple times per year. I'm sure there are other folks that have probably moved.

I think about it from time to time. I love that we moved around and what I was exposed to through that. I also think that I may have missed out on some things by moving around, although if I could snap my fingers and go back and chose to do one or the other, I'd still move around. I did move as an adult, from the Tampa area to the Houston area. I have moved a few times since coming to the Houston area 30 years ago, but I'm roughly still in the Houston area, so I'm not counting that as moving around as an adult.

You can choose more than one option (in case you moved around as a kid and and adult).

Do you have thoughts on how moving or not moving affected your life and development? Are you happy about it or would you prefer to have done something different?

Except for a year I took off and traveled around the US and basically had no home, I lived in the West Central Ohio for all my life.

I wonder about that sort of life at times, wondering if I missed things, like lifelong friends and complete familiarity in an area. I assume it's different if it's a smallish town vs a big city or a sprawling burb of a metro area.

I lived within a 30 mile radius in SoCal for 65 years moving houses every 15 years or so as life evolved. Only in 2021 did we follow our kids and escape the Mad Max dystopia that was/is California.

One house growing up, traveled some in the Navy, moved to Texas for about 10 years, now live about 2 miles from where I grew up

We moved to AZ from CA when I was 2 or 3. Dad remarried a lady here and I lived in that house till I turned 18 and left for the Army. Move around a lot in the Army, and a little bit after (worked in the Middle East for a few years). I've been homesteaded back in Arizona for the better part of 20 years now but I did travel extensively for work for about a decade. Been tied to a desk for the past 8-ish years as I moved up in the organizational hierarchy. I prefer being out on the road.

Lived in one place,(the farm) for the first 22 years, then a series of apartments and our first house for five years as we were getting our careers on track. Now we have been settled here for almost 44 years.
What can I say, I'm a homebody. :D

Best
Les

I've lived within a 1 hour radius in Ontario my whole life. Boring I know.

Same town as a kid.

As an adult, Oklahoma, east and west Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio.

CT -- Born through 3rd grade
MN -- 4th through 9th
TX -- 10th
Western MA -- 11 & 12
Waltham, MA -- 89 to 95 college & work
Chicago -- 95 to 98
NYC -- 98 to 2000
Boston area 2000 to present

I would have a radically different life if we hadn't moved when I was a kid.

Born in Clearwater, FL area, and there until ~5yo
Pensacola, FL for <1yr while dad got some training
Misawa, Japan for ~2.5 years
Pensacola, FL for ~3 years (dad instructed where he got the training)
Misawa, Japan for another ~2.5 years
Virginia until I graduated HS.
College in Tampa, FL
spent 2 college summers in Rota, Spain because that's where Dad was stationed.
Moved to Houston, TX for a woman, and have been here since.
Townhouse/apt for 2 years, home for 17 years, apt near DT for ~7 years, and now rural home 80 miles outside of Houston (roughly between Houston and Austin) for ~4 years.

Uncle Sugar moved me around a lot during my 22 year career. From 2001 to 2016 we moved 7 times and during two of those assignments we changed houses after one year.

Unfortunately I believe this nomad gene has been passed along to my son. He's on his 1st post college job for about 2 years now and already looking to change and potentially move cross country.

Military kid, a lot of times we lived multiple places so more moves that it shows....

Born In San Diego
San Diego to Hawaii
Hawaii to SC
SC to VA
VA to Monterey
Monterey to San Diego
San Diego to VA

As as adult
VA to IA
IA to MN
MN to CO, have been here for 24 years.

The most I've moved is between the couch and refrigerator. Sometimes when I'm watching the Steelers and they're playing really poorly, I might have 10 or 12 moves before halftime.

Lived at home in WI, then IA in 92, then CA in 98, then back in WI in 2007. Had an apartment with my boss, then one when I got married, then bought a house in CA. Lived in the same house in WI since we moved back here in 2007.

Lived in the same home my entire childhood North Carolina just north of Durham.

Married at 19 to an army officer. The first 7 years we moved 22 times. Mostly southern states with a small stint in Kansas

Born in Atlanta, Ga. The first town I remember is Enterprise, Al. We moved from there to Defuniak Springs, Fl when I was 4 years old. We moved to Valparaiso, Fl when I was 10, then moved to Destin, Florida, then back to Niceville, Fl, which is right next to Valparaiso. Many years later,
I moved to Miramar Beach and lived with Dad in a house on the beach after my parents split up. I then moved to Panama City for a while. I then moved to Alexander City, Al and lived at the place we have at Lake Martin, then met a girl. Uh oh!!!
Moved to Talladega, Al, because of her. "We" moved to Auburn, Al, and then to Opelika, which is right next to Auburn. Whew, I'm done moving around. [emoji38]

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^^Ouch. Dozen times or so. In NY a few times, then to Louisiana then back north to NJ then Texas. Some might say whiplash, but it's been fun.

As a kid, we moved about 15 times. Once I moved away from home, and became an adult, I have moved just four times. We have been in this house 27 years and plan to live here until we go off to the morgue, or to the nursing home. No more moves for me.

My mom's parents lived in the same house for over 60 years.

I lived in NYC, Taiwan, NJ, IL, France (three places), Canada (BC), SoCal, NorCal by age 18. Since then I’ve only lived in CA and OR. I’d like to live in France again.

I can't even imagine that. But times were different then, I think.

