Compared to the average person, I’ve lived in a lot of places.
Austin, TX
San Antonio, TX
Daytona Beach, FL
Deland, FL
Miami, FL
Gainesville, FL
Orlando, FL
Raleigh, NC
Jackson, TN
Also, compared to the average person, I want to live in a lot more places!
There’s a lot of Florida and Texas on that list but I’d like a little more international on there too! Chris and I like Toronto, Munich, London, Zurich, Antwerp, and we are investigating Australia and New Zealand, as well as places in Central America.
Plus we have our eyes on a lot more American cities.
New York City, NY
Chicago, IL
Boulder, CO
Portland, OR
Portland, ME
Asheville, NC
The point is, instead of traveling the world, I want to make the world my home. In order to do this, however, you need to rock a game plan.
Travel lightly!
I used to have a rule that I wouldn’t own any more than would fit in my car but that only works when you live by yourself.
(Let’s just say my husband has enough boxes of Dungeons & Dragons to take up an entire trunk!)
For the most part, however, everything we own can fit into one U-Haul truck and our car. That’s one reason why I almost never purchase anything unless I can figure out a way to make it multi-functional.
Never underestimate the value of nostalgia!
Don’t jettison items of deeply sentimental meaning to make room. It is these things that can ground you in a new and unfamiliar place, that can remind you of what is important in your life.
It’s important, however, to understand the concept of deeply sentimental. While everything you own has a story and has been woven into the fabric of your life, not everything is a part of who you need to become.
Back up your information!
While no system is fail safe, backing up your information provides a huge measure of psychological comfort, as well as creating a safeguard against losing irreplaceable information.
Digitize family photos and videos, scan all of your tax returns and deeds/titles to property, and back up your computers on a regular basis!
My desktop computer recently crashed and I lost almost no information because we had a recent backup. If Chris and I are in living in Auckland, we wouldn’t have the luxury of being able to recover all of our information.
Know thyself!
In order to be happy in any given location, I know that I need a combination of
dancing
water
sushi
books, university
lushness
diversity
cycling
high speed internet connection
And while I might not be able to have all of these, I can work with “most” as long as dancing is in the picture. Yes, it is that important for me.
You probably have something equally important to you that you can’t live without. You need to know what this is so that you can realistically investigate your options.
Be flexible!
While dancing is crazy important for my happiness, I had to adapt to the dancing culture of each city to make it work.
When I moved to Orlando, especially coming from Miami, I was severely disappointed in their dance scene.
…until I learned to stretch beyond my comfort zone and try new styles of music and dancing!
You may have to be creative or adapt to a new location in unanticipated ways to meet your “musts”. It’s important to remember that your ability to adapt may well determine your success and happiness in an unfamiliar location.
Rock the internet!
The digital footprint of a city can tell you a lot about that city. You can glean enough information to decide if it warrants further investigation.
(I like bouncing around City Search, as well as periodically keeping an eye on Craigslist and Career Builder.)
Visit!
There simply is no substitute for visiting a city in person. You can get a feel for the culture of a city. Believe me, there is a huge difference between the energy of Miami and Jackson, Tennessee.
This also gives you the opportunity to investigate local employment and business opportunities!
This is how I learned that Raleigh was more ‘conservative’ than Orlando when it came to employment. Law firms in Raleigh expected to see longevity over skill set and were extremely reluctant to step outside a predetermined scale of pay.
Jump!
It’s natural to fear the unknown, especially when the unknown involves completely rearranging your life…or your family’s life.
While I don’t believe in moving when your children are in high school, I do believe that children can benefit from “stable flexibility”. Children, if you have them, are pretty resilient and can adapt to a new environments quickly.
Moving every year? Not a great idea. Moving after 3-5 years? An adventure!
11 comments
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November 11, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Positively Present
WOW, you HAVE lived in a lot of places!! Great suggestions and tips in this post!
hayden tompkins says:
Thanks! (I really do like exploring new places.
)
November 11, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Night Writer
Like to live in different places? Join the military! My dad was Air Force and my early life went from Fort Worth, TX; to San Juan, PR; to Little Rock, AR; to Missouri. Ok, not real glamourous places, but you get a whole new set of friends every two or three years.
Personally, I have a little fantasy of being independently wealthy or having a job I can do electronically from anywhere and then moving to a different city every year just to see what four seasons are like in that place. One place would be, believe it or not, Pittsburgh. My wife and I visited there several years ago and were floored by what an attractive city it really is (and “Monongehela” is one of our favorite words to say outloud). Quebec City was another fabulous place that surprised us. And I’ve long-desired to live in a croft in the Scottish highlands with a view of a loch. Of course, the family wouldn’t be as in to these peripatetic ways so this pretty much lives in my imagination. Even so, we’ve enjoyed trips to Italy and Spain in the last few years where we tried to live as much like the natives as possible, avoiding the touristy places in favor of drives in the country and trips to the grocery store.
hayden tompkins says:
I love your idea! Right now Chris can do that but I’d like some income too…otherwise, game on!
it’s nice that you’ve been able to travel together, I can’t imagine there’s anything as awesome as seeing Flamenco IN SPAIN.
