"Make New Friends, but Keep the Old . . ."

My husband, daughter, and I have been living on the first floor of a two-story an apartment building for nearly nine years in the suburban Detroit area. Because this is such a transient location, we've seen our neighbors come and go, MANY times.
Some neighbors, especially those who have lived above us,
have lived in this building as long as seven years (since we've been here). Others are here only for a month; they may be in the area on business, working here in the United States perhaps for a company overseas. One such gentleman came from Germany, to work on a project through the automotive industry. We usually knew he was home when he went out on the balcony above us, and briefly smoked a very pungent cigar.
Another family from Northville, was relocated for an automotive position for 3 years; they kept their home in
Northville, renting it out while they were away. They lived above us for a month, moving back from Germany with their two middle-school boys at the beginning of May, a few years ago. So the boys were away from the local school system here, for three years, only to be plugged back into the system, for say, the last 5 weeks of the school years here. That has to really stink! The  parents were getting their Northville home ready for them to move back into.
I often wonder, as a former school teacher of 25 years, what the teachers of these boys had to juggle, in order to include them into an existing class they've had for possibly the past 4 months, prior to the boys' return to the U.S.
I realize that the automotive industry has a job that needs to be filled, albeit temporary, and many times it means a boost in the family income, if an employee volunteers or agrees to fill that position. But my heart goes out to the children in the family, who must make the biggest adjustments, with a new country's culture, language, schools, etc. Wow!
Yes, kids are so much more resilient that adults in so many ways. This is to their credit. But I often wonder if the corporations who make these choices to uproot these children for a few years, from their familiar surroundings, have ever truly investigated how this whole scenario plays out, through the eyes of a child. Hmmmmm.  Food for thought.
I had a little girl in my second grade class, who was adopted from China. At the end of her year in my class, her family was temporarily relocated to China, as her dad was filling an automotive position there for the next three years. I felt obligated, as her teacher, to view this whole opportunity as a new "adventure!" And how cool was it that she would be able to live for three years in the very country of her birth! Perhaps she would be able to learn some of the language there, as well.
She and her family enjoyed their time in Asia, exploring not only China, but other countries, as well. They returned to our school in the fall, and what a thrill it was to see her again, to catch up on her "amazing China adventure!" She had grown physically taller, of course, but her experiences among the Chinese, caused her to grow ever so much more.
This precious young lady is a testiment to the resilience of children, when placed in a strange, unfamiliar setting, to make the very best of the situation.
While not all children adapt well, to new situations, especially those of a foreign nature, so much of what helps to make their transition successful depends on how well the parents communicate all that the family will experience, as much as possible.
I am all for families who travel to new places and soak up all that is wholesome and good from their visit. My mom and dad traveled so much with my brother, sister, and myself. Being school teachers, their summers were free for this, and it seemed that we went to new places, especially in the state of Michigan, yet often returning to favorite places.
Parents, travel with your kids. Talk to them, sharing where you are going, and after you are there, where you've been. Take pictures, videos, and/or keep a journal. Your kids might even keep a journal and watch it grow from one visit to the next!
Happy travels!