by Victoria Vogler | News and Assignments Editor
Frequently changing jobs ,extended travel and moving to jobs all across the country is becoming part of the American way of life. The economic downturn of recent years has only made this worse. For sophomore Katie Scott, having a parent live in a separate state isn’t out of the ordinary.
“My mom has been working out of town of about five years now. She works as a healthcare business analyst in FLorida at the Miami Children’s Hospital. She used to work in Chicago before she was transferred to Miami,” Scott said. “It’s kind of become a normal thing for me.”
Scott has gotten more accustom to this new reality.
“It was hard at first since I was young, but now that I’m older I don’t really have many problems with it,” Scott said. “I’m really not home a lot because I’m so busy. I live at home with my dad Sunday through Thursday while she is gone, but I never spend that much time with my family anyways.”
Today’s technology makes being apart a little bit easier. Cell phones keep people in constant contact with voice, text and even video. Scott says this has made the separation a bit easier.
“Sometimes it’s weird not having a mom at home, but I text her all the time, so its not like I don’t talk to her. She still comes to all of my [dance] competitions. The only real difference is that she’s not home every night.” Scott said.
In light of the current economy, many parents are beginning to find work where ever they can, even if it means being outside the state of Texas. Many of us have friends who are moving now or will move over the summer because their parents are seeking new work. Sometimes this is to continue their career or start a new one. Freshman Nathan Vogler described how his father worked over seas in the United Arab Emirates before finding something local.
“I was pretty used to my dad being gone a lot in the Army, but after he got out, I thought he would be able to find a job here pretty quickly,” Vogler said. “I guess its just not that easy.”
Vogler explained how they would Skype with his dad frequently while he was gone and shared photos over Facebook.
“It was cool to see the pictures my dad posted of Abu Dhabi. It’s such a different culture from what we are used to, but its really modern too,” Vogler said.
Regardless of the reason, families are learning to deal with more time apart. Luckily we have multiple means of staying in touch to help keep us connected, even across the world. While the technology can help, nothing replaces being together, as Scott explains.
“It’s always nice when she’s home though,” Scott said.
