Nomadic Families - Page 2

[Nikki74]

Originally Posted by Nolliebfly

Nikki74...I don't think I minded so much moving as a kid, I think what I didn't like was going to a new school all the time. I never had that group of kids that I went to school with since 1st grade. I have scattered friends all over. I think the way my Mom did it wasn't so much the best way, but I know she did what she could...sometimes not so good choices. As I got older I always felt like i needed to move if I was anywhere to long. Now don't get me wrong, I love to travel and see new places, but when I get somewhere new, I feel ok for about a year and then feel the need to move on. When I got married I had a hard time settling down, and really feeling like this is my home. I guess that's it...I never felt like I had a "home"...my grandparents home was the only stable place I knew. Even now 6yrs later...I do not feel like this is my home...my Dh feels like home to me...but not the house. Does that make sense??? I lived in a VW for 1/2 a year and I think I felt more at home in that tiny space, cause I knew it was not permanent.

Thanks for the reply.

We are actually planning on homeschooling, so school will be able to come with us wherever we go, though I do realise that they'll need to find friends to hang out with as well.

We are planning on settling down 'somewhere' after the next baby comes...atm we are where we are because the baby is due in six weeks, and we're hoping to move somewhere permanently early next year.

I'm just worried that even if we moved to my favourite place in the world (Australia), I'd still want to move on after a year... I just don't know that there's *anywhere* I could call home. And that's weird, because my parents moved once when I was a year old, once when I was twelve, and they're still in the same house 23 years later. Plus my dad has lived in the same town all his life...so it's not like I came from a wandering background, and nor did dh. I just don't know where we got this wanderlust from! And I enjoy it, but I want what's best for my children too.

[remijo]

Originally Posted by Nikki74

I'm just worried that even if we moved to my favourite place in the world (Australia), I'd still want to move on after a year... I just don't know that there's *anywhere* I could call home. And that's weird, because my parents moved once when I was a year old, once when I was twelve, and they're still in the same house 23 years later. Plus my dad has lived in the same town all his life...so it's not like I came from a wandering background, and nor did dh. I just don't know where we got this wanderlust from! And I enjoy it, but I want what's best for my children too.

I didn't move alot when I was a kid either - only two homes in 16 years and then I moved out of my house at 16 so my wanderlust is not a product of my childhood. I have yet to find a place that feels like "home" to me too. I think part of that is even though I lived in one place for so long as a child, it wasn't a safe, secure "home" - just a house with people that called themselves my family if that makes any sense and so I never felt like I could be fully comfortable there. I spent more time outside in the trees than I did in the house. I also spent a summer living in a tent in the woods - that and now everytime when I am out in the woods are the only times I feel really home. I like that I don't have to feel tied to a stick structure but I imagine one day I might want to settle down for longer. Just not right now. We have found an apartment by the way but will be leaving when DH gets his permanent duty station - about a year. That will be a long time for me in one place again.

[peachopotamus]

We move a lot. I'd say about each year if not more. Soon we'll be buying a home so no more moving for us at least for a while.

[Nikki74]

Originally Posted by remijo

I didn't move alot when I was a kid either - only two homes in 16 years and then I moved out of my house at 16 so my wanderlust is not a product of my childhood. I have yet to find a place that feels like "home" to me too. I think part of that is even though I lived in one place for so long as a child, it wasn't a safe, secure "home" - just a house with people that called themselves my family if that makes any sense and so I never felt like I could be fully comfortable there. I spent more time outside in the trees than I did in the house. I also spent a summer living in a tent in the woods - that and now everytime when I am out in the woods are the only times I feel really home. I like that I don't have to feel tied to a stick structure but I imagine one day I might want to settle down for longer. Just not right now. We have found an apartment by the way but will be leaving when DH gets his permanent duty station - about a year. That will be a long time for me in one place again.

I think you may have hit on something there...you just pretty much described my family too. I always wanted to escape and get out, but I was hardly ever allowed out of the house unless I was going out with my mum. Maybe that's why I still end up feeling stifled after a while of having a set routine, and needing to escape again. I just don't want to pass it on to my kids...

[roadfamily6now]

We move alot too.
People think we are weird but that is just what we do.
We actually bought a house and have lived in one home for a year and for the first time, my kids are in the same school for more the 1 year.
However, I am not holding my breath as we have this insatiable desire to move again.

We have moved around a lot since I joined the navy. As a child, I lived in the same house for 18 years. In the past 18 years though I have lived in so many homes I cannot count and lived in 6 different states, 10 different cities (dont ask about home many homes) We have homeschooled and public schooled the kids.

Our kids are 15, 14, 9 and 7 and so far I think they are very well adjusted kids. My oldest however keeps asking us to move again. LOL, poor girl, last she she wanted to attend one school for her entire highschool career.

Well, lucky kid gets to go to Europe next summer for 3 months. Maybe she'll be okay with that.

Question for you all that live and move around Internationally.
What do you do for a living that allows you to move so freely???

I'm jealous!

[Nikki74]

Originally Posted by roadfamily6now

Question for you all that live and move around Internationally.
What do you do for a living that allows you to move so freely???

