I remember growing up I wanted nothing more than to travel and move around. I was going to live in LA. I was going to live in NYC. I was going to live in London. I was going to live in Paris. I was going to live in Tuscany. I was going to live in Inverness. I was going to live in Dublin. I was going to live as far from Cleveland, Ohio as I could get.
I didn't think about being close to family when we settled down here. We thought about the fact that Husband had a job here. When we were looking for houses though, we did think about family being close. We stayed in the area. We actually stayed within 5 blocks of our townhouse. When Husband was thinking of joining the FBI, we thought about roots and family. He passed on it and we stayed. That's when it hit me that I've changed. I don't want to pick up and move around. I want to be settled. I desperately want a bigger house, but I love my location and some of my neighbors.
Recently, a friend of mine got me thinking about this. She has moved with her family 4 times in the past 7 years and they are moving again. Other friends have done the same. One friend has three kids, all of whom were born in different places, that's how much they moved. I used to think that would be glamorous. Now I think it's a hassle. I don't want to pack up my life and leave the support group I've worked so hard to build. Even though our families are around, we don't see them. My support comes from my friends. My kids' support also comes from my friends. My neighbor has not missed one of my kids' performances or "graduations", yet grandparents have only been to maybe one or two. How could I leave that? How could I uproot everyone and start over and try to find what I have here? Twenty years ago if you would have told me I would feel this way, I would have told you that you were crazy. I loved living out of suitcase. Never knowing what tomorrow would bring. Luckily, I have a husband who feels like I do. He would rather pull out his fingernails with pliers than have to pack up and go through the hassle of moving. Does that mean we never will? No. But, until a "can't pass up" opportunity comes along, we're in it for the long haul.