Statistically speaking, moving to two or three different houses is pretty normal during one's childhood. Families grow and shrink and living options change. However, there's another league few people can fathom: the "Multiple Cross-Country Moves" league. There are pros and cons, but the experience has shaped you, you know these 12 things for certain:
1. Your Facebook friends list is filled with people from all over the place.
Sometimes you have to remind yourself how you know the person and where he or she is currently living. And don't even get me started on how entertaining your Timeline is during presidential elections.
2. You know the airport like the back of your hand.
Between visits to friends from different states and commuter trips between moves, you know airports better than any other place in the world. Not to mention your security drill- laptop out, shoes off, socks tucked in, your backpack on if it's summer time- the worst thing you could do to yourself
3. You have a couch to crash on just about anywhere.
Between family, friends, and random connections, you have plenty of doors to pop up at- just bring a sleeping bag, and you won't be a bother at all. You've slept on enough air mattresses and shared enough bathrooms.
4. You know how to pack a suitcase like a boss.
Two weeks of outfits in one medium-sized bag? No problem. Just grab someone to sit on your suitcase while you zip it.
5. You know which food chains exist in which states, and look forward to visiting those on your visits to the last place you lived.
I'll break it down simply: gems of the south= Chick-fil-A, Sonic. North= Panera Bread, Dunkin Donuts. West coast= In and Out. Keys to life right there.
6. At least Starbucks exists everywhere.
You can't go wrong with an old classic.
7. You got an email address way too young.
Crying to your parents, "But how will I keep in touch with my friends?!" somehow worked. I was nine. But hey, now you have a junk email to send all your social media messages to.
8. In the same vein, your Skype name has evolved over time.
You finally changed it to just your first and last name once you started professional interviews.
9. Your vacation destinations felt more like home than your house did.
And there's a big chance your favorite place on planet Earth is Disney World.
10. Friends are a tough matter.
Get too close, and it'll physically hurt next time you're uprooted. Don't get close enough, and you'll look back and regret not having friends from that place. (Spoiler alert: as you get older, this gets easier. Life starts to put people on different paths, but you already have the acquired skill of keeping in touch long distance).
11. The question "Where are you from?" is the bane of your existence.
You settle on the last place you lived, but always throw in "I moved around a lot" because people are confused about why you answer the question with an invisible question mark behind it.
12. The word "home" has a whole other meaning for you.
It's not the house, because your time in one of these lasts about as long as a really good pizza with six college kids. "Home" is the people you meet, experiences you've gained, and lessons you've learned in every place. While you've sometimes wondered what it was like to grow up with the same people in the same house you've lived in since you were born, you know you wouldn't be the person you are today without change.
