From Place to Place

Written by Spencer Frank

A young girl looks out the window of her parents’ car as she watches the familiar scenery zoom past, knowing it may very well be the last time she sees it. This is a scene that freshman Olivia George knows all too well.

“12, nine, I don’t know,” George said as she tried to remember how many times she had moved during her life. She’s seen it all-from the rolling plains of Nebraska to the metropolitan cityscape of Las Vegas. Her most recent move was this December, when she moved from Las Vegas to Prairie Village with her father, mother and younger brother. Her whole family was sad to leave their home, but they had no choice in the matter- her father’s job demanded it. He is an electrician who is forced to stay on the move to work on large projects.

“We were all sad to leave our family and friends in Las Vegas,” George said. “That was my favorite place.”

George lived in Las Vegas for four years. She had gone to school at Green Valley High school, and her best friends were her classmates Alyssa and Shelby. Despite the fact that they are now separated by countless miles, they still stay in touch.

“We Skype every other day and call each other,” George said. “They’re coming to visit in June.”

Of all the people that George had to leave behind, she misses her old neighbors Sue and Eric the most.

“They were like aunt and uncle to us. They took care of us while our parents worked,” George said.

She has many fond memories of spending time with them and swimming in their pool every day after school.

Leaving behind everything you know is never easy, even for someone like George, who has experienced it so many times.

George was born in Nebraska, and experienced her first move when she was four years old.

“I didn’t really know what ‘moving’ meant,” George said.
She does not remember much of that first move, but she does remember that it was a sad event.

Because of her family’s inability to stay in one place for too long, George has learned to make friends fast. She wasted no time fitting in to East. She jumped right in. She joined the swim team, hosted parties and made plenty of friends. However, George may have to leave it all behind once more.

Her family is considering moving to San Francisco before the next school year starts, again because of her father’s job. She is horrified at the thought of moving another time, and hopes that she will never have to again.