You're not from here, are you? (1 Viewer)

[Henry Gale]

Just reading the thread about relocating from California (where they sleep out every night) to Maine (where they wear down parkas year round) and I was thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of staying where you were dropped.
Some of us don't get to even decide. Army brats, preacher's kids (yo!)...whatever, some of us get dragged around early on and find out firsthand about always being the "new kid".
But later, as an adult, how where you affected? It may be a cliche, but good friends are often those 4 buddies you grew up and went to school with. And then they became trusted business contacts. Or, you didn't and they weren't.
I heard a figure the other day (wish I could check this) that 40% of us don't live in the state we were born in. That seems high, but if true makes this nomad life more common than I thought.
Until I was nearly 30 I had never been in one place over 3 or 4 years.
Now I've been in Texas for half my life, but I'll never really be a Texan. Having grown up in the Midwest and then living on both coasts I have no identifiable accent, but no one would be fooled into thinking I was a good ol' boy either.
And I don't have a solid opinion about this. I've been to lots of pretty places and appreciate the overview...but I'll never know the pleasure of watching generation after generation of neighbors being born, marrying, growing old.
There is an irritating smugness from those who never ventured beyond the county line, they're special because they stayed put. And maybe they are.

 

[Eric_L]

I was a native of CA for 27 years before I moved. I can't say it gave me any professional advantages re:

. And then they became trusted business contacts

because everyone who was successful moved away.

 

[Holadem]

I have been around quite a bit. 4 countries including home. The US is probably my country of adoption now, though I wouldn't mind spending a couple of years in europe.

The good: I can go quite a few places outside the US without staying in a hotel. A lot of my friends also ended up in other countries. Most are only acquaintainces now but what the hey.

The bad (is it?): I have been so used to being away from the people I love (family, old friends) that it is now my natural state, so to speak. I never knew that being alone could be addictive. I really don't get why people dread it. I guess it's because I know my bases are covered i.e. lots of love in my life, it's just far away . This kind of attitude can lead to taking things for granted, I know.

I don't know if this is good or bad, but I have a hard time picturing myself living in the same place for more than say 6 years. And when I picture my next move, it's never closer to my folk, or friends if I can help it, it's further away. Go figure.

--
Holadem

 

[KerryK]

Wow, Holadem, sometimes I forget I'm not the only one like that. I love my parents and we have a great relationship - mostly because they live in another country!

 

[Shawn Bridges]

I heard a figure the other day (wish I could check this) that 40% of us don't live in the state we were born in.

I recently heard that 50% of Americas live within 50 (at least I think it was 50, might have been less) miles of their place of birth. I don't remember the source. I have lived in the same town for my entire life. In fact my home is within 2 miles of my parents and with 5 miles of all my siblings. On the one hand it is nice in that we can see each other whenever, without traveling, but then again even though we are so physically close we are all so busy that we still do see each other all that often.

 

[Dillon Poole]

Like someone else said, having moved around alot I've met people from all walks of life and if I need a place to stay in most any given region of this country and Europe, I'm good to go. Being in the military (Air Force) helps too...the relationships you make with the most random unlike-to-you people is simply amazing. As for origins. I was orn in Tampa Florida and moved away 11 months later, never been back. Currently the Air Foce is telling me where to live...but I do plan on moving back to where I grew up (Orange County, CA).

 

[KerryK]

I was thinking about the 40% thing. A lot of people were not born in the place where they grew up. (Moved there when they were 2 or whatever.) That seems to be quite common. Maybe that's where the seemingly large number comes from.

 

[Michelle Schmid]

I was born in Anchorage, AK. Yup, like the poster above me said, we moved when I was about 1 1/2. Don't remember the place at all, would love to visit, but I *hate* the cold and do not really want to live there.

I grew up in OR, which is where I currently am, and have hated every minute of it. I moved to various places within OR several times when I left my parents' house, but then got lucky and finally managed to move away. I moved to UT when I was 28 (transfer at work which I asked for), then to FL when I was 32 (soon-to-be-ex hated UT).

Unfortunately, six months after arriving in Tampa my domestic situation forced me back to OR. Don't get me wrong, OR is a beautiful state, and it has been a very good thing for me, and a lot of people in my life, that I am here, but I still hate it. If I could I'd go back to Tampa in a second. Can't really say why, but it just felt like "home" from the minute I arrived there. Whenever I picture myself moving now, that's the only place I seem to see.

 

[Tim Markley]

I was born in IL and lived in the same small town until I graduated from college. After college a job brought me to San Jose, CA in 1988 and I've lived in the SF Bay Area ever since. Most of my family is still in IL but I could never move back there. I love it here in CA despite the traffic, high cost of living, etc. and would find it tough to move away.

 

[Ryan Wright]

Born in Idaho, raised in Washington. Lived in the same house from the age of 3 until 18, when I moved out and made a life for myself.

As a teenager I couldn't wait to "get out of here". Moved right out of high school. A year later I was back. I've found that there are too many things about this place that I've grown to love. The weather. Two major & one minor river joining together along with the excellent water recreation (boating, skiing, fishing) that affords. The excellent economy.

And yes, my friends are here. The guys I went to school with are married to the girls I went to school with. I get to watch our children grow up together.

There are a lot of advantages to staying put. I'm glad my parents planted roots when they did.