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Old 10-15-2008, 10:59 AM
 
Location: in purgurtory in London
3,722 posts, read 4,286,992 times
Reputation: 1292

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I have lived in countless places since I was 18 months old and by the time I was 7 years old had lived on 4 continents. I have attended numerous schools and moved homes a zillion times. This pattern has also continued into adulthood and I have often wondered what it would have been like to have grown up in the same house, in the same town, attended the same school and just had a less nomadic life.

When I hear of people who still live in their home town and even married their high school sweet hearts I often wonder if I would have liked that...then I think of the wealth of experience, the insights I have gained and the life I have because of my past I think I'm lucky to have had it, but a part of me still thinks what if....

So dudes and dudesses what's it like? Would you have things different? I've had glimpses of it vicariously through lives of some people I've known.
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:01 AM
 
Location: Iowa
918 posts, read 1,624,812 times
Reputation: 372
I live about 30 minutes from where I lived most of my life.

Lived about 10 hours away for a few years after that, and about 25 hours away for... well, a few weeks haha.

I keep coming back, so I like things the way they are.
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:04 AM
 
Location: SUNNY AZ
4,589 posts, read 13,129,831 times
Reputation: 1850
Quote:
Originally Posted by Raggy dee Ann View Post
I have lived in countless places since I was 18 months old and by the time I was 7 years old had lived on 4 continents. I have attended numerous schools and moved homes a zillion times. This pattern has also continued into adulthood and I have often wondered what it would have been like to have grown up in the same house, in the same town, attended the same school and just had a less nomadic life.

When I hear of people who still live in their home town and even married their high school sweet hearts I often wonder if I would have liked that...then I think of the wealth of experience, the insights I have gained and the life I have because of my past I think I'm lucky to have had it, but a part of me still thinks what if....

So dudes and dudesses what's it like? Would you have things different? I've had glimpses of it vicariously through lives of some people I've known.

You totally just described me.....well, with the exception of living in the same house. I've lived in the same state my entire life (different towns but all within driving distance of eachother), married my HS sweetheart and attended the same HS for all 4 years. Although I traveled a lot, mainly to Italy because of the family I have there, my life has been really stable. I think it's helped make me who I am and it's definitly contributed to my values and priorities in life. It was great as a kid to have the same friends for such a long time and i still have many of them today. Now, however, I really want to move because of that exact reason, been here for my entire 27 years and I am serioulsy craving a change.
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:06 AM
 
Location: Between Philadelphia and Allentown, PA
5,077 posts, read 14,601,546 times
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I've posted something similar before but I'm with you, I've lived in numerous places my entire life having moved on average, about every 3-4 years. I have also met people who have lived in the same town, same house, etc their entire lives and they seem perfectly happy. Although, I also seem perfectly happy which begs the question... is one lifestyle lacking? I don't think so and here is why. Those who have never moved their entire lives don't know what a wonderful world there is to explore and hence, they don't know what they are missing. Same for those who have moved all around, they don't know what it's like staying put in one place and to be honest, I feel funny having lived in one house now going on five years! LOL I feel itchy to move and I'm trying very hard to remind myself what a pain it is TO move but then again, I have that bug.
So, what's a gal to do? Re-arrange the house, take road trips, do something to change it up a little in life to keep me entertained.
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:10 AM
 
11 posts, read 46,843 times
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Lola, I totally understand what you are saying. I was born and raised in the town I live in now. There isn't anything wrong with where we live. My dh and I are just craving a change and wondering what if... We are just both scared and can't figure out where to go. We both have good jobs, good school for kids, good weather, our families are still here, but I think we both are scared to death to die in the same town we were born in and never experience living somewhere else. What's a person to do?
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:14 AM
miu
 
Location: MA/NH
17,758 posts, read 40,008,193 times
Reputation: 18033
When I was a child, we moved a lot until I was in 5th grade. Then we stayed put until I went off to college. As an adult, I've lived in RI and MA, and have no interest in moving again unless I win the lottery. Then it's off to the Maine sea coast and a diet of lobster! About 15 years ago, I visited England once and France twice. I would like to do some more traveling around Europe. I've also been to Taiwan and Hong Kong. I'd like to visit Japan, but have no interest in visiting the other Asian countries. Definitely not mainland China. Yuck at the smog in their cities and the natives spitting on the sidewalks and streets.
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:15 AM
 
Location: SoCal - Sherman Oaks & Woodland Hills
12,974 posts, read 33,830,754 times
Reputation: 10491
Ive lived my entire life in Los Angeles county (Burbank, North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, Sherman Oaks, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles) and could not be happier. My mom still lives in the house I grew up in which is about 25 miles away.

