I have lived in two states, five different towns, and 11 different houses. I’m not an army brat and my parents didn’t have to move for work, technically. They just love change. My parents enjoy flipping houses, living in them, and then moving onto the next. Moving this many times I have been to several different schools. Some I loved and some I hated, but my time in those different schools in those different towns has morphed me into who I am today.
Our first big move; From Pennsylvania to New York. I was 10 years-old. At that age I think it’s still pretty easy to make friends. I was still in elementary school and every kid seemed to be fascinated by every new student. I kept in touch with my old friends from Pennsylvania but after a while the contact faded.
I had my new New York friends, but when the sixth grade came along my parents put me in private school. It was a lot harder for me to put my social roots down here. We were in middle school now and everyone had their friend groups. I hung out with people from this school occasionally but for the most part I would just hang out with my friends from my old school on the weekends. I never felt like I really belonged at this school.
Since I was unhappy at this new private school my parents switched me back into public school in the seventh grade. I got to be with all my old friends and meet all their new friends they had made in that year I missed. It became clear to me in middle school that I am floater. Some of my friends who were friends in elementary school weren’t still friends in middle school, but I still made time to hang out with all of them.
Being a floater is something that I have been throughout all my school years. In high school I hung out with a wide range of different groups. People from my old school and different people from my new high school. Even in college I consider myself a floater. I’ve always had different friends. I do have best friends and I love them to death but not all of them are in the same group or have even gotten a chance to hang out together.
I guess like my parents, I love floating around from place to place, changing my environment with the people I choose to hang out with. I never even noticed this realization until writing this right now. From moving and switching schools I was able to meet so many unique people. All left me with something different and have helped evolve my personality and my social life. I am a floater and I can’t wait to meet the next group of people who will come into my life.
