I have been thinking about this topic a lot lately. I think since we may be moving in the next year or so. It is on my mind more than usual. I have been taking a look at my family. I am the last of 7 children. When you take a look at where we all have been in our lives it is interesting that 6 of us have left home at one time or another. I am surrounded everyday by people who have lived in a small town all their lives with maybe an exception of going to college in one of the bigger cities in North Dakota. Here people are very tied to the land and family businesses. I suppose that is probably true for most people wanting to remain where they know everyone and know the area. Our family seems different. We have all gone our separate ways, followed dreams or just being with our husbands.
At age 18, David and I decided to get married. He joined the Air Force and I finished high school. He was stationed here in ND. I came out to visit 2 weeks after my high school graduation and we got married at the court house here in Grand Forks. I stayed my week and returned home to plan a wedding with family and friends. We felt it was important to have our families to be a part of a special time in our lives. So after our wedding we left to move 1100 miles away from all we knew. I don't remember being very scared or unsure. It was a time of freedom and possibility. We somehow made it work. I did go to college and received my bachelor's degree in Business administration. But I don't regret living in North Dakota because I found a place where I could reinvent myself. I love living here because it is a safe and quiet place. Sometimes it was hard to be so far from family but it is worth it for the security of my children. We found a place to grow and become something together. Our marriage is better for the fact that we had to rely on each other. We weathered storms both nature and with people. But we have enjoyed our home with our transplanted roots here in ND.
In my family, all of us enjoy traveling and seeing new places. I have wondered if we are genetically disposed to wanting to travel whereas other people are genetically disposed to staying in the same area. It seems wanderlust is usually relegated to one person in a family but it seems in ours we have quite a few who have learned to enjoy the new experiences that traveling or moving to another area brings. What does this mean? I don't know but I like to think we are resilient people and strong people. A lot of this traveling is not a "Let's live a new place all the time" kind of thing. It is more of a once or many times moving because of either a job or an education opportunity. I think we have learned to embrace change because really that is all there is an assurance of is change.
As my daughter starts to look at her options for work and living places in the next few years. It will be interesting if she will move far away or stay close. I am fine with what ever she decides to do. How could I not be given that I moved far away from my family when I was much younger than she will be.
What do you think? Is it a striving to see a new place or just new possibilities? Is this what made the pioneers move to uncharted territory? New possibilities? I suppose it is always a hope of a better life for your children not matter what that might mean.
Now I live far from family so I have adapted the huge Thanksgiving meal to just us five. It took a few years but I now have a great meal and time to enjoy the family too. My Thanksgiving dinner begins with getting the turkey drunk okay....I beer brine my turkey. I found this recipe from Emeril on Good morning America in 2003. I have been making it every year since. David was skeptical the first year and now he can't eat any other turkey. This starts the day before so turkey can be ready for his debut on Thanksgiving dinner. I have modified this recipe over the years so it is similar but not quite the same. I also use a turkey cooking bag. It always comes out great with no extra work involved.
