My family is moving. And not just across town. We are making an elective move to a new state this summer. What do I mean by “an elective move”?
We are not moving because of a job relocation or medical care. We do not have family in our new destination. For all intents and purposes, we could continue staying here and living our lives without great detriment.
And yet, we decided to move. As we have told people we are moving, they immediately ask, “Why?” Sometimes I respond with, “Because we want to and we can,” which is a good enough reason in my book. Wanting to do something and having the ability to do it, even if it’s not without sacrifice, is completely valid.
However, there are a few reasons we decided to make the leap this summer that have really resonated when I share them.
1. The Timing Was Pretty Good
Timing for life events is rarely perfect. There’s always a reason not to do something because the timing is bad. However, we felt that the good reasons truly outweigh the bad in our current situation.
- We had already decided it was time for our family to change schools.
- My husband and I both work remotely, so changing employment wasn’t a concern.
- Our youngest child is in upper elementary, and our twins are about to start middle school, so we aren’t completely ruining their lives by making a move to somewhere new.
All these factors led us to believe that the timing was likely as good as it would ever be for us to relocate.
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2. New Experiences Help Us Grow
It’s important to us for our children to see lots of different people and places. While this can certainly be accomplished through travel, books, and other media forms, there is no question that residing in a new place gives you a different perspective on how people live their lives.
While moving from one state to another may not be drastic, there will certainly be some differences from the place my children have always known, and they will learn the incredibly important lesson that not everyone and not every place is exactly the same in a way that no amount of reading or discussion can accomplish.
3. We Can Do Hard Things
Our three children are moderately anxious, and I am a more than moderately anxious person myself. Moving can be stressful and overwhelming. So why did we decide we were going to put our children (and ourselves) through that?
Our kids’ play therapist consistently tells them, “You can do hard things,” a mantra we have picked up and used at home over and over again. Moving is hard, but we can do hard things. We want our kids to have the experience of doing something that is hard and surviving, hopefully even thriving. This is a calculated struggle, a safe opportunity for them to try something new with the support of their family around them. We really do believe it will be a positive experience for them.
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In full disclosure, the jury is still out. We haven’t moved yet, and I will hesitate to call our experiment a success or failure until we have spent at least a new year in our new locale. As of right now, the kids are mostly excited, with some nerves thrown in, and so are their parents. We are looking forward to our new adventure.
Have you ever considered making a move, just to have a new adventure and experience new things? Do you think we’re crazy?