I don't mind moving. I'd be willing to move now, to another state or country. But, I think I could also be happy staying put. Actually, I suspect we'll move 2 more times. I can see us moving closer to the grandkids than we are now (110 miles). But once they are a bit older, I can also see us moving someplace rural like we are now.

I'd love, love, love to have a good reason to go live in Japan again.

Ia
wi
il
wi
il
il
----------adulthood------
fl
fl
ga
ca
nc

Lived in 2 different houses as a kid, 5 while in college, and 17 as an adult. Have lived in multiple US states and 2 foreign countries. In the process, I became an expert on packing, shipping, and moving household goods. Now retired, I often long for a new location. No surprise, the kids have no desire to move anywhere, anymore.

Lived in the Bahamas until I was 15
Majority of my life in the UK
Summer jobs in Switzerland and Mexico
Italy for 7yrs
Last year in Italy was spent living between 3 countries every week
Slovenia is my 2nd home
Last year, half was spent in Japan

Would like to live a few months in Costa Rica

Lived in the same small town, same house, until I left for college. Had eight different addresses while in college. Moved to an apartment then a house for the first seven years after college. Moved again to where I'm at, in one apartment for four months, been in the same house for the last ~25 years.

Lived in:

California - San Francisco, San Diego, Newbury Park
Mass - Boston
Virginia
Middle East - Bahrain, Saudi A.
Florida
South Carolina - soon to be twice
Connecticut - Where the people are as happy as the weather
Memphis
North Carolina
Washington State
Arizona
Maryland

Significant time in Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand and Japan

Lived in various towns in NJ and PA most of my adult life, all within a 3 hour drive of my hometown. Now I bounce between NJ, PA and FL. Lived very briefly in CA in my 20's.

Pre-18:

England
Oklahoma
SF Bay area
WA DC area (3 places VA, MD)
CA coast north of LA
OR (2 places)

After 18 yo:
Eastern WA
NYC (Manhattan)
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Hawaii
So Cal (6+ places)
Amsterdam
So Cal (2 places), and lastly,
OR and So Cal for last 30 years.

Moving a lot meant no fear of exploring and traveling. I lived without acquiring a lot of stuff to have to move.

What I missed out on was lifelong lasting friendships through life. Staying in touch was quite a bit more difficult back then. My wife still has her friends from grade school, junior high, high school, etc.. She is real lucky..

I consider myself lucky.
Born in NJ and moved a few places when I was little, but Dad had been out west and moved us there back in the mid-50's. Got to grow up in Santa Monica. Traveled enough on my own to see a lot of places but decided So Cal was the place to be. Got married in '80 and finally could afford a house in '85 and have been in the OC ever since.

Born in Wales UK, between 1984 to present
London
Detroit, MI
Flint, Mi
San Francisco, CA
Everett, WA
Swansea, UK
Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia,
Shelby, MI
Visalia, CA
Salem, OR.
Retiring this year in SE Michigan.

Born in Wales UK, between 1984 to present
London
Detroit, MI
Flint, Mi
San Francisco, CA
Everett, WA
Swansea, UK
Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia,
Shelby, MI
Visalia, CA
Salem, OR.
Retiring this year in SE Michigan.

I went to 11 different schools from 1st to 12th grade. The only school I got to go to for two years was 11th and 12th.

Moving a lot and always being the new kid teaches one to start a conversation with anyone. It amazes my wife how I can talk to anyone. I enjoyed her 50th high school reunion and I only knew my wife and one other lady there, and I did not hang with them as they were catching up with their old high school friends.

Only if that's already part of your personality. I moved a bunch (not as much as you). I can talk to people/strangers, but I'm not likely to start conversations and never have been.

Tulsa, OK
New Orleans
Melbourne Australia
Singapore
Tulsa, again
Fayetteville, AR
Tulsa, again
Bartlesville, OK
Enid, OK
Tulsa, yet again
Dallas

I still remember in 2nd grade I was shy and had no friends at all. In the back seat of our car I had an epiphany, being shy sucks. I knew no one at all knew me at all at the new school, so I decided to work up all my courage and go talk to the first group of boys I saw. My mom even commented how many friends I had after a lonely year before.

People rarely bite, an tell you to buzz off. Well, maybe women, if they think you are looking for a relationship.

Now I enjoy chatting with total strangers. Even if it is a 30 second conversation in an elevator.

I've lived in Texas my whole life. Born in Dallas, moved to East Texas at 2, and Houston by 4. Been here ever since except for some really fun college years in Austin. My wife lived half her life in Thailand, has lived in several US states and I'm worried she's had about all of Texas she can stand.

I have traveled a bit though. I've been to almost all US states, Canada, Mexico, several European countries and a few Asian countries.

Reminds me of a story I recently read: It showed the only real difference between the popular kids and the others were their number of friends. I had a similar epiphany beginning of my senior year of high school. I was quite the nerd in high school (I still am) but started making friends outside of my small nerd friend group and all of sudden I was a somewhat popular kid.

We’ve lived in 2 counties in nj for the first 60 years. A short stint in Florida until we found out we would be grandparents. Now we close on a house in Maryland on Friday and plan on bouncing between Maryland and Florida.

Amazing how much love of a toddler can change your life.

As a senior in high school on the first day of home room, the teacher asked us all to writhe down the schools we had attended, and where we lived.

She got to me, and I said I am working on the list, but I am only up to 5th grade. She skipped me until last. Many of my classmates when to the 1st to 9th at a school down the street a mile away, and then came to the high school. After every other classmate had finished I went their list, I read through my list. Now as a geezer, it would take me all day to remember the different place names.