Need a Few Solid Reasons to Move? Here’s How Moving Can Enrich Your Life.

Discover the beauty of moving with our carefully selected list of engaging reasons to move and dive into a new life.

Moving is a huge step. And it takes quite some time, research and thinking until you’re actually able to say yes, I’m doing this.

The web is full of more or less helpful advice on this topic, including lists of up-and-coming cities to move to, websites devoted to telling you why not to move, up to online calculators which are supposed to answer the question of whether or not moving away is the right thing to do – at least from a financial point of view.

The thing is: they can offer you reasons to move, but not the actual decision to move. That one is entirely up to you.

At some point, you’ll be asked why you’re moving – and that spicy article you read about moving away is not going to be the first thing that pops into your mind.

What will?

The reasons you are passionate about. And as this is a very personal thing, there is no point in reading that ultimate list of reasons to move for everyone on this planet  over and over again. Such a one-size-fits-it-all approach won’t be in line with your very own personal values.

Have a look at our list of solid and non-materialistic reasons to move and give each of them some thought. And one – or even several of them – might be powerful enough to tell you whether you should stay or move away.

Moving could help you figure out what is important to you.

Once you determine a couple of things you think are important to you, you’ll be faced with another question: Is this something I will want 5 years from now? Or is this just what I am used to – should I actually be looking for a new experience?

The comforting thing about difficult questions like these is that everything changes constantly: whatever you choose, you’ll be able to choose differently at a different time.

So, investing some time and effort is great, but don’t exaggerate. Consider the possibility that you might enjoy experiencing a different kind of environment even more than getting exactly what you’re looking for. You never know what is supposed to become important to you.

Whatever you choose, think about it, but don’t over-elaborate. In his article from 2014, Ron Lieber mentions a woman who recommends asking the local psychologist for a quick review of the current atmosphere of the neighborhood she is thinking about moving to. Would it surprise you to know that it took her eight years to choose a place to move to?

You’ll get to know yourself better.

This one is the next step. After you’ve determined what is important to you, you’ll be able to put it into practice.

If you’ve decided that this particular reason to move is motivating enough, you’ll experience how exciting it can be to be the own architect of your life.

You’ll see your decisions coming to life – and turning into people, experiences and moving moments.

After all, moving is about a movement of all kinds, right?

Getting what you are looking for is a fair reason to move, but moving in order to give something back is even better.

We’re taught that every part of our lives needs to constantly grow and get better. We need to earn more money, get more vacation days, better clothes.

Have you tried thinking the other way around?

Being given the opportunity to live somewhere where you can contribute and be part of something that isn’t perfect yet can be tremendously fulfilling. Here, giving more is getting more!

You get the chance to decide whether you want to meet OTHER people or actually NEW people.

As mentioned before, you’ll be faced with the question whether to choose close-minded communities or people with different mindsets as your future neighbors, friends or colleagues.

To find an answer to this question, and find out whether this is the right moment to move and if it actually could enhance your life somehow, take some of these points into consideration:

• The cost of living and the housing development in this area. Being able to live better in a less expensive neighborhood is often considered the most important reason to move.
• The weather. Don’t take this too lightly. Moving from Seattle to Miami, or from Berlin to Dubai and changing the climate you live in can affect your mental and your physical health positively or negatively.
• The politic climate. Even if you don’t care about politics – are you willing to be around people who care about political issues and who debate openly and frequently about it?
• Dining and shopping options. If this matters to you, would you have the opportunity to go out with your friends and loved ones without going too far away?
• The general level of diversity.

It’s entirely up to you to decide whether to live around people whose values are very different from your own, or take a risk and give diversity a chance to give you a rich life experience.

If you do opt for living with like-minded people exclusively, keep in mind that homogeneity isn’t necessarily the same as shared values.

Here’s a tip: Take the time to get to know the place by spending some time there. Visit a less formal event in the potential neighborhood, such as yard sales. See how the people and the environment make you feel and whether that feeling would be something that could enrich your life. Your gut can give you more answers than you think!

5. By moving away, you’ll get the chance to make home a feeling, not a place.

Mo Seetubtim, author of the article 10 Reasons Why You Should Move to Another City in Your 20s listed as the 10^th reason “You start to wonder where home is”.

If wondering about where home is a reason to move in your 20s, experiencing that home doesn’t have to be connected to some kind of real estate property could be considered a reason to move in your 30s, 40s or 50s!

It’s worth a shot – because you can always move on.

Literally, moving on is always an option.

If you end up feeling bad at the place you chose to move to, you can just move on to another place. But be sure to give your new hometown a fair chance, and not to give up on it too quickly.

The important thing is to find those truly motivating and personal reasons to move, because they are what will keep you moving through this new and exciting experience.

Do you have a moving story you’d like to share with us?