A couple weeks ago I posted about flying out to Kansas for a job interview with DR. Over the last couple weeks, he has finished the second part of interview and talked to many people regarding this position. We both feel confident that this is a good move for his career and for our family. Therefore very soon we will be moving to Kansas.
Now, if you are reading this and part of my family, you are probably shaking your head and saying, "Moving again? Those poor guys!" If you aren't part of my family you need to be filled in on the gypsy existence and never ending road trip our family has been on the last seven years.
Quick timeline;
Aug. 2003 - DR and I were married and I moved from central Indiana to Kentucky.
March. 2004 - DR's job moved him, temporarily, to Delaware. I was two months pregnant with twins. I move in with my sister in Indianapolis because we don't know how long "temporary" will be and what issues we may have with twins. So for the next few months DR and I flew back and forth to see one another. In June, "temporary" became permanent and I am told by my doctor to no longer fly.
August/Sept. 2004- Yip and Yap were born very healthy and a month later my mom and I drove to Delaware with the babies. DR didn't like the position he was forced into with this company and so....
January 2005 - My parents and teenage brother came to Delaware and helped move us back to northern Indiana....through a blizzard....with 5 month old twins....to a rental house that I'd only seen once.....two years before.
October 2005 - We moved again to a house we bought two streets away because,you know, we thought we'd be there for a while.
July 2006 - DR is asked to take a position in southern Indiana close to his family....we move again.
October 2007 - The company moved us again to where we are now, central Illinois close to the Indiana state line. This is the longest we have been in one place since DR and I have been married.
Today- We are preparing to move to southwest Kansas.
In seven years we have lived in four different states and in six different houses. And now we are contemplating the biggest move yet to southwest Kansas.....and I have to admit I'm very excited about the idea of moving again. During the years of moving I've had conflicting emotions about the moves; anxiety, eagerness, anger, happiness. There was always a lot of unknown variables to every move but in every community we moved to I always found wonderful people, places and attractions. I've learned a few things in my years as a gypsy that have positively changed my outlook on life.
My Grandma M. asked me once which was my favorite house of those we had lived in. I couldn't pick one. We've owned and rented houses that were two stories and ranch homes. Some had basements, some didn't. We've lived in big towns, small towns, and in the country. There was something I loved and hated about every house. I've learned to be flexible because no house is perfect. The house itself isn't important; it's the family and home that is built within the walls that counts. This time, I doubt I'll even see the house in person before we move there. I trust DR to find a good house because he knows what we need and what I want. My only request is a house that is self-cleaning!! Is that too much to ask?
A lousy part of moving, of course, is the packing and unpacking. A few of our moves we have been lucky enough to have movers pack everything up for us, but not always. Although it may be in our genetics for DR and I to be packrats, we have learned that we just don't need....stuff. Therefore I'm constantly cleaning out cabinets, closets and toyboxes of stuff we just don't need because I don't want to pack or unpack it. I've learned that when I'm not attached to stuff I enjoy my day to day life much more. It's kind of hard to explain, but I'm less stressed about losing things or possessions getting stolen. Oh, I still have some stuff that is very important to me like family heirlooms but the possessions I would have been attached to ten years ago don't seem nearly as valuable now.
Personally, the most difficult part of moving has been meeting new people. I have never been what you call a "social butterfly"; I'm more the "wall flower type". Even though it seems we'ved moved a thousand times and I've met many new people, it's always hard to put myself out there for the first time and form new relationships. I'm perfectly happy as the hermit, staying at home and becoming engrossed in my own projects. The thing is, I've very rarely been disappointed when I finally got to know people in a new community. People everywhere are just wonderful and I miss each and every one of my friends we have moved away from. I have become more confident in myself over the years when approaching people but I still have a long way to go.
The best part of moving, by far, is seeing new places and taking advantage of different opportunities each community provides. Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Gettysburg, Statue of Liberty, West Baden Springs are places we've visited that we might not have if we hadn't move close to each location. I'm excited about all places we could go to from Kansas. The Rockies aren't too far and I'd love for the boys to see history first hand in Dodge City, the Queen of the Cowtowns. Of course everywhere we have lived we've found little gems in each community too. The hedgehog at the library the boys loved to visit. The art guild of which I was a member. The playground and grocery store within walking distance of our house. The little things create memories as well as the big things.
I have to say I love reading your blog! You have a knack for writing and I really enjoy reading what you have to say.
ReplyDeleteI got all excited for you when I saw you lived in one place for more than a year in 2006-07! Good luck with the move, say Hi to Dorothy if you see her!
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