How many times have you moved in your life?

[mommyoffive]

I feel like I haven't moved very much in my life.  

How many times have you moved?

[Arcadia]

Moved from childhood home to marital home.

Relocate from Asia to USA.

Moved from temporary rental arranged by HR to another rental.

Moved from rental to current home. 

So four times with three times being within a year of relocating to USA. 

[historically accurate]

My family moved a lot when I was growing up, and we were technically homeless for several months in the 80s (tent camped in a friend's backyard and then lived in a travel trailer in a couple of campgrounds/low rent trailer parks). Counting everywhere we lived more than 4ish months, I count 12 places from birth - age 18. I had one house before I was married. DH does not like to move; we've had three places. So 16 total, although I am almost sure I am missing at least a couple of places from my childhood. Every place has been within the same county. I did not count school dorms or apartments)

 

 

[catz]

Well if you count short college related jaunts, many times.  I also moved several times as a single young adult living alone.  15+.   But I've been in the same place for the past 16+ years.  

[TheReader]

Oh my gosh. So.Very.Many. 

Before being married -- 
apartment from birth to age 2
house from age 2 to 4th grade
apartment for 6 months of 5th grade
house for 5th/6th grade
different house for 7th/8th grade
different house for 8th/10th-ish grade
different house for 10th/11th grade
different house for 12th grade/while "home" from college (I won't count college dorms as "moving")

So, from birth to college: 7 moves/8 different homes

DH and I married shortly after my graduation from college, and our moves are as follows:
garage apartment for 1 yr
married student housing for 1 yr
2-bedroom apartment for I think 18 months-ish
3 bedroom apartment for 3-ish years
rental house for 6 months
1st house we bought, for about a year-ish
rental house for about 3-ish years
moved to Brazil; hotel for 1 month, apartment for 2-ish/3-ish years
rental house in Brazil for a year
other rental house in Brazil for the rest of the time there (2-ish years?)
moved back to US; lived in a relative's vacant-but-furnished home for 6-ish  months
moved into our current house (2nd house we've owned) approx. 6 yrs ago

So, from college to now: 11 moves (not counting the hotel)/12 homes (not counting the hotel)

So....all total....18 moves in (almost) 45 yrs.......we are hopeful this house will be our "forever" house (it has beaten the record for "longest time in one house" by nearly double, if counting only the places DH/I have lived as a couple....)(heck, even going through my childhood, the longest I've lived in one spot was the age 2 to age 10/4th grade house.....)

If we add in college dorms: freshman dorm, sophomore dorm, junior dorm A, junior dorm B, senior dorm -- 4 more moves/5 more "homes", but as those are temp/not full "moves" really, I didn't count them

Edited September 17, 2020 by TheReader

[Scarlett]

I just counted 28 times from the time my memory begins which is when I was 4 1/2 and my brother was born.  I bet there was another half dozen at least before then.

[Selkie]

Once as a child

A couple times during college (dorm, apartment)

Five times as young newlyweds

Then we moved here and have been here for 23 years

So 9 times.

[Loowit]

When I was born my parents lived in two rentals before buying a home right after my 3rd birthday.  I lived there until I got married.  DH and I have had two apartments and one rental house before buying our first home.  We lived there for almost 15 years, and just moved to a new home two years ago.  We plan to sell this house eventually for a smaller one, but I hate moving so the next one will hopefully be the final move.  So I guess added up it would be 8 times.  All of the moves have been pretty much in the same geographical area.  I live 20 miles from where I grew up and DH lives about 5 miles from where he grew up.

I don't really count living in a college dorm, which I did twice.

[rebcoola]

I think pretty little while I've had a couple of houses or apartments in each place I've only lived in 4 cities.   Plus some temp housing buy work so 10 total moves

 

[Pawz4me]

Five times

[Ellie]

We moved about every two years when I was growing up (long story). I went to four elementary schools (plus a couple of moves before I was school age), three junior highs, four high schools, in four states.

Three times during my first marriage.

Twice as a single.

Three times the first three years in my second marriage; then we bought a house, 10 mos there; 8 years in the second house; 17 years in the third house; here since 2004.

[fairfarmhand]

Thirteen

Four since I was married.

Nine in my family of origin. From short local moves to interstate moves, my pastor dad dragged us all over the Southeast.

I want to be buried here on the farm. They can carry me out feet first. I was so over moving when I got married. We rented a few places and the first place we bought is where we stayed. Here we are 19 years later. No plans to leave.

[maize]

Somewhere between 25 and 40 depending on how long a residence has to be to count as a move. If I live in one place for a month and have no other residence during that time (i.e. in a new state and in a temporary rental while looking for a more permanent home) is that a move? 

[maize]

I do count my college apartments as moves, I had no other home when I was in college--my parents were not even in the same country and didn't keep a room for me or anything at home.

