by Jaydon Caudill

People move out of their hometowns all the time.

Over 35 million people in America move houses every year. However, leaving your home state is a different kind of feeling. It is more than just packing a bunch of cardboard boxes and leaving; you are leaving a place you
once knew by heart. Your hometown is a place you know by the streets, trees, and signs.

Living in a different habitat takes a while to fully know the place by heart.

Every year, at least 7 million Americans move away from their home state. Heather Chen moved from West Virginia to California.

“Moving away from West Virginia was the best thing I ever done [sic]; I’m so glad I got away from there,” Chen said.

Chen demonstrates that some people move away from their home state just to get away and see a different world. She says that moving away from one’s home state can be a big relief, especially if they don’t like where you are from.

Some people move out of their home state for better job opportunities, such as former West Virginia resident Felisha O’Neil. Depending on others’ professions and dream goals, some states offer better jobs with better pay. A recent Department of Labor report revealed that nearly 14% of young professionals relocated to neighboring states for better pay wages.

“Me, my husband, and our children moved to Ohio for a few years because my husband got a better job in Ohio,” O’Neil said.

Relocating isn’t just moving and buying a new house and getting a new job. People are also taking their smarts, voting rights, tax obligations, etc. People who move out of state also must update their driver’s license and insurance policies. When a resident leaves, they also take their daily spending out of the local economy.

Moving away from your home state leaves a weight on you that can be good and bad. The feeling of leaving the place memorized in your heart is upsetting, but the memories that come from your new place will last forever.