Our family has moved eight times in the past seven years and I don’t think we plan on stopping. No my parents are not in the military, we just follow where my dad’s job goes.

The first time we moved it was from Wisconsin to Florida. Being ten years old, I didn’t want to go because our class was about to take a camping trip but plans kind of changed. We were moving to Florida.

The last thing my dad said while we were there was, “say goodbye to Wisconsin kids.”

So I did, the plane took off and all I could see was the trees fade away as we burst into the clouds which were replaced with palm trees as we reached our new destination.

In Florida, everyone was interested in the “new girl,” so it wasn’t hard making friends. We had to move down the street about a year later but we didn’t mind because we still attended the same school with the same friends. Things were going really well, I had a great group of friends, My family went to Disney all the time, and I got my scuba diving license! But plans kind of changed, only two years later, we had to move to Texas.

Scared and nervous I walked into my new classroom with everyones eyes on me. Everyone was interested in the “new girl” so it wasn’t hard making new friends.

Once my teacher finished discussing what the class would be like with me She turned to the class and said, “Class, This is our new student Anastasia!”

All the students rushed around me circling me as if I was their prey. I stared at them wide eyed and introduced myself as everyone stared at me intently. Luckily, the teacher saved me and told the students to return to their labs and i easily fit into one of the pods as they welcomed me with open arms.

I made two best friends, both who were band geeks like me, and we became really close. Unfortunately one of the girls was a year older so she went to highschool as my other friend and I finished eighth grade. I had lived in Texas for a year and a half and things were going great. We took an eighth grade trip only to a water park, went to the movies, and I was learning a lot about music but things kind of changed, we were moving back to Wisconsin.
Since I didn’t have the luxury of moving in the middle of the year when everyone is interested in the new girl, we decided to move over the summer going into my freshman year. Luckily, I didn’t need to worry because I joined the swim team and marching band and made friends instantly. Again, we had to move three times the past three years due to our landlords but it was okay because I didn’t have to switch schools. Things were going great, I made a lot more friends than I ever had, I learned to drive, and I have been learning Chinese. But things kind of Changed, my dad got a new job, and is now back in Texas with my youngest brother.
They didn’t want to make me leave only having one year left and my other younger brother move since he is going into his sophomore year so my mom agreed to stay here with us, and my dad agreed to come home every other month and Tommy would visit on holidays. It’s complicated but our family will make it work and we’ll make the best of it.

Next year I’ll be going to college which will make nine moves in eight years and Erik and my mom might move to Texas so that’ll make ten. For our family, there’s no such thing as a permanent home. We are a nomadic family and I don’t think I’d have it any other way.