I'm jealous!

My husband's work is over the internet and by phone...so work just comes with us wherever we go. It's just that the more time zones we cross, the more his work hours change...but we do feel blessed that he doesn't have a permanent job that keeps us tied to a place.

[almadianna]

I have merged the nomadic and familes that move a lot threads.

[ithappened]

Question for you all that live and move around Internationally.
What do you do for a living that allows you to move so freely???

I'm jealous!

I am a programmer as is my husband so as long as we have an internet connection, we can work

[sapphos]

well I guess we should be here as well if not for the fact that we get itchy feet and wanderlust a lot. I'd say we're still looking for a place we can call home.

I'm from Connecticut and moved to Miami in 97 my first out of state move (lots within the state once I was old enough to move though). Met dh in 2003 (he's from France and has traveled all over Europe, Africa and Asia) and we moved a couple of times in Miami, bought a house, sold it 7 months later, moved into a rental for 7 months, and then left for Buenos Aires where dd was conceived and born. We came back to the States and went to NC, San Antonio, and Savannah, before coming back to Miami.

I think our biggest factor for wanderlust is we're still trying to figure out what it is that we really want. My brothers still live in CT, my parents have already passed away, dh's fam is in France, and we are self employed. So we dont' really have anything tying us in one place except the need for some stability because we have four pets and not a lot of extra money at the moment.

We plan to home/unschool so that isn't an issue. But, we don't want dd growing up here in Miami where it's basically beach or mall (beach is okay but not mall). I'm also sort of a locavore and hate that there are no farmer's markets or local farms , and no great real true hiking quiet areas. But also since we dont' have fam, we really would like to find like minded people at least for awhile

So now we're on a quest to see what might catch us - currently we're considering Portland, Seattle, northern Cali, New Mexico, and except for the snow there are parts of the NE I would consider like the Berkshires of Massachusetts. What I think will happen though will be that we'll move and we'll get wanderlust again...but as much as I also love moving to new places to explore, sometimes it does get old

[Blueone]

We move a lot. I'm anticipating a move in 2 years right now. We just got relocated to NY for the army and in general they move you every 2 years. Sometimes people get lucky and get to say longer, I'm sort of hoping that for us. I hate packing with a passion.

[remijo]

Originally Posted by Blueone

We move a lot. I'm anticipating a move in 2 years right now. We just got relocated to NY for the army and in general they move you every 2 years. Sometimes people get lucky and get to say longer, I'm sort of hoping that for us. I hate packing with a passion.

I'm actually hoping they move us more often once DH gets his PCS orders. Two years seems like a long time to me.

So this is a completely random question. I constantly have dreams about moving into new places, exploring houses, checking out possible rentals, etc. Do you think us mamas that move alot have those dreams more often or am I totally going preggo nuts? I have had dreams the last two nights in a row about exploring vacant properties and contemplating moving in even though we just moved and am happy in my current place. Maybe its some weird aspect of the nesting instinct at the moment - except I have the dreams pretty often when I'm not pregnant too.

[Blueone]

Originally Posted by remijo

So this is a completely random question. I constantly have dreams about moving into new places, exploring houses, checking out possible rentals, etc. Do you think us mamas that move alot have those dreams more often or am I totally going preggo nuts? I have had dreams the last two nights in a row about exploring vacant properties and contemplating moving in even though we just moved and am happy in my current place. Maybe its some weird aspect of the nesting instinct at the moment - except I have the dreams pretty often when I'm not pregnant too.

I have a feeling we'll move before my son is around 3 because I had a dream where we had just moved and I was pregnant in the dream. I also had horrible morning sickness and was trying to unpack and deal with my son despite all of that. I would be surprised if there is a bit of intuition involved with that because moving is a life style.

But then moving dreams could also mean something else, it could be a way of processing a change in life and preparing for it such as bringing in a new baby. Have you looked up the meaning of it?

[remijo]

Originally Posted by Blueone

But then moving dreams could also mean something else, it could be a way of processing a change in life and preparing for it such as bringing in a new baby. Have you looked up the meaning of it?

Hmmm, very insightful. You are probably right!

[incorrigible]

count us in too. i grew up moving a lot, and going to stay with relatives, or on extended vacations whenever we weren't moving. I've tried SO hard to be "stable" and stay in one place for "the sake of the kids." Have any of you that grew up all over the place had to deal with those people that never left the town they were born in, maybe not even for a vacation? The world is this big scary place and everything I didn't like about my childhood is blamed on moving. And everything they like about their childhood is caused by never moving? oi. It took me a long time to realize how very wrong that was. I'm strong and independent and capable. I'm incredibly creative because of such varied experiences in my life. And my friends! I don't just have a small group of close friends I've known since forever. I have more good close friends than I can even keep track of. Anywhere I go stateside, and many places overseas, I have such friends.

