Additional Coverage:
- I’ve never lived anywhere longer than 5 years. Being the perpetual new girl has its pros and cons. (businessinsider.com)
At 30 years old, Chloe Gordon Cordover reflects on a life defined by constant movement-never living in one place for longer than five years. Her experience spans 10 cities across seven states, shaped initially by her father’s career and later by her own choices.
Growing up, Chloe’s family relocated frequently due to her dad’s real estate law career. Although the specifics of his job remained somewhat mysterious to her, the impact was clear: moves at ages 3, 6, during fifth grade, and twice in high school. This pattern continued into adulthood, with relocations for college, living with her grandfather post-graduation, and following her husband’s medical training from New Orleans to Savannah, Georgia.
When asked where she’s from, Chloe’s answer varies depending on the situation. For strangers, she might name Birmingham, Alabama, her birthplace.
In casual conversations, she often says “all over the South.” But with a willing listener, she shares the full journey through multiple cities and states-a narrative that reflects a life of wide, rather than deep, roots.
Having “wide roots” means Chloe has a broad connection to many places, fostering an ability to adapt and connect with diverse people. Yet, it also means she lacks the deep, long-standing friendships and lifelong neighborhood ties that come from staying put. Every friendship and chapter in her life began somewhere in the middle, with few opportunities to build on a shared history.
Chloe contemplates the value of wide versus deep roots but finds it difficult to compare. She’s never known anything different from her mobile life-much like her Christmas Day birthdays, always mingled with holiday celebrations. This constant change has made her keenly aware of the subtle differences between places-variations in language, culture, and customs that outsiders might overlook but that give each hometown its unique character.
While she sometimes imagines what life might have been like rooted in one place, Chloe fears that version of herself would be less open, less curious, and less interesting. For her, the breadth of experience gained from moving far outweighs the depth she might have sacrificed.
Ultimately, Chloe embraces her life on the move. It has shaped her identity and perspective, making her who she is today.