On the first day of every class every semester you are always asked by the teacher to, “say your name, major, where you’re from, and a fun fact about yourself." Every time and I really mean every single time, I have the same fun fact, which is that I have lived in five different states. I feel now that I’m 20 this doesn’t sound as absurd as it did when I was a 3rd grader and people would ask me where I lived before Ohio and my answer was “well Illinois, but before that Michigan, and before there Florida, and before there Indiana!”
Moving around as often I did, and qualifying myself as a “mobile,” has taught me a lot and impacts the way I carry out everyday life. I’m now onto my 12th year in Ohio, so I’m slowly but surely getting used to being stuck in one place, as compared to my longest stay in a state being two years anywhere before here. But, I will forever carry around that feeling of being temporary with me, so here are a few things, good and bad, I have learned throughout all my leaps between states.
I have learned how to adjust to change easily. Out of all things, this is the one that I find most useful. Life is full of change, whether it’s big or small, and you have to learn how to roll with the punches in order to not get caught up in it all. The flip side of being accepting of change is never questioning it either. After questioning your parents every single time they said we’re moving, you get tired of asking “why?” and learn to just go with the flow and embrace what’s coming up next.
But I have also become conditioned to treat everything like it’s temporary. I do this not because I want to, but because I feel like I have to. When making decisions about things that are long term, I find myself wondering if I am even qualified to say “yes.” Slowly, I am starting to let go of this fear. I’m starting to realize that life is long term, so I should be treating it like that day in and day out. I’ve started to cherish the people in my life more and more as I have learned that they are going to be in my life for as long as I allow them to be, not as long as my stay somewhere does. And I’ve grown to love planning for the future because I know someday, I will make it there.
Staying places for short periods of time has also taught me to live in the moment. Growing up being mobile has allowed me to be a bit more spontaneous at times when I normally wouldn’t let myself be. I’ve learned to go out on a whim just because, and to maybe push aside a few responsibilities here and there to do something I know I would look back on and regret passing up. On top of learning to live in the moment, I’ve learned to cherish that moment. I’ve learned to not take advantage of what I have here and now, because someday it will be just a memory.
Lastly, and most importantly, I have learned that the world has an endless list of possibilities to offer. Jumping from state to state growing up has instilled a love for travel and a burning desire to explore, within myself. There is much more out there than what you have in your own little bubble, and this is just one out of the many things I want everyone to realize. Experiencing different places gives me a thrill like no other, and I blame this on the fact that I have been forced to experience various places. Learning how to learn about other places is definitely one of my favorite traits.
All in all, at the end of the day, my “mobile” lifestyle has created the person I am today, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. So a big thank you to Indiana, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and whatever little stops along the way, for teaching me more about life and myself than I may not have ever known with you.
