Relocation

Ramana selected this weeks 2-on-1 topic - relocation. There is a television commercial running these days that  says Americans move more than people in any other country. It suggests we in the USA will live in 11 different homes in our lifetimes. I immediately started doing the math and found I have lived it 10 different homes to date in my lifetime. It is not likely I will move more than one more time. Well I'll be damned.



Depending on the circumstances, relocation can be adventurous and fun -  like my move from Colorado to California just  before my 10th birthday, or somewhat harrowing - like our move from California to Texas when Lynn and I had both lost our jobs and employment prospects in the SF Bay Area were almost non-existent. So off  we moved to Fort Worth for a promised $10.20 per hour job with the hope it would grow into a future for our family.


Texas proved to be a good move - I did not leave until 2015 when I ended up in North Carolina. Between that first moving adventure and the trek to North Carolina our relocation timeline looked like this:


1975 Lynn was offered a promotion if we would move to New England and set up a new office for her company. How could we turn down New England in the Bicentennial year? I loaded up the car  with our dog Sherman and cat Peabody  and headed off on my maiden cross country drive. Lynn worked in the Los Angeles office for a few  weeks and then flew back to Hartford to meet us.

The New England office Was soon  functioning smoothly and Lynn was offered a transfer back to Los Angeles. Being natural left-coasters, we jumped at the chance to get closer to home, even if it was Los Angeles. We packed our Chevy Monza, loaded Peabody and  Sherman into the backseat and off we went. We landed in Hermosa Beach, 2  blocks from the ocean. That made the move palatable but changes in the company were afoot so Lynn resigned shortly thereafter. She moved back to Northern California and stayed with my parents.  I was promptly let go and I took a job with Radio Shack after being assured I could transfer to Northern California. Three months later I moved in with Lynn and our daughter in the basement of my folks place in Castro Valley. 

By mid 1986 things were going well and I was offered a position in Honolulu, Hawaii. Many promises were made - including money for relocation expenses so off I went to get the facility set up and find a place to live. When senior management started dragging their heels on the relocation money. Lynn got mad and said they might never get us back to California. Long story short, Lynn and the kids stayed in our condo in Hayward and I spent 6 months in Hawaii with my only transportation being the Suzuki 550 I purchased in Hawaii. You just never know what hardships one must endure when relocating. Rest  assured I had way more fun than I was supposed to. But, Lynn and the kids met me  at the airport with huge grins on Christmas eve. 

The next big relocation was the move to Texas in May of 1994, brought o  by a  collapsing economy in silicon valley and a lack of suitable employment opportunities. I was not thrilled with the circumstances of the move but it was definitely one of those  "Ya gotta do what ya gotta do"scenarios. Texas turned out to be a great place and if I was younger I would move to Austin.

Every major relocation takes on a life of its own. They all include hitting restart - getting established and comfortable in a new place. Ours were all positive although some took more work than others - except Hawaii. I used to pull up to a stoplight and look around and think to myself I cannot believe I am here. I also believe if Lynn and the kids had come nobody would have cared if RadioShack did not get us back to California. 

That's my relocation story. Be sure to check Ramana's Musings to see what he has to say.