November 12, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Night Writer
We were treated to paella and a Flamenco show our first day in Madrid, even though we’d been up for something like 27 straight hours. We were at a conservatory devoted to the teaching and preservation of the art. It was very impressive. People tend to think of Flamenco as being a type of dancing (when they think about it all); I knew it refers to a style of music and applies to guitar as well. What I didn’t realize is that there is also a Flamenco drum and style of drumming. Very cool, and the drum and the pounding heels kept us from drifting off!
hayden tompkins says:
I knew Flamenco was very percussive, but I didn’t realize about the drumming!
(I actually think it’s pretty neat that a style of dance is almost always the same name as the style of music.)
November 13, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Night Writer
The drum is about the size and shape of the box that a pair of hiking shoes comes in. It’s small, but has an amazingly loud sound. The “skin” is on the side facing the audience and the drummer actually sits on the box with his hands between his legs, striking the skin with his fingers and the heels of his hands. It’s percussive and persuasive; it really makes you want to stomp your heels into the crowd rapidly.
hayden tompkins says:
I would pay good money to see you stomp your heels!
November 11, 2009 at 11:31 pm
thedailydish
I am HONORED you want to explore Portland MAINE!!! I think a visit is in our collective future. (Don’t you like how I managed to squeeze in a Borg like reference?)
xoxoxo
hayden tompkins says:
Yes, I did. Cause you’re crafty!
At some point, I would like to live in a smaller town and when I was doing my town research I mixed up the Portlands and didn’t realize it until later. The photos of your house didn’t hurt either.
November 12, 2009 at 1:06 am
mssc54
Norfold, VA
Meridian, Ms
Pensacola, Fl
Gulfport, Ms
Pensacola, Fl
Mobile, AL
Clinton, MS
Pensacola, FL
Goose Creek, SC
From 1976-1979 my last three years in the US Navy.
That sort of moving around is great if you have no children and can just pick up and go on a whim.
There’s alot to be said about roots being firmly planted.
hayden tompkins says:
Very true! I know not everyone is all about the moving like I am.
So you lived 9 places in 3 years?! I’d want roots after that too!
November 13, 2009 at 12:59 am
Lance
Hi Hayden,
For several years, my wife and I moved what seemed like every year. It WAS an adventure. And now we’ve been in the same place 11 years. Wow!! It’s hard to believe, after all those years where we never unpacked our boxes! Although, we have found an area we really do love…
I’m excited for you, adventure can be so fun. I remember well those years when we moved, and how exciting it was to explore a new area…
hayden tompkins says:
I could totally see myself staying in one place for 11 years as long as that place has tropical beaches and dancing!
(Are you saying that you still have boxes you haven’t unpacked? WOW. That’ll be a fun trip down memory lane.)
November 13, 2009 at 5:28 am
nat @book, line, and sinker
i’ve always lived in new jersey–currently i’m 58 miles from my childhood home by car. my entire family is within a 90-mile radius. i love being close to them…but i have serious wanderlust. i’m not sure if there’s medication for that. we travel A TON but it’s not quite the same as making a home in a new place.
i imagine you could adapt anywhere! let’s all meet up at dishy’s house in portland. are you in?
hayden tompkins says:
Heck yeah!
P.S. At least you get to travel. Some people just dream about it. Plus, if you really love your job, I can see why you’d be hesitant.
November 13, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Kip de Moll
Portland, Maine is my last stop before heading home after a visit to the Coast, and Portland, Oregon is the airport (and visit with my daughter) before heading out to the coast. In between, I’ve lived in many places, but have now been 20 years in the same county. These weeks on the couch, I’ve read over some old articles and am considering reviving my life as a travel writer–best of both worlds.
hayden tompkins says:
There’s something about moving that appeals to me. It’s the same part of me that loved fresh school supplies, something about the newness and potential for opportunity.
I think you’d make an awesome travel writer!
November 13, 2009 at 3:32 pm
vanessaleighsblog
Hayden:
When I was growing up, we moved several times by the time I was in fifth grade. I remember that it seemed hard, but not impossible. After college, I moved a few times before I settled where I currently live. My partner has lived here since high school, so she has a tougher time anticipating a move than I do, and her whole family is local. For me, family being far away is always a good excuse for a road trip!
We don’t want to move while Hannah is in junior and high school, unless absolutely necessary, but after that, who knows!!!!
hayden tompkins says:
I’m so glad that you guys feel that way. Many parents don’t care what kind of impact it has on their kids but moving during high school is the worst! (Assuming, of course, that they actually like their high school. If that isn’t the case, then carry on.)
November 15, 2009 at 9:07 pm
marlajayne
Love the stable flexibility idea. And I can totally understand your comments about the energy of a city. This past summer, we went to Johnson City, TN, and the downtown area gave off such sad vibes that I felt like a pall had been cast over the deserted streets and stores. The homeless people walking about added to the melancholy feeling I experienced. On the last day we were there, I discovered that the action was OUTSIDE of the city limits.
hayden tompkins says:
I don’t know how happy I’d be living ‘around’ a city instead of in it. Memphis was kind of like that too.