The Rewards of Moving

This river, the Nenana river, is located immediately adjacent to Denali National Park and Preserve and passes by the McKinley Village where the Host had an overnight stay. The river is glacier fed. There was a sign saying that a Grizzly bear had recently been seen immediately by this property. Beautiful and dangerous.

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Following is an article by Ann Cabot, author of the book, Choose to Move, Stories, Advice and Humor for Living Elsewhere. Ann Cabot will tell her traveling stories and provide some prelimary advice on the October 12, 2005 Keeping Kurrent show. You can find out more about her book and how to order from New Arts Publishing.

Ann Cabot

"Did you realize that moving has its own set of rewards? These include life changing experiences, strengthened personal abilities and just plain more fun added to your life. Let's look at some rewards a little closer.

Reward 1: Knowing What Really Matters

A major change, like moving to a new town, usually results in getting clear about what is important. Moving makes demands on your time, money, and energy and forces choices for these resources. When deciding between one job and another, or between one living arrangement and another, you become aware of what is important to you in these areas. From this awareness, your interests, your future goals, your standard of living, and your relationships are prioritized. This is the clarity needed to live your life with intention and focus.

Reward 2: Growing Life Skills

Because moving is about surviving and thriving in an unfamiliar landscape, it is an opportunity to develop more life skills. Moving gives you opportunities to make decisions and experience the results. This process produces a set of skills that will stay with you in later endeavors. For example, it will be necessary to keep yourself safe. What actions will you take? You will also need to find a qualified doctor and a skilled mechanic. How will you find them? You will have to stay healthy. Will you exercise and watch your diet? These are life skills. Finding positive, supportive friends is a life skill, too. All these skills plus others will be used and strengthened when you move. If you didn't know how to do these things before you moved, you will certainly learn how after you move! And once mastered, these skills will always be yours, to create the life you want over and over again.

Reward 3: Gaining Self-Confidence

One day at a time is a simple and effective motto for dealing with the doubts that arise during a move. Small successes begin to occur and you congratulate yourself with each one. You will also begin to believe in your ability to succeed in this new setting. As successes increase, so will your self-confidence. If you succeed long enough, you will know in your heart that you certainly can do whatever is required for this move to be a victory. One of my biggest fears was that I wouldn't be able to move myself from place to place. When I learned to drive a U-Haul truck, all those feelings changed. I can tell you, nothing is faster at raising self-confidence than getting behind the wheel of a large, powerful vehicle loaded with all your earthly possessions. There I was, a powerful, self-confident house-carrying turtle!

Reward 4: Improved Health

Improved Health can also be a reward of moving. If you make an effort to maintain good health with exercise, nutritious food, and rest, you will be rewarded. If you stay active by exploring your new hometown on foot rather than by car, your health will benefit as well. In a new place, maintaining your health may actually be fun. New recreational facilities or the availability of new sports will give you options for activities. In Denver, scenic hiking trails wind through the mountains. In Austin, miles and miles of bike trails exist within the city limits. I enjoyed them all. Moving also promotes better health because it motivates you to be a healthier person for your new adventure. You may want to look more attractive or be more active. You will be motivated to show up at your best!

Reward 5: Gaining a New Awareness of Society and Culture

Each place will also have its own unique political and ethnical perspectives. The reasons why people vote in Florida are very different from the reasons they vote in Alaska. And what they vote for is very different too. In Florida, you might vote to lower the amount of property tax; in Alaska, you might vote to legalize marijuana. In Portland, you can get signatures on a petition and have anything you want voted on. Well, almost. Some areas will be Republican, some will be primarily Democratic. After living in a variety of places, with political, economical, and philosophical differences, you will begin to appreciate just how varied the quilt of our country is.

Reward 6: Increasing Financial Prosperity

The Universe smiles on movers. Prosperity on all fronts appears to increase as you move. Moving offers the opportunity to increase your wealth, and your lifestyle options. Through moving you learn to make smarter choices, and these smarter choices will lead to increased prosperity on all fronts. This may come gradually, but it has been my experience that it does come. Moving can introduce you to new opportunities to make money. You can take advantage of new jobs in your new location. And if you are willing to relocate several times, you may have many favorable job choices.

Reward 7: Opportunities for New Experiences

Moving provides many opportunities for enjoying new experiences. In every town there are ways to try new sports, learn new skills, make new crafts, and explore new locations. It just takes a little courage to go beyond your comfort level and try a new activity. When you do, you may discover a new hobby or a breathtaking view. A country farm may surprise you with the plumpest strawberries. When you find these treasures, you may have found lifelong favorites to enjoy again and again. Truth is, they are everywhere. But in your familiar home environment where you are settled into routines and your circle of friends, you may not search out these new experiences.

Reward 8: Gaining New Friends and Family

In your new town, there will be opportunities to make new friends and enjoy stimulating activities with them. You will meet people who have the same interests as you do, as well as people who have interests you have never considered. Some of these people may become friends. You may create adventures with them, learn from them, and share daily routines. I always moved for the scenery of a place. But what I got in addition were incredible people who became my friends, hosts, and colleagues. Today many of these people are still in my life even though I have moved away from the towns where we first met.

Reward 9: Anonymity

Not many people know you when you first arrive in town. Therefore, moving can be an opportunity to re-create yourself. You can change the way you dress, style your hair differently, get a body piercing, or change your political views-you can change almost everything about appearance! The changes are all in good fun and all a way to explore more of your potential. Anonymity can provide a safe space for these changes. You can be a beginner at a new sport or craft and enjoy learning at your own pace. You could try your hand at golf or rock climbing while you are a newcomer and do it just for fun. No one who knows you will be watching. What fun to try without inhibition!

Reward 10: Expanding Your Dreams

The moving process can lift your sights beyond the tedium of the current moment to see tomorrow with its potential for success. This longer view may come because you are open to new possibilities. It is no longer a far stretch to see the future and your dreams coming true. You can see yourself taking the African safari or writing a best-selling novel. You can imagine becoming a top executive at your company or even starting your own business. These visions are a reward of moving. Once you are uprooted, there is no limit to the dreams you can imagine and attain! This reward can also get you into serious trouble. New dreams can also lead to more exploring!

Reward 11: Contentment

Somewhere in the moving process a sense of contentment begins to surface. I'm not sure if it's contentment to be where you are, or contentment to be who you are. I suspect it's the latter. Whichever it is, it is a feeling that all is right with the world, and all is right with you. It is a peaceful feeling that comes after struggles for companionship, amusement, or a sense of belonging. It seems to come from the willingness to do your best and be satisfied with the outcome.

Each time I have moved, these rewards have gotten stronger. I trust the world more because I trust myself more. I carry my home and my peace with me, like a snail with its shell. Wherever I am is my home and the people I meet are my friends. Whatever art, or decorations, or clothes I buy are just icing on the cake of having a sense of home and family wherever in the world I choose to go.

There is peace in being older.
It comes from trying 100 things
And throwing out 98,
Then trying 100 more Until you've distilled your life down
To pure pleasure.