[freesia]

In my childhood I moved twice--once at 6 months, once at 6 years.

Adulthood--oh, my!--I  will just count college as one, then I was abroad my junior year.

After college-family home, 2 group houses, studio apartment, then overseas fr 3 years.

After overseas--one apartment until I got married and moved to Canada with dh for grad school.

In Canada--2 basement apartments, one rental house, one bought townhouse.

Back in the states--with MIL, then our present house where we have been for 12 years.

So, grand total:16 times.

I think I was better off not counting. LOL

[HS Mom in NC]

I'm 47.

Total: 6
In the east Valley of PHX: 5

In childhood home: 20 years
In 1st marital home where oldest was born: 3 years
In in-laws home while new house was being built: 4 months
In home where middle was born: 5 years
In home where youngest came to us: 14 years
In transition rental home before the big move: 3 years

In the greater RDU area: 1

Dream(ish) home where we live now: 2 years

[TheReader]

3 minutes ago, maize said:

Somewhere between 25 and 40 depending on how long a residence has to be to count as a move. If I live in one place for a month and have no other residence during that time (i.e. in a new state and in a temporary rental while looking for a more permanent home) is that a move? 

See, I would count the hotel/temp rental. I like your definition "if I had no other residence during that time". 

1 minute ago, maize said:

I do count my college apartments as moves, I had no other home when I was in college--my parents were not even in the same country and didn't keep a room for me or anything at home.

...and so going with the above definition, for you, those count, for me, they wouldn't. That makes sense. (well, my mom didn't keep a room for me, but did erect a temp wall in the dining room and a curtain, as my stepbrother moved into my actual room, but still....I did have a bed there and someplace to stay on college breaks)

Based on the same reasoning, I also won't count the apartment/church in NYC where I spent a summer doing church work during college; my "home" was still back with my mom. 

[Spryte]

I stopped counting.  I think the last house was 36, so this must be the 37th address?

Military family growing up.  Then I moved houses and apartments a lot during college and young adulthood. But only 2 homes in the last 20 years.  
 

Addresses span up and down the east coast and the SW.

[Lecka]

Ten times to a totally different location.

Twelve times including moving within the same town.  

[Jentrovert]

Five times.

[sassenach]

16. Twelve were in our first 11 years of marriage. 

[Innisfree]

Three times? (not counting college dorms)

Childhood home

Post-college apartment

First house

Current house

[Kareni]

Quite a few!

I attended fifteen schools between kindergarten and twelfth grades so that probably meant an equal number of moves. I'll guess four moves prior to my school years.

College was the first time I'd spent four years in one location (but two dorms).

In graduate school, I lived first in the graduate center and then in an apartment.

First fifteen years of marriage, four addresses in one city.

Since then, one location.

So, a conservative guess is 28 moves.

Regards,

Kareni

[mommyoffive]

I think my lived in apartment when I was born.  Then we moved to a town house when I was young. 

Lived there until I went to college and lived in dorms.  

Came home after college. 

Dh and I married moved to a 2 month rental. 

Then to an apartment for a little over a year.

Then to our current home.

[sgo95]

25 moves: 5 in childhood, 20 in adulthood

[SKL]

1. Age 1, my folks moved from a tiny house to a small house.
2. Age 12, my folks moved from small house to bigger house.
3. Age 21, moved to campus for grad school.  (Does this count?)
4. Age 23, moved from campus to tiny apartment (near campus / still a student).
5. Age 25, moved from tiny apartment to regular apartment.
6. Age 28, moved from apartment to house.  Still here 25+ years later.

Edited September 17, 2020 by SKL

[sweet2ndchance]

5 moves from birth to 18yo, three of those were moving from one state to another.

First marriage: moved to 5 different houses at his first duty station in 4 years (long story)

Moved overseas, lived on one house the entire 4 years we were overseas

Moved back to the states, lived with FIL temporarily (like 6 mos I think) before getting our own house.

Moved to another state and divorced, the children and I stayed in the marital home

Second marriage: lived in the same house for another year then moved to a temporary house before moving into this house.

Temporarily moved to a city 2 hours away while I was finishing my degree then moved back to this house.

I think all total that's 15 moves across 6 states and 2 continents.

[Lawyer&Mom]

19.  I thought it would be higher. I’m sure I’m forgetting somewhere. 

[Carrie12345]

My parents bought my childhood home when I was a year old, and sold it when I was 23.

I’m not sure what other people count as “moving”, but I lived in two different dorm rooms and a private apartment as an older teen, then back home for a bit.

Had an apartment with ds’s father for about a year and a half, then back home for a bit, again.

Dh and I were in one apartment for about two years, another apartment for about two years, and have been in our house for 15 years.

