Everyone has at least once envisioned a place on Earth where life is nearly perfect. You can see yourself in a million different scenarios soaking up the culture and joie de vivre that makes up your new locale. In contrast, when looking around at your current life, everything around seems inadequate, and worse yet, mundane.
So, you pick yourself up and head off in a new direction without any certainty that the picture you have conjured up of your life in this new place will actually meet your expectations. As you watch any one of the removalists in Sydney move your whole life into their moving vans, you become excited with the hope that this new place will welcome and embrace you. However, before setting out to carve out your new space, consider the pros and cons of moving so far from a place that is familiar to you.
Continue reading to discover both the benefits and disadvantages that go along with moving, so you can avoid the risk of uprooting to somewhere that’s not what you expected.
Advantages
The best advantage of moving to a new place is that it’s a change of scenery, and sometimes that is all it takes to feel more alive. You meet new people, have new experiences, and more importantly, new perspectives on life. Regardless of moving to a larger city or downsizing to a smaller community, change gives us the chance to grow simply because we are constantly testing our own attitudes against that of our community.
Another benefit to moving to another location is, depending on the size of the city, you can take advantage of many new opportunities. Larger cities have a number of cultural and entertainment diversions that can be learning and exciting experiences. Furthermore, larger cities present more opportunities for employment than smaller areas. Alternatively, though, smaller towns provide a safe haven for those raising families.
Finally, moving to a new location presents you with an opportunity to start anew. You have the chance to give yourself a “life makeover” as you can totally reinvent yourself in any fashion. People who find themselves in a rut or who really need to escape something, or someone, might find moving to a new place gives them a new lease on life.
Disadvantages
One of the main disadvantages of moving to a new place is that it can be quite lonely without a social network, especially when moving to a large city. If moving for a job, you’re more likely to meet people through work, but if you just move to a place without any social connections, it can be difficult to make friends. Ultimately, it takes roughly five years to become rooted in a new place unless you are especially socially adept and outgoing.
Another disadvantage is that you are far away from family. If you have to travel more than an hour to reach your closest relative and you are a close-knit family, the distance can be a stressor. While you can visit during the holidays, nothing takes the place of hanging out with the people who know you best.
Uprooting children, if moving as a family, can also be problematic. Many children make most of their friendships during their foundational years, and moving children away from cherished friends and family can be traumatic for them. However, even with the distance, parents can reduce any damage to the children by showing them how to make a concerted effort to stay in touch with old friends.
Moving On The Expectation
Moving to a new location comes with many risks. Yes, you do risk being isolated and homesick, but at the same time, you are guaranteed the chance of having new experiences. Ultimately, while the risks might not always be worth the rewards, experience is the best teacher in showing us how to succeed. You’ll never know unless you go.