Relocation - Charleston
Relocation? So, basically a vacation.
Incorrect, to a degree. I’ll let you be the judge.
During my Master’s year, I had the opportunity to be a nanny for a very special family. The third time I was asked to come over was to watch the children while the mom packed the kids for their “relocation.” This was not their first, and it surely would not be their last.
The Johnsons (this is not their real name, but it feels better than “The Family,” so we’re going to stick with this) were relocating to London. Two kids (both under the age of 5), a husband, and a wife. London. One whole month. I was impressed, but more than impressed, I was inspired.
To remind you, I come from an area where my family and those around me vacation (Spring Break, Summer Vacation, Christmas Trips, etc.). However, no one ever just picked up their entire family, listed their home on AirBnB, and left for a month at a time. I understand this is not the norm, but I now wanted that to be my norm. At that moment, standing in the kitchen with Mrs. Johnson, I decided I was going to figure out a way to do the same (obviously, I cannot financially leave for an entire month at a time). I asked Mrs. Johnson, “Why?” She told me that before the kids were in school and bound by their schedules, they wanted them to experience as much as they could, a vital part of development. Mrs. Johnson also loved to travel, and when she got married, she didn’t want to compromise that ability when kids came along. I thought to myself, I don’t have kids and I have the option to work remote so what is really stopping me?
I have visited many countries before I started my college career. To name a few: Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Croatia. I understand this may not be what everyone desires or is able to achieve, but I am so thankful for all the things each of these countries taught me. I only have six cousins, and I’ve met them twice in my life. We had so much to talk about when we first met, but no way of actually communicating. I knew little to no Spanish, and they knew not a lick of English. Cuba taught me how important a second language is, not just to communicate with family, but to feel approachable to others. Jamaica taught me the value of lines on the road to differentiate which side of the road to drive on. The Czech Republic taught me how much we, as Americans, truly waste food. All of these things and more from the many places I’ve traveled to have made me reflect on the value that other “worlds” can teach us. The best part? It doesn’t have to be on a global scale.
It wasn’t even two hours before I was telling Caleb (my boyfriend) that I wanted to relocate somewhere. He looked at me funny (likely because this was just another reason to spend money), but he was willing to listen. So, we tossed around the names of a few locations. Other places we considered were Seattle, Belize, and St. Thomas USVI, before deciding on Charleston. This wasn’t just a regular vacation, however; there were rules that made this a relocation.
The rules to our relocation were:
8 days minimum
Over half of the meals have to be home-cooked
Participate in routines you normally would when in Austin
WORK (the main reason this is not considered a vacation)
The idea is to make the relocation feel like home while also experiencing what it would be like to live in a different place without breaking your everyday routine or sacrificing your job.
WE ARE BACK (from my busy season)! 8 DAYS! NEW CONTENT!
