I can think of so many movies that start with the main character's family moving halfway through high school. She is in a new city, no friends, and doesn't know what to do. There is likely a shot of her looking angsty out the car window (bonus points if it's raining) and one standing cross-armed in front of the new house.
As someone who had grown up in the same city and going to the same school since kindergarten, I always felt like that had to be so terrible for them, but didn't think it would ever happen to me. No, my family didn't move in high school, but instead while I was in college. And no my dad wasn't the one with the new job, but my mom. But in every other respect, my experience was pretty straight out of a movie script: new house, no friends, and an angsty teen (I guess now young adult) that was processing this. I was moving from my home of Dallas, Texas to Kansas City, KS and I didn't really have a choice in the matter.
However, I kept thinking I had to process this a certain way. Everyone that I talked to expected me to be taking this really hard, and although the news originally sucked, my experience didn't match Lindsay Lohan in "Mean Girls" or the kids in "Cheaper By The Dozen". I felt like I needed to be crying or standing in protest or yelling at my parents. And although I definitely had my share of diva moments, I spent a lot more time learning about my mom's new job, helping them look for houses, and watching them start this new experience. It suddenly became less about me and my feelings and more about redefining who we were as a family.
Although the question "where are you from" becomes increasing more complicated, there is something beautiful about a new start and a family of adults being connected enough to move across the country for eachother. I will miss Dallas, but I will also be back. And I do love our new home in Kansas City, not because I know the hot restaurants to go to or because I have a lot of places associated with it, but because that is where the people I love live.
So lately I have been calling Kansas home and I really don't hate it.
