Back in the colonial period my ancestors lived everywhere and moved as the situation warranted. That slowly changed over the years to where they hardly ever moved. Maybe to a neighboring village. But they were tied to the area by necessity and family.
My maternal grandparents lived their entire lives between El Gusano, New Mexico and Santa Fe, New Mexico. From the time they were born until they died. My paternal grandparents lived in the Sapello/Watrous, New Mexico area. They travelled a bit, but not much. Travel was expensive. And moving away from your home town was a very difficult decision.
Now the family is scattered far and wide. Living not only all over New Mexico but in Washington State, Texas, Colorado, Tennessee, Montana, California, Utah. Some live in foreign countries, but do not seem to live there permanently. They are in foreign countries as a result of the military. And this is just the family members I am aware of.
Where it used to be that you knew all of your close relatives because all lived near by. Not so any more, There was some scattering before WWII, but since then it has really increased. Family know who their first cousins are, but do not know them. And second cousins? Forget it. If you put this "scattering" on a bell shaped curve you would be a third away from the apex. By the middle of this century they will be everywhere.
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