I've never lived anywhere longer than 5 years. Being the perpetual new girl has its pros and cons.

At 30, the longest I've ever lived location is 5 years.

That's 1 twelvemonth longer than the clip I spent in college, which for astir group is astir apt the shortest clip they've lived successful 1 place. I've lived successful 10 cities, 7 states, and much houses than I consciousness for illustration counting, and erstwhile group inquire wherever I'm from, dissimilar erstwhile they inquire maine astir the weather, location is extent to the question.

So overmuch truthful that my reply varies depending connected the personification who's asking.

I've moved each over, first for my dad's job, past of my ain accord

If I cognize I'll ne'er spot you again, you get "Birmingham, Alabama," my birthplace, speedy and easy. If the speech is casual, you get "all complete the South," which is technically existent and besides conversationally merciful.

But sometimes I'll say, "It's a agelong list, but I'm happy to share." And if you opportunity yes, I show you to beryllium down earlier I locomotion done it all: Birmingham, past Nashville, past Dothan, past the Florida panhandle, past Louisville, past Denver, past Boulder for college, past Birmingham again, past New Orleans, and now Savannah, Georgia, wherever I'm 3 years into what is only a five-year stint, owed to my husband's career. After this, we'll move location other for 1 to 3 years, and past aft that, maybe, we'll settee down.

That reply is ever followed by the adjacent question: "Why did you move truthful often?" Like astir kids, I knew my dad's occupation only successful the vaguest terms: existent property lawyer. What he really does each time is still a enigma to me. I understood, successful the wide sense, that his profession was built connected helping businesses turn aliases closing them, Blockbuster among them. But erstwhile group asked, I'd conscionable reply with, "My dad's job, and, no, not military." Quick and easy.

The first clip I moved was erstwhile I was 3, and past again astatine 6. Our adjacent move was erstwhile I was successful 5th grade, and past doubly successful precocious school. I kept the shape going myself erstwhile I moved to college, and past moved successful pinch my grandfather aft I graduated. I past followed my now hubby to New Orleans, Louisiana, for his aesculapian schoolhouse training, and past to Savannah, Georgia, to statesman his aesculapian career.

Having wide roots has its pros and cons

I don't person heavy roots. I person wide ones. They dispersed laterally, nether authorities lines and crossed regions, done rivers and streams, and complete mountains, which is why it's uncommon for maine to meet personification without uncovering a thread betwixt us. Being the perpetual caller woman taught maine to locomotion into immoderate room emotion unafraid, but besides to beryllium slow to interrupt the existing flow.

Of course, wide roots can't do everything heavy ones can. I americium nobody's oldest friend. There is nary 1 extracurricular my family who has known maine since earlier I knew myself, nary neighbour who watched maine study to thrust a motorcycle and tin clasp that type of maine up against the existent one. Every relationship I person started successful the mediate of my story. When you move each fewer years, you get very bully astatine beginnings and ends and very small believe astatine the middle.

I've often wondered which are much meaningful, wide roots aliases heavy ones. But I deliberation it's difficult to compare.

People inquire if I've liked moving, and the honorable reply is that I don't cognize thing else. My birthday is connected Christmas Day, and I get the aforesaid curiosity astir whether I for illustration that. But I've ne'er had a day that wasn't wrapped successful the joyousness of a holiday, and I've ne'er had a hometown that wasn't temporary, whether I knew it astatine the clip aliases not.

But I do cognize that the life I've lived has fixed maine an acquisition successful the small, stubborn differences betwixt places outsiders presume are identical. One Southern metropolis says "y'all" while another, improbably, says "you guys." Boiled peanuts are a belief successful 1 municipality and a soggy seed successful the next. Tiny things, sure, but it's wherever a hometown keeps its personality, and learning to announcement them and the bigger nuances has made maine some much willing and, I hope, much interesting.

Sometimes I effort to ideate what it would beryllium for illustration to person lived successful conscionable 1 city, successful conscionable 1 house, pinch the same friends from kindergarten done graduation. But I fearfulness that type of maine mightiness beryllium boring and close-minded, unexposed to different cultures, people, and places. I'd waste and acquisition each heavy guidelines I don't person earlier I'd waste and acquisition the width of the ones I do.

So, person I liked moving? Yes, because it's made maine who I am.