Getting Real with Kira Hazledine

Let me start by saying I am very committed to my family. I am happily married to my husband, and plan to be for many years, and I am thrilled with my position as a mom to one little girl and soon-to-arrive little boy. I am committed to family and friends, and anything that I dedicate my time to.

I am NOT committed to places.

It’s expected of my husband and I to eventually settle down, buy a home, and let our kids grow up in the same neighborhood and attend the same school as all their friends. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?

But ew.

What if I want to, I don’t know, move? Like, to a brand-new place?

“But think of the children!”

Yeah, I don’t think moving to a new place is going to scar my children for life. They’ll be alright. Between my husband and myself, my kids will have all the stability they need. So, no, I don’t consider home buying a necessity.

I consider home buying a restriction to my adventures.

Even my husband will bring up wanting to buy a house someday. Even just stay settled for ten or so years, let the kids finish school and get their lives figured out. And I do understand that rationale, truly. But EWWWWW.

Even the thought of staying in the same place for five years drives me insane. I’ve been in one place now for about three and I’m so very tired of it. I crave somewhere new, and this is likely because I grew up moving all the time. Sure, I cried leaving friends sometimes, but I did get over it. There were always new friends, and I’m thrilled to have been in so many places. It encourages less ignorance and I think makes people well-rounded individuals. A new perspective never hurt anybody.

I can take my family anywhere, and honestly, technology has made it so we can keep relationships regardless of distance. Good friendships won’t fade if we’re no longer neighbors. And kids are resilient. They don’t need a home that I’ve bought and paid for. They need a space where they are loved and cared for, and they’ll always have that.

Perhaps my husband will talk me into home buying someday, but I can’t make promises we won’t sell after the kids are settled. My husband has also promised lots of trips to beaches and exotic lands in exchange for home buying, so that better be a real thing. Or maybe I can talk him into renting and then still take all those vacations. Settling in one place just sounds so blah.

I have commitment issues when it comes to places, and I probably always will. There’s nothing wrong with a little adventure, and I’d rather invest in new experiences than a stationary piece of property. Sure, there are benefits to owning your own home, but is it worth sacrificing the ability to pack and leave everything behind? I don’t think so.