Have you ever moved away from someone you're really close to?

[ColleenC]

Whether it's a friend or family member?

I am asking because it's becoming aparent to us that we will not be living in Edmonton forever. The cost of housing is out of control and will never allow us to have the quality of life we want to have. In addition dh will be changing his careers to something he will be fabulous at and will love and although there are options for him here, there are better ones elsewhere.

Now I am VERY close to my mom as are my kids. She is a very involved grandparent and the kids adore her. This move wouldn't happen for at least 2-3 years if not more, but I still can't imagine not living close to my mom. It was bad enough when she moved an hour away in January.

So how did you deal with it? Did you visit often?

[Val]

We're only moving 45 minutes away and that is going to be hard enough. I don't really know what we do if we left the state or something.

[Tamika]

Yep. I moved away from my parents.

We did it slow - we moved 3 hours away first - and it was easier as I didn't have kids yet - but once I was pregnant - it was devastating for Mum and Dad when we moved here. Remember how many times I was gone to Manitoba Colleen???

We flew back every 6 weeks, Kaylyn and I. Then with Kieran it got longer, and again longer after Treyce. Now we go 3 times a year - spring break, summer, Christmas break.

its hard. very hard.

[Mary]

Yeah....only my entire family and all my friends!


We flew back every 6 weeks, Kaylyn and I. Then with Kieran it got longer, and again longer after Treyce. Now we go 3 times a year - spring break, summer, Christmas break.

That pretty much describes us, too. It didn't help that we were broke for a couple years after JZ was born, on top of it being more trouble to go.

We don't even make it three times a year, though that's always our intention. Last year we skipped Spring Break because it was a week before my due date, and this year we didn't go because, well....I'm not even really sure why we didn't make it happen but now I'm kicking myself for not going.

I agree with Tamika....it's hard. To be honest, it sucks. Out loud.

[Kristi]

Yes I have. When we moved to Italy. I had to move away from my parents and siblings all of whom I am really close to. Along with my best friend in the whole world. In Italy when we moved to Virginia we had to move away from a very close friend who had become like family to us.


When we first got to italy I was determined to hate it and missed my family like crazy> I complained all the time about how much I wanted to be home. But once I settled in and got used to things and made some friends it wasn't so bad. It was made easier knowning that it wasn't permanent. It sucked though because I only got to see my family once in 3 1/2 years while we lived there.

Here stinks too because I only get to see them twice a year or so. But, I talk to my mom all the time on IM and Icall whenever i want to. So that makes it easier.

[Christine]

Six months after we were married, we moved 12-14 hours away from my mother and little brother (he was 5 at the time). It was very hard for me. We visited as often as we could. As we had more kids, that became increasingly difficult. She was able to visit us 1-2 times a year. I basically waited 10 years for her to move here.

[Lori]

When we moved to Michigan in 2001, we moved about 600 miles away from my family and 700 miles away from Sean's. It is hard, and I wish we lived closer.

We really can't get back east too often, especially with Thomas. It's so expensive for three people to fly, and we don't trust our car to make the trip more than once or twice a year. The nice thing is that my schedule allows me to go out to New Jersey with Thomas for about a month each summer, which is great. We miss Sean, but he gets time to do work, and Thomas gets to spend time with his grandparents.

When we finally settle someplace, Sean's parents will probably end up moving to wherever we live, since they don't have any other family in their area. My parents are never going to leave NJ, but I think they understand that the cost of living is so high there that it's very unlikely we'll end up living there.

We also had our very good friends move from Michigan to Arizona , and that just sucked. We miss them a lot, and so far have only been able to see them a few times.

[Jo]

I moved away from close friends, such as Polly when we moved out here. My parents had already moved away from us. We followed them out and they still leave us 6 months out of the year to get away from the cold.

It is hard sometimes but unlimited long distance really helps!

[Jbird]

Yep - I left my parents, sister, and several close friends in Nebraska when I moved to Iowa, then left close friends in Iowa when I moved from Iowa to Minnesota, then left a couple of close friends when I moved from Minnesota to Oklahoma.
Dealing - well, making new contacts, staying in touch via Internet/phone etc., and trying to get visits in.

[Danielle]

Yes, we basically moved away from my whole family in 2000. We go back about once a year and usually someone comes here every few months. The hardest past for me is the kids and the old people... with kids they change so much from visit to visit and with the older people, you never know if you'll see them again :(.

[Desirae]

We moved to Florida, away from everyone. It was very hard and that's why we moved back.