I LOVE my hometown and can pretty much guarantee that I will live here the rest of my life. That is, unless I move somewhere tropical or to Paris. There really is no other place that compares to Los Angeles.

Ive traveled to other places in the country and have been all over Asia, but still, no place compares to LA which is why I will never EVER leave.
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:23 AM
 
Location: West Texas
2,449 posts, read 5,929,369 times
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I'm with you, Raggy Dee Ann.

I moved to 3 different apartments with my mom and sister until about the second grade. Then my mom got remarried, and we moved again for about a year until that relationship broke up, and we moved again. Then, at 5th grade, my mother remarried again, and we moved to another city. Then, once again at 6th grade, and then 7th grade we moved again and lived there until I graduated high school. The winter after I graduated high school, I left for the Navy. During my 20 years in the Navy, I've lived in Illinois, Georgia, Colorado, Virginia, Hawaii, and Texas (where I'm currently at). I also lived in Spain, Japan, Philippines, and Italy.

Right before I retired from the Navy, I visited a very close high school friend and his wife (who were two in the group of six of us that hung around in high school all the time). They have been married for quite some time (right after college for them) and have two kids. They live one city further south than when we were all in high school.

They told me how jealous they were of all the places I've been, the things I've seen and done. But all I could think about was how jealous I was of the things they told me. Not jealous in a negative way, but almost more of a desire for some constant nostalgia. He told me of the weekly "poker" games (penny, nickel, dime) that he and other friends had been playing for years on end, even through job changes. The contacts with old high school friends, and familiarity with everything you grew up with still surrounding you. I feel I kind of robbed myself of that long-term familiarity and bonding with a friend.

Oh.. I've had some great friends along the way, I love my wife and kids, I like the adventures and experiences I've had. But, I do wish, in the back of my mind, there had been at least one friend I had during the entire time tying by past, present, and future together.
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:31 AM
 
Location: in my imagination
13,562 posts, read 21,311,109 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raggy dee Ann View Post

So dudes and dudesses what's it like? Would you have things different? I've had glimpses of it vicariously through lives of some people I've known.

I grew up in Miami,lived there most of my life except for 2 years going to upstate NewYork because at 15 I had to escape the state due to being a juvenille deliquent Was a real experience coming from a tropical city to a farming town in NY.

May 0f 07 sold my house and moved to west coast Fl.It has been a very smart move to do so because Miami wasn't what it was growing up.After selling my house I hit the road for 2 months and just traveled around alot of America at my own pace ,no responsibilty no time schedule.It was a great experience and a healing experience.

Would like to take a year and like a nomad just travel around the world.Technically I could do that but then I wouldn't have any money left and even though I have wondering fantasies in the end I like the idea of having a solid home base to come back to when I want.


I plan on taking some international vacations hopefully though.


Would do things different?Sometimes I think the most free person is the person who owns nothing but what is on their back and just flows like the breeze to different places and takes life for the moment and as it comes.Maybe not rich material wise but fabulously wealthy in experiences and memories.But I'm not like that because I need a solid base to come back to in the end and you can't have that unless you go to work everyday and that basically kills that idea of being free.
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Old 10-15-2008, 11:34 AM
 
Location: Tennessee
4,739 posts, read 8,349,972 times
Reputation: 2979
I've moved so much I'd have to really think to put the places together with the time period. My parents got me started and I've never quit. From what I know of my friends and relatives that never left NY staying in one place has its good and bad points. The small town that it was, the ones that did well are spoke of very highly, the bar flies even if they quit are still the town drunk in everyones eyes and the goofy kid in school never stood a chance.
I've never looked back and am very thankful for my life.
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