And even with a "typical" upbringing, my kids have my wanderlust. Since day one, they've been enthralled with history, geography, foreign cultures...and it's not just knowing about them. They're always daydreaming about visiting places, planning the trips they'll take someday when they can travel on their own, asking me if we can ever see this place and do these things. None of us are happy in one place. We're in the process now of shifting our possessions and habits. We have pets, so the goal is to get our household minimalized to the point we can fit it in one truck, suv, or something of the sort. We like to spend some time in any given place, really get to know it, and can afford to rent a furnished house or apt in most of mexico and south america. By the time we're done there, the animals will have passed and not been replaced, and if we still have itchy feet there's plenty of world left to explore.

[momofmine]

never mind

[sapphos]

no one has posted in awhile so I thought I would resurrect the thread especially since I realize we've moved twice since I posted here last fall once just to another place in Miami and then this spring up to Asheville, NC. LOL now I'm following the RV thread too - maybe some full time traveling would cure the wanderlust...or then again...maybe not

[incorrigible]

sapphos- oh good. i love knowing other nomads. its nice to be around people that "get it"

we're moving again next weekend. lol we've loved the place we're in now, but the whole lot of us are unsatisfied. we're not moving too far, this time. out to a beach town a couple hours away. maybe for a few years? maybe not so long...the kids are already trying to convince me to put things in motion to move overseas. Crash wants to live in Tokyo for a while...Spritely wants to spend time in India and Egypt...then they both want to see everything else on earth. lol For now, we've compromised on a house in a new town, and finding lots of excuses to travel within the US...a week here or there, kind of thing. There are some major medical expenses coming in the next few months, so I'm not worrying about what comes after those yet. They will suck up enough money, and cause enough cultural changes just within our family to shake things up for a while, I think.

[kmamma]

hey, i move a lot too. i grew up pretty stable, but my mom always talked about moving or traveling places. we both have Sagittarius moons, in the 4th house. so there's the wanderlust, but the need to feel at home as well. this has been very difficult for me to balance. i have two boys, 8 and 3. last move was 8 months ago from US back home to Sweden. I lived in the US for 11 years, i loved the freedom, alternative culture, but always felt like i missed out on Europe. when i was a kid southern Europe was the big adventure, but I met my husband very young and moved with him at age of 20.
so here i am, my husband will join us in a week, we haven't seen him in 8 months. when i left i had a nervous breakdown, even though i've moved several times in my adult life, both internationally and nationally. it was a nightmare and i'm scared of moving again. and we are! in two weeks we're moving 7 hours north of here. i'm going to study fabric arts. my husband will stay home with the kids. we've homeschooled in the US, but here in Sweden it's suddenly illegal. btw, we didn't mean to end up here in Sweden, but were headed for Portugal or possibly the UK, but got cold feet on my own with two kids. So Sweden is easier, no checking our financial situation as in the rest of the continent.
when i'm done with school, it'll be my husband's turn. he's not sure what he wants to do. he's been working in group homes for the last 7 years and is ready for a big change. not sure how long i'll put up with sweden though.

good to know there are more people like me here!

[Dakota's Mom]

When I was a child we lived on the end of a dead end street. When I was 13, the town pushed the street out one more block and built some new homes on it. My parents moved us out to the end of the dead end street again. SO I grew up about 6 blocks from where my mom was born. She would have been happy to never leave there. But she did move to Arkansas for a few years because my dad wanted to go home. They only lived there a couple of years. I left home at 17 and didn't stop for the next 3 decades. I've lived in Mississippi, Texas, back to Iowa, then to Illinois. Then I went to Texas again, followed by Arkansas then Missouri. Then Ohio followed by Tennessee. Then I went back to Iowa because my dad was sick. But then I couldn't deal with how sick he was getting and moved to Washington. 13 years ago I moved to Jersey and have been here ever since. I hate it here. I detest this apartment. I don't really have an friends. I moved here to marry a man I met online. We're still married. I can't believe I have lived in the same place for over 13 years now. Not only the same state but the same apartment. My husband has actually lived in this apartment since he was 8 months old. I want to move so bad I can taste it. But I doubt we will ever leave here. Not only has my husband lived in this apartment almost his entire life, but he has only had one other job since he graduated from high school. I feel trapped and miserable. Some of my kids have inherited their mom's wanderlust. My daughter bought a house about 5 years ago. But she often talks about leaving it and moving on. Actually she bought my parent's house. Oh well. I guess for now I will live vicariously through all of you and your travels.

Kathi

[kmamma]

hugs to you dakota's mom. could you work a situation where you are gone for some time each year, for a month or two?
i have major wanderlust but my husband doesn't really. he just sort of follows me but if i end up not liking the new place, or want to move on within six months, he's not very happy. he says he can be happy anywhere. gosh, do i envy that, and not at the same time.
my ideal is to find a nice place in the countryside, in a european country, preferrably warm, that allows homeschooling. owning a bit of land, possibly sharing everyday life and resources with other like-minded families (or just live in a really cool village). we lived on an organic milk farm once and while we didn't like the people so much, my husband loved doing that kind of work, being outside, caring for animals. i love homesteading too, but i can't do it if i don't have the ability to leave easily, get out and see and experience new things on a regular basis. so, i see us doing this sometime soon hopefully. i think that would make us all happy.
now i've been solo with the kids for 8 months, i'm so itching to go somewhere on my own!