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View Full Version : Hmmm... just thinking out loud...



Dsnygirl
03-19-2011, 12:57 PM
So, with my DH now looking for work, and recent discussions b/w the two of leading us down the path of considering jobs in another part of the country, a lot of different thoughts have been going through my head.

This isn't the first time a major move has crossed our minds -- seems like every time there have been job changes, we've considered it... sometimes seriously, other times just in passing.

This time, though, one thing strikes me as different in how I'm viewing the possibility. For the first time, I'm less concerned with how I will fit in and mix well with a new area than I am with just being there, and living our own life and not worrying about whether or not we'll meet new friends and everything that goes with that line of thinking.

And the whole reason for this post on this site is that I feel like sites like this, and FB, and other "social networking" sites that I belong to play a large role in this.

Over the past few years, I have connected, re-connected and found new friends on the internet that I have become close to, just by the very proximity to them on my computer. That isn't to say that I don't have friends here in my hometown that I do things with, people here that we enjoy spending time with on a regular basis, etc. But with the growth of the internet, people I thought I'd lost touch with forever are back in my life and available to me at the touch of a few keys -- and people who I've met online (and quite often face to face at some point) have become such good friends that the idea of leaving home and moving somewhere new no longer holds such an array of questions and worries about being lonely, meeting new people, etc., that it did before. I feel like as long as we bring our computer and have access online, I'm bringing my friends with me, and won't feel as alone in a new place as I would have years ago.

Does that make any sense?? Has anyone else moved to someplace completely new to them recently and felt the same way??

I have no idea if a move will happen... I'm excited by the prospect, as well as nervous about all the upheaval involved if it does... and honestly, I'm doubtful that it will, as my DH always seems to find something locally.

But - I was still surprised by how I felt about it, it was a new line of thought for me,and wondering if anyone else has been in the same shoes.

faline
03-19-2011, 04:31 PM
We have not done a major move but have considered it several times in similar circumstances.

You're right about the Internet though - it's great at being able to connect with people regularly and quickly and often leads to "face to face" friendships as well!

RedSoxFan
03-19-2011, 05:20 PM
You know, I was never a fan of FB. But I gave in over the summer and I love it. I'm connected with my close friends in Virginia and Massachusetts where we have lived. And also my high school friends and family.

As for moving, we've done it twice. First to Charlottesville, VA from Dartmouth, MA (where family is) for 6 yrs. In 2006 we moved to Ithaca (Lansing), NY and love it here and it's closer to home. It has worked out well both times and the kids do adjust even after all the complaining about leaving friends. With FB, they're connected and met friends before moving to NY.

I want to move back to MA; but will wait until Kourtney graduates HS --- she's in 8th grade now.

Mousefever
03-20-2011, 02:17 AM
I hadn't thought about moving in this way, but what you say makes a whole bunch of sense. I have dear friends all around the country, and I have everyday access to them through the internet. It does make a huge difference in how isolated someone would feel during a move to a different location.

Amy

disneydeb
03-20-2011, 10:57 AM
I'm staying where I am, unless we move to Celebration! LOL!:mickey:
Of course I am happy to have my computer to keep me connected to my friends!!

disney obsessed
03-21-2011, 06:29 PM
Life is an adventure, if you allow it to be.

MNNHFLTX
03-21-2011, 06:39 PM
We've done a lot of cross-country moves over the years and each time you just accept that you will have a period of limbo before you settle into a routine and make new friends, find new jobs, etc. I think after you do it once it's not so scary the next time. And I do agree that social networks like Facebook probably would help lessen the anxiety, although I wasn't a member the last time we moved in 2004 (actually I think that was the year FB was invented).

DisneyDog
03-23-2011, 04:57 PM
That is an interesting thought. We have been back in our home town for over six years now. We had an ill-fated move to Florida, where we lived for 3 years. I was incredibly lonely and home sick. I am sure if FB had been around then, it would have helped a great deal. However, it wasn't just the people that I missed. It was the familiarity of everything. Things down there felt so foreign to me. I didn't have my favorite hometown foods, couldn't see my favorite sports teams on tv, stuff like that. And, the lack of those things made me feel lonely and isolated from what I loved.

Melanie
03-23-2011, 05:07 PM
Social networking is a blessing to me with all the moving around we do. I know that I am in a different situation that you are describing though, since we have 'common ground' with other military folks who are also living in our new town. But still, I'm to the point now where I enjoy a fresh start every 3 years, regardless of how happy I am where I'm living (because we LOVE Florida). With my DH's military career coming to a close in a few years, it's kinda sad for me to think we are going to actually settle down somewhere.

Like Beth said, there is the limbo time, but after you take that leap the first time, it gets easier. Life's an adventure - seize it! I love where I grew up, but in hindsight I'm glad I didn't marry local and stay forever.