Following on to my earlier comment, (which may have seemed rather insensitive, unintentionally), I should probably explain that my entire life has been lived out of a suitcase, more or less. There has never been long-term stability provided by location or close family ties. Stability in my world is self-made, and always has been. I never doubted the abiding love and support of my family, but I was terribly independent at an early age, and things haven't changed.
I am the product of a tumultuous childhood as a military brat, complicated by multiple parental divorces, and frequent moves as my (mostly) single Mom tried to improve the quality of her family's lives. I lived in no less than 27 different houses before I was 18. I attended 13 schools in 12 years in five states, and, (to the surprise of everyone but me), I graduated high school with remarkably good grades. Throwing myself into my schoolwork WAS the stability I needed in my life.
Then I joined the military myself, and I spent the next 20 years of my life unintentionally recreating my childhood - frequent moves, (sometimes from one coast to the other), my own divorce, and being the custodial single parent to my own kids. I did my best, but trying to juggle my Navy career with single parenthood was no easy task, and my two kids often found themselves living with my Mom and Step Dad (her husband #6), while I was overseas for months at a time. Nobody every complained, because it was our "normal." Life was never stable, for any of us. I encouraged my kids to become self-sufficient and independent at their own pace, and they've both done well with that.
Now retired from the military for more than 25 years, and as "stable" as I've ever been, (living in the same community for 19 years now, despite moving three times), I find my life is no more emotionally settled now than it was when I was a kid. Family is spread out, and even those who live nearby don't visit often. We're in touch regularly via online options, but face to face visits are rare - in either direction. We all understand that, and nobody thinks it's unusual. It's our lives, as they've worked out. No shortage of love and affection, but not a lot of direct interaction. Everyone is fiercely independent, "doing our own thing," and the bonds we have are based on respect for that degree of independence. As I look at retiring later this year, I don't see any burning reason to stay where we are. We can live anywhere, because it's not about family in person, it's about the level of connection we have already established between us.
I accept that I have a deeply-rooted wanderlust, borne of my life spent on-the-go, and my retirement is an excuse to exercise that urge. My kids and grandkids will be fine, and I know we all care about each other. But for all the years spent trying to make the lives of others work, finally, it's time for me to enjoy it my own way. I'm itching to get on with it.
And that's a very exciting thing for me. I can't wait to see what's around the next corner.
Dave