Thirty-nine Homes and Counting…

As people begin to buy houses and move this spring and summer, I can’t help but think about all the houses I have lived in, thirty-nine, to be exact. I can honestly say they’ve all had their positives and negatives. But for me, each was unique and made my journey through life interesting.

Moving to a new home, and I say this because not everyone moves into a house, can be exciting and scary all at once. There is the excitement of starting over and giving your life a little “freshness.” But the scary part of moving to a new home is the unknowns. What if the house is a money pit, what if I don’t make friends, what if it turns out to be in the wrong neighborhood… are all excellent concerns. For some people, like many military families, they may not be ready to move, so transferring is stressful.

But here’s what I have to say to anyone moving this year… a home is what you make it, no matter where you are. In my thirty-nine homes, I always had favorite items I took from place to place, continued holiday traditions, and embraced the new adventures placed in front of  me. I learned this from my parents as we traveled around the world with a family of seven.

I don’t remember my first two homes in Germany because of my age, but every house after the age of three had a familiarity about it that comforted me and my siblings. I recall happy memories of sledding down a massive hill in our back yard in Utah, the walk-in closet I pretended was my castle in Montana, and the villa in Spain that housed a pool, a fruit orchard and its own maid. In Texas we lived in a hotel-like temporary quarters where I slept in my very own closet set up off the ground. Our house there was large and the yard, plush and green, was my oasis to do cartwheels in as I played. Yes, there were snakes and jets flying overhead, but to a child, it was a great place to live.

As I grew older, my surroundings became more important and my home a more stressful issue. I could no longer sleep in a closet if there wasn’t room for my four brothers and I. But, I always had my own room. In New York our apartment was small. My four brothers all slept in the same room. My youngest brother was in third grade and my oldest brother in high school. To this day my brothers have the best stories from that time in their lives. Why? Because my parents made it our home. We still baked cookies together at Christmas, wrestled in the living room, and played cards at the dining room table.

When we returned to Germany, we were surprised by the changes in lifestyle there. We lived in two different cities and three different homes. One was a large government home and the other two, an apartment and duplex, were German. Our adventures there were amazing, and it was because our parents made certain we experienced Europe. We travelled, we saw shows, and we continued life as Americans with sports and choir and maintaining our routines. When we had to return to the United States we all cried.

But we did return and we prepared ourselves for our new duty station. I’ll never forget coming down a pass into Idaho and seeing our “new town.” It was tiny, and I was certain that my life in Small Town America was going to be the death of me. But it turned out to be some of the best years of my life, with lasting friendships. Our house was large with just my little brother and I and our parents. But it felt warm and inviting, and before we knew it, I was leaving to be on my own.

From that day forward, I moved to 23 different homes. If you had asked me then about moving so much, I would have said, not going to happen. I planned on going to college, then settling in one place. But I met the love of my life, and from day one, we were on an adventure that has yet hit a road block. I’ve lived in a trailer, hotel, apartments, condos, duplexes, single family homes and just for a little change, lived in a two-hundred year old mansion. I can honestly tell you, I’ve been around… and I have loved every home I have lived in. I have fond memories of each of them. I’ve made friends, experienced life and food I’d never imagined before, and through it all kept my own family grounded in our own traditions and routines that made each of our homes ours.

I’ve been blessed to have lived in 13 of our 50 states, 3 different countries, and travelled to every state in our country. But no matter where I go, I always return to my current home knowing that when I walk in the door, the same familiar photos will be on the wall, the same smiling faces will be here to greet me. I’ve got at least one more move ahead of me… the forever home in Arizona. But until then, I will enjoy the home I have now by the beach, with its sandy floors and dog hair. I’ll cherish the memories I make here with my husband and dogs and visiting relatives. And I’ll say it again, a home is what you make it. So if you are moving soon, and you are nervous and worried, stop for a minute and think about what I have told you in this blog…. Life is an amazing adventure, and your home will always be a special place if you fill it with love and positivity. Good luck!