Impact of Frequent Moves on My Life
Growing up, I experienced frequent relocations due to my father’s career—initially in the Army and later in the airline industry, which was because of frequent airline bankruptcies. Reflecting on these moves, I don't believe they significantly impacted me in a negative way. Instead, they were simply a part of my life, and I think my personal outcomes would likely have been similar whether I had moved frequently or not.
Adapting to new schools and social settings often meant facing challenges such as being out of place with the latest trends or attending parties where I was included only because the whole class was invited. Despite these challenges, I believe these experiences fostered a resilience that is less common among today’s youth, who often face stress and depression exacerbated by social media—a topic for another discussion.
My frequent relocations began in Dallas, Texas, where I was born, and included Livermore, California; Chicago; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Miami; Fairfield, NJ; and almost Saudi Arabia (a story for another time). We then moved to Byram, Sparta, East Hanover, and Madison, NJ. After getting married, we relocated to Mansfield, NJ, following the September 11 attacks. Subsequently, we spent five years in London before returning to Byram, NJ, and finally settling in Pennsylvania.
These moves were primarily driven by my father's employment circumstances. His tenure with Braniff Airlines, which went bankrupt, necessitated frequent relocations to wherever new job opportunities arose. I have profound respect for my father’s perseverance and ability to secure new positions amidst industry upheavals.
Through these experiences, I developed a significant degree of resilience and strength, which proved particularly valuable when, after the 2008 financial crisis, my husband was laid off, and we had to move to London with our four sons—a challenging situation. I think it would be fun to talk about my move to London in the next blog.
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