I’m not sure how many times that means. 4? 10? Maybe something in between?

[Carrie12345]

Adding, two of my kids have never moved. My daughters don’t remember moving. My oldest has had 5 homes with me but doesn’t remember most of them and at least 7 homes with his father and probably remembers more than half of them.

[katilac]

6 without counting college dorm

 

[MEmama]

Two as a child, same state.

Two for college, same state.

8 states and provinces as an adult (many moves within some of those, like different apartments, houses, etc).

 

[DawnM]

Oh gracious, not even sure I can count.   I will measure in different states and countries rather than local moves, even if they are to different areas of the same location.

These are the big ones

Born in Michigan

Moved to Kenya at 9 months old

Moved to Indiana at 7 years old

Moved back to Kenya at 8

Moved back to Indiana at 12

Moved to Liberia at 13

Moved back to Kenya at 14

Moved to Washington at 18

Moved to California at 22

Moved to North Carolina at 40

 

Within those areas, I had several smaller moves, and there were some 6 month moves in there as well that I am not even bothering with.   

[Lori D.]

Not a lot of moves here, either.

I have always have lived in the same city, and have lived in a total of 7 different houses -- 3 of which were room renting situations when I was a young adult going to the university (in my home town) and had moved out of my parents' home.

Edited September 17, 2020 by Lori D.

[Junie]

4 childhood homes plus one temporary home while a house was being built, so 5 locations (4 moves) as a minor.

Not including college dorms.

Off-campus apartment for last 3 years of college.

Townhouse and then a carriage house before marriage.

Apartment and then two houses while married.

So, 10 moves total.

 

[MrsMommy]

Six, not including college moves.

Once as a child (I barely remember it), and five times as an adult.

[Terabith]

Not counting college, 8 times.  

[RootAnn]

Not many. Not counting college, 5.

I don't remember our first childhood house that we moved from when I was 3. Lived in the same house until college. Post college, I've lived in 3 states, 3 houses. This is the longest I've ever lived anywhere- 17 years. And I'm ready to move but no one else in my family is. So here I stay.

[Kidlit]

Six times, not counting the two times in childhood that we moved back into the home we owned in our home state after my dad was transferred out of state for work.  (We always came back home, and I now live with my family in the city I moved to with my family of origin to when I was 3.)

[Laura Corin]

I think it's  22 times. Three continents, six countries.

[mom2scouts]

I think only 6 for my entire life and only in three different communities within 50 miles of each other. When I was very young, I moved to another house from a rural part of a community to a house in town. When my parents divorced, we moved to a duplex in another city for a couple of years and then to a house in the same area. We stayed there through high school. I got married in college and we lived in a small apartment for the first several months and then moved to a house in the same city. We stayed there 13 years and then moved within that same city to this house where we've lived for 22 years.

I have friends who've moved 19 times in the 45 years they've been married. I can't even imagine moving that often.

Like Carrie, some of my kids have never moved in their life. One of those kids wants to join the military, so I guess he'll get his share of moving.

[regentrude]

What counts as a move? If I move to another country for two years and then back to the apt that I kept, is that two moves? What if it's one year?
 

[Mom23Boys]

19, not counting the dorm in college

 

I lived in 11 houses before I was 9  
 

I’ve only lived in 3 different cities though: 

my current one ~ 39 of my 41 years

2 others ~ one year each 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Mom23Boys
Typo

[WendyLady]

Too many!

12 different big moves to different states and 4 smaller college or cross-town moves. 

I think we will move again next summer.

I moved just one time in my childhood but my husband is in the military and our kids have moved too many times...

[Annie G]

1. Sacramento, CA home I lived in from birth to age three

2. Ledyard, CT home from age three until I turned 7. 
3. Apartment in Marietta, Ga until I turned 18

4. Lived in the house my parents bought for a year until I got married.

5. First apartment

6. second apartment

7. Rental house

8. First house I bought as married person

9. Rental house in IL when dh took a new job

10. Dh took a different job and we moved to northern IL, where we lived for 25 years.

11. Current house, in Georgia, where we moved after dh retired. 

[Sneezyone]

I've moved 13 times to eight states and one foreign country. Nine of those were military-related. That doesn't count  moves within the same community distance.

Edited September 17, 2020 by Sneezyone

[Farrar]

12 in all, including college as a single move. Including the year I lived abroad and then came back to the same place. Not including the summer I lived in Seattle during college.

I've been in the same house for 20 years. Just watching it appreciate.

[Arctic Bunny]

16, 12 of them with DH.

[Twigs]

8 moves:

1st home

2nd home

1st apartment

1st home

2nd apartment

1st home

3rd apartment

1st home

3rd home

[klmama]

19 moves, all before having the dc.  I expect to have a few more moves once we retire.