My dad was in the US Air Force, so we did have to move a lot. I was often the “new kid” and periodically had to pack up my stuff for yet another move, leaving people and places behind. Apparently, that’s unusual, and most people grow up in 1 or 2 houses their whole childhood. What about you?
I didn’t move towns anywhere near as much, but I moved houses relatively often. Most of my childhood classmates lived in one single home until they went to college, and have lived in one single place since they got married… maybe another one in the middle (different from the one where they lived while in college) between finishing college and marriage.
My cousin from Barcelona, D, has lived in the same house her whole life. It’s the house her parents bought shortly after getting married (they had previously lived with my grandparents, in what would be the exact opposite of “a smart choice”); when her mother moved away, in my cousins’ teens, she left them there under the care of my grandparents, who live nearby; eventually, D bought the half of the house which would be her brother’s inheritance from her mother.
My parents got married “to Barcelona”: she was from Barcelona, Dad from Pamplona, they got married and had their first home in Barcelona. They moved back to Pamplona (where they had met when her family lived there, those grandparents did move a lot) after 2 years; I was born in the 4th year of their marriage. We moved from a small flat built in the 40s to a big freshly-built one when I was 1yo; Dad got a new job in another town when I was 4 and we moved there, but we still spent every weekend in Pamplona, not having sold the flat there. We lived in a rented flat until I was 7, then when Mom was pregnant with Littlebro (and Middlebro was 1) we moved to a bigger one and Mom put her foot down and got the Pamplona flat sold. We moved to the purchased flat where Mom now lives when I was 12.
I’ve kept on moving… as I tell people “when I say I’m ‘out’, I don’t mean ‘in another town’ or ‘in another province’, my mother jumps for joy if I happen to be in the same continent”… but I don’t have kids. My brothers have always lived in the town where they were born, except for college; Middlebro and his wife are in their second flat (both purchased) and don’t expect to move again. Littlebro has a flat (purchased) and doesn’t expect to move unless he happens to finally manage to get married.
Several of my classmates had families which moved a lot, but they were children of engineers and architects, not military. The children of military families I grew up with had moved maybe once or twice, nowhere near as often as those from American military families will. What would happen quite commonly for them was that the father would be “on assignment” wherever (which could be deployed abroad, or in another base) but would live in single quarters rather than bring the family along.
I did, but probably not in the way you’re thinking of. My dad was in the Air Force, too. I was born in Massachusetts, and I think we moved three times before I was three years old. Then we were in Western Washington and stayed there a decade until my parents divorced. So I moved a few times but have no memory of it. I didn’t move back east until I was 30.
Had to make new friends, though. There was a big Army post in the same area, so lots of other kids in school were coming or going. A couple of my brother’s friends got carted off to Hawaii, my best friend in high school had spent a couple years in Germany. I was always a bit envious of the cool places they got to live while I was stuck in one place.
I did sort of. Another USAF kid but my dad retired when I was 5. I’m the youngest of six and my older siblings lived all over the place. One sister was born in Japan.
I find people who grew up in one town and lived there all their lives to be a bit strange.
I would think that going to school would be lonely to go to new schools every couple of years and having to meet new kids and be in a new environment. I think I would of adapted well enough since I more or less like to keep to myself and make few relationships. I think it sucks for kids who are athletes or are outgoing with friends and clubs to be uprooted to some other post somewhere.
I had a cousin who went to a new school her senior year in High School, having to move away from her other school where she went for several years. I always thought that was a bummer for her in some ways, especially as a teenager.
If I may ask, why does the military do all this shuffling around with personel? Couldn’t they stay at one post, fort, base in the United States?
Most of the kids in my first school primary school class photo are also in my last primary school photo seven years later. Some of them are in my high school photos too, but we did mostly get divided up between three or four different high schools.
I lived in the same house from conception to 15 years old. Then we moved about four blocks away, so I didn’t ever have to change schools.
I moved a lot, sometimes twice a year.
However, we never moved out of the county so I stayed in the same school system grade 2-12.
However, when I left to be on my own, I moved a lot due to being in the Army. Now that the kids are grown I’m back to moving a lot due to chasing jobs.
Altogether I think I moved about 20 times from 7-18, and about 16 times since then.
Yes. 1st when I was 12, then a couple more time when I was in high school. I attended 3 different high schools.
Nope. When I was an infant we moved once or twice, but then my parents bought a house where we lived until I was 4, then we moved to the house where my parents still live, 38 years later. I moved out of there at 18 to go to college.
After college I moved about ten times, and I’ll live in my current house until they carry me out, feet first.
We moved once when I was 5. We moved houses once more after that, but it was only 2 blocks away; I don’t really consider that moving.
Between the ages of 11 and 17, I moved five times. I think it was Ft. Lauderdale to Ocala, to Tampa, to Palatka, to Ocala, back to Palatka. You would think going back to a city you’d already lived in would be easier, but by then, I’d be in a different school and starting over would be as hard as ever.
When I was eight we moved from the city to the 'burbs. That’s it. My parents still live in that house.
My stepfather was an oil field worker and an alcoholic. As a consequence he had a lot of jobs. By the time I graduated from high school I had moved 21 times.
I moved around a lot as a kid, but always for a different reason. Generally, it was because my dad got a better job elsewhere. That’s why we moved between various different suburbs of Philly when I was very young. Then we moved to Montreal to help my uncle manage his business there, then we moved to Los Angeles a few years later in the wake of the first separatist government, when he realized he was complete outsider there and would have no future, not speaking any French.
My dad worked for Burroughs.
He got transferred a bit.
Detroit: 0-2
Chattanooga: 2 thru K
Evansville: 1st -5th grade
Nashville: 6-12th grade
Atlanta: college to present
I like having lived in different places. I have fond memories of all of them, and the different friends I had. My kids (16, 12) have been in one house their whole life so far. Boring!
We are thinking of moving someplace smaller. Atlanta has waaay too many people for my comfort.
As it did in 1981!
Not much. Born in one house, lived in it till age 7, was supposed to move to a different house in the same school district. Had to live in a hotel for 3 months because the parents sold the house on the condition they’d be out in a month. Living in a hotel was horrible. Beds take up the entire space, I was often late for school because of downtown traffic, problems with ants (and this was a Holiday Inn!). I always feel for people who move around a lot; those 3 months were hell on earth.
By the time I was 16, I’d lived in 16 different houses. I’ve only moved once since then. I’ve got another 2 or 3 moves left in me, but I refuse after that.
Yep
0-2 apartment in Midway area St. Paul
2-4 house in Mac-Groveland St. Paul
4-6 Indianapolis
6-9 Louisville
9 Dayton, Ohio
9 St. Paul, Minnesota
10 Suburban St. Paul Minnesota
And there we stayed. My Dad switched jobs to one that didn’t have frequent transfers. Since that time I’ve lived pretty much in the Twin Cities, with a college stint in Iowa City.
16 moves before I was 17, here. Some apartments and such.
Since then, it’s been about 5 or 6 - in the next 17 years.
Lived in one house until I was 10 and then moved once. Next move was when I left home.