Life of a Nomad...

Life of families in defence (Army, Navy, Air Force etc) is almost like nomads. You got to be ready for move every few years. Life is all about adapting to things and interestingly going places. It included...

1. Homes are set up with an understanding that they are temporary.
2. Friends are made with the same thought. After initial few months of being in touch all that remains is memories and photographs of family picnics and other such events.
   
3. Furniture has to be foldable or easy to dismantle. The lighter the better.
   
4. Each house will have a set of huge boxes to pack off the stuff. 
   
5. Packers and movers were not famous some 10 years back, so it was family and friends who used to collectively work on the packing OR call some local men for help.
   
6. The kids are engaged in writing the "TO:..." & "FROM:..." addresses on the boxes with paint.
   
7. The packed and neatly labled boxes are then locked and some red material was melted and dropped on it to seal it. They after all contained stuff that is so dear to the family and needs to be moved to the next place for setting the home again.
8. Annual trip to native place is a ritual followed strictly. For any summer holidays, if you plan to stay back for any reason (board exam prep was one of them), you will HATE the campus (term used for residential area) for it looks totally dry and deserted.
   
9. Kids are admitted into KV's or schools meant particularly for the kids of transferrable job holders.
10. Moms would either be housewifes or work as teacher/doctor in defence and promise themselves that they wont ever marry their daughters to someone from defence as they after a certain time get fedup of this pack n move culture (say one move every 3 years or so).

Now my mom was no different. And lucky she thought herself to be because both of her daughters married non-defence professionals. Little did she know then that life outside could be worse in that aspect. I mean in terms of not being able to stay at one place for your life.

So, while this younger daughter of hers left mumbai to step into married life in Bangalore, in the span of 2 years she has moved to more places than she did all her life, well almost.. One, because they as a couple are on the move career wise(moving within the same org as well as relocating outside) and Two coz they cant sit at one place ever- be it weekends, public holidays or those annual leaves. Her worry is out of the former.

3 cities, 2 countries and 6 houses in just 2 years (this excludes the locations travelled for leisure)!! My mom is trying to calm herself down somehow :) and she probably now realizes how blessed she was.

PS: I actually wanted to write about our current house-hunt but somehow ended up giving the context in this post. Its lovely weather outside inspite of it being mid April in Dubai so I gonna step out for a nice evening walk before writing further.. Lemme also think in the meantime if I am happy or sad about it ;), incase you havn't guessed it already.