It’s that time again, when the draft order comes through, and you find out where you are going to be moving to. At the start of this process, it is just a place you are being sent to, just a house, new environment and local town. This place you are going holds no meaning other than the name you call it and the opportunities potentially ahead.

When it comes time to select housing accommodation you do your best to select the best one; one which will accommodate the whole family as well as be in a prime location. You do all the planning for the move, setting marching in and out dates, booking removals, and making the required arrangements which accompany a family move. This is not the first time you have moved; you know what you are doing and how quickly you adapt however, what always seems to creep in is how much you are going to miss the current place.

The current place, was once just a place but then you immerse yourself, making friends and developing an everyday life. You have your routine, your go to’s and your support network which has evolved over the time you spent there. This place, which was once just a place, now holds your memories, a chapter in your life’s story. It holds the people and places you now have to say goodbye to. One may consider this part of the move worse than the packing and unpacking, having to navigate not only your emotions but the emotions of others.

Upon reflection of this process, one is reminded how emotionally straining it can be to move away. Although the current place was never home, it does begin to feel like it as life progresses. You can remember when the current place was just a name, holding no meaning but reminisce on all the good memories it now holds. In a way it can feel like you are having to say goodbye to your memories and the opportunity of creating more in the current place. Having to close a chapter of your family’s story, sometimes not actually being ready for that chapter to end, especially when you are unsure of what the next chapter will hold.

All of this can be overwhelming however, you go through the process anyways hopeful for what is ahead. You are unattached to the new place and go about your life creating new routines, finding favourite places, and developing new relationships. Over time the place which was just a place suddenly becomes like the last place.