10 Reasons to Live in Different Places

I love living in different places.
There are lots of sayings about how running away doesn't change you. I found this one.
"Moving doesn’t change who you are. It only changes the view outside your window." - Rachel Hollis

But I prefer this one..

"If you find yourself in the wrong story.... Leave" - Mo Williams.

Moving is amazing. It has always changed so much for me. I have moved a lot in my life.
3 times as a child because I had to.
More than 10 as an adult because I wanted to.

1. You Release All of the Happy Chemicals on a daily basis.

Dopamine- If you are living somewhere new, you are always trying new thing.

Oxytocin- Living somewhere new it is hard to make new friends. However, every new friend you make is huge. A big rush of Oxytocin. When I am in a place too long I become complacent. I don't try to meet new people. When I am somewhere new I always try a little bit harder.

Serotonin- I don't know about you but when I live somewhere new I love to go outside and discover where I am. I do this more in a new place than in one I have lived in for a while. I get more exercise and sunshine.

Endorphins- Laughter can be a source of Endorphins. When I feel embarrassed I laugh a lot. My mom warns people that I am the giggler when they try to sit next to me. I am embarrassed more when I am around new people. I tend to be a little awkward until you get to know me.

2. You Learn about the World

I have moved 1,000's of miles away and I have also moved 2 miles away. No matter how far I have moved I have learned something new about the world and my surroundings. My last apartment I lived near a bunch of Asian restaurants. Who knew that a ton of Asian families lived in Michigan? I did not. I moved 2 miles away. I now live in a suburb where people have lived all their lives. It's a different vibe.

I lived in Bloomfield Hills, a place where the car company executives live and play and then I moved to Sanbon, South Korea, a place where almost everyone lives in apartments less than 1000 sq ft. A family of 4 lives in an 800 sq ft apartment. It's amazing.

3. When you stay in one place you only know how the world works from that one perspective.

I always think about this. If I met and married a guy I met in High School and lived in Bloomfield Hills my whole life. I would only see the world through that lens. The lens of being dependent on the car industry, the lens of perfectly manicured parks and valet parking, cars not older than 10 years and plastic surgery.

I would never have seen South Korea where kids are in school from 8 am to 9pm. 3rd graders skipping home at 9pm to study for 3 more hours. Kids not dependent on Adderall to study for those 3 more hours.

I want to live in Europe now and then Africa...South America.

4. You Interact with totally different people with totally different mindsets

My house mate and I can barely pay our bills on a teacher salary. We had to move in together to have a life. In South Korea in order to leave your parents home you need to put a $10k deposit on an apartment and then pay monthly rent. In Bloomfield Hills, a lot of parents buy you your first house.

I don't know why I am so focused on money but money is a thing.

I also have friends in Korea who LOVE Kpop. I don't. I have friends from Canada who think the USA is ridiculous. I am pretty sure that most of the workers I encountered on the phi phi islands in Thailand just hate westerners. I learned from a Korean friend that in laws cause so much stress in Korea that it's hard to conceive children there.

I want to know what Germans think of the world. I am going to see how Scandinavians view the world this August.

5. You get to try new foods.

Sure you can try new foods anywhere. Living in a new place pushes you to try new restaurants. Tubby's Sandwiches are in walking distance of my new place. Jersey Mike's was in walking distance of my old place.

6. You are constantly challenged to be outside of your comfort zone.

There is no comfort zone. I have come to really enjoy not being inside my comfort zone. Going into a new environment anywhere is a little awkward at first. Every store has it's different vibe. I go to Value Center Marketplace at my new apartment. I can walk there. I walked to Meijer at my old place. The selection is soo different. There takes an adjustment period.

7. You are less affected by the news

I have lived in a few different places while a few different world events were happening. I was in South Korea when Trump visited with North Korea. I was also there when they booted their president. I stood on the sidewalk and watched the protests. I was at MSU when students got pepper sprayed for partying just a little too much. I was in Bali while the news was reporting that the volcano was going to wipe out the island. The news means nothing to me. There is nothing about it that I trust.

8. You are exposed to new music.

Every place I have lived I have been exposed to new music. Every country and in every county. It expands me.

9. You become more open minded.

My friend and I tried to walk into a jim jil bang fully clothed. Nope. You need to butt naked. You just need to bare it all. It was hard for a sheltered girl from a conservative up bringing. I then spent the next 3 years going once a month. I have never seen so many different body shapes before. I have never seen so many people comfortable in their own skin.

10. You know yourself better

Living in different places I have figured out who I am. I have opened myself up to exploring and being ok with who I am. I wish everyone would live everywhere.

Katie