Cactusnel's Profile

I was an Air Force brat too! And I also spent time in England! My dad was an exchange officer with the RAF though, so we ended up living in a small English village for three and a half years instead of on an actual base (although technically we were stationed out of RAF Fairford). To be honest, the move to England was much easier than the move back. I was nine when we moved from Ogden, UT (where I was a minority of the non-Mormon variety) to Thornbury, a small village near Bristol. The move back to the US (to Tucson, AZ to be specific), when I was thirteen and in between 7th and 8th grade was much worse. I missed my friends, I stood out like a sore thumb at my new school, and was way behind in the one subject I had always excelled in (math). However, I eventually found an amazing group of friends who I remain in touch with to this day.

If I could any advice to any parents preparing their own children for a move, it would be to realize that the ramifications of a major move extend far beyond the 3-4 month "moving period". In retrospect, I think #6 might be the best piece of advice on the list. As close as I always was with my parents, as a "good" kid I was often to reserved and "responsible" to vocalize the way I really felt about all of the moving. Plus, I'm a firm believer that every teenager, even the really together ones, could use a session or two with a therapist from time to time.