Have you ever wondered what it’s like to travel around the world, never really knowing one home. Well, Sienna has moved seven times from places like Oakland Hills, California to London, England. Growing up in India she moved when she was young, never living in a place for more than 3 years. Now she lives in Seattle and coming up on 4. Sienna has had great experiences and made new memories in every place she has been to, and I asked her some questions about them.
First, I asked Sienna what her favorite place she has moved to is, and she said it was Lafayette, California.
“Lafyette was a simple life, with no chaos.”
She said she likes the small-town life because it’s calm and very peaceful. Sienna moved there in March 2019 and left November 2023. Before Seattle, Lafayette was the longest please she had lived in, and she started to feel like it was her home. I asked if it was hard to move from place to place and she explained:
“Yes, it was. Having to start a new life and saying goodbye to what I knew for the last 3 years.”
Living there for the last 3 years she got comfortable and made new friends. She said it was difficult to leave the sun, and the food, and most importantly her friends. Sienna had finally settled down, so it was very difficult for her to move and make new friends in a whole new city.
The last question I asked her was the most interesting place she has moved to:
“London, because it was out of country and a different experience that most people in the U.S. have never done.”
Less than 1% of people in the U.S. have actually lived in Europe or even internationally. Living outside of the U.S. full time is a big opportunity for her like Sienna said. Even though she has moved all around the world she still has close friends and makes new memories on the way. Distance never fades the bonds she forms along the way. After, I asked an expert about the topic, Dr. Fisher. She said:
“Kids who move a lot tend to be more extroverted. “
Kids who move to new schools often are used to having to make new friends and connections. They know they have to “start over” so they try to make many friends. But an upside to moving a lot is that kids gain a lot more skills like, resilience, self-confidence, and mostly social skills.
In the end, Sienna’s journey shows the strength required to keep moving. While the constant cycle of packing and “starting over” brings the challenge of leaving behind comfort and friends; it has also showed her an international perspective and how to be resilient. As she approaches a milestone, fourth year in Seattle, her story serves as a reminder that “home” isn’t always a permanent place, but a collection of different memories and making new friendships across the globe.
