Saturday, February 13, 2021

Relocation Admiration

 Here we are one year into a pandemic, and I never could have imagined how this all would change our lives so profoundly.  There is hope on the horizon, however.  A vaccine has been developed in record time, and it is being administered as quickly as possible.  But, the trauma will still be there forever.  Millions of people have died or lost loved-ones.  Doctors have been pushed to their limits.  Riots and protests have become commonplace.  Everyone has had to quarantine, many have lost their jobs, and everyone's lives have been profoundly changed forever.  Let us all pray for healing and better days ahead.

Now on to the topic of this post.  I am often very interested in the reasons people move far away and stay in certain places.  Lots of people move for a job opportunity, and from what I can tell, that seems to be the main reason someone moves out of state or out of the country.  Still, many others move just because they want to be with a friend or lover, go to school somewhere, or they just want to experience a different place.

Not being a very brave person myself, I am often awed by those who make a big move and a new life for themselves.  Aside from the difficulty of just getting all your stuff to the new place, there are so many other challenges.  You have to register your kids for school if you have kids.  You have to learn how to find your way around the new place.  You have to start a new job or a new school.  You have to meet new people and find new friends.  You have to find the right stores where you want to shop.  You have to get your car registered and get a new drivers licence.  Also, if you move to a place dramaticallly different from what you are used to, you have to adjust to a new culture.  It all seems so overwhelming to me.

I suppose it isn't very stressful for some people.  Others are probably stressed, but they still take the leap.  I don't know if I could even do that.  Then again, I guess you never know until you try.  For now I will just marval at those who have the guts to try, and listen with great interest to their stories.