Why do you live where you live?

   / Why do you live where you live? #71  
Grew up in Iowa and hated it...spent half my life in the military looking for "home"..."Discovered" it the first time I drove into the county ... just had the right feel to it. Had to move away for 18 years following the job market, but was able to return for retirement. Met the wife here 10 years after I moved here - we live 10 miles from where she grew up. Years ago my mother asked if I was ever going to return home....she never did understand that I was AT home in Texas.
 
   / Why do you live where you live? #72  
30 years in central NJ,last 20 in northern VT, my wife and I always said that NJ would still be there if we didn't like VT. Haven't had any wishes to move back.
 
   / Why do you live where you live? #73  
We moved from Mass to get a bigger chunk of land- and to be further out in the country. As a kid in western Mass., on my dirt road, one car went by a day. That was good. As I moved around and hooked up with my wife (from just north of Boston), it was always about getting out into the country- leaving behind the city, the suburbs, the houses, roads, and people. When we came to Maine, we had that, then the people came after. The parcels are still 10-30 acres, and the deer pass through the yards, and the eagles fly over, but it is too populated! I doubt you can go anywhere in this state and not be "seen", or "noted" by someone! It is a small world. People here leave you alone. I like that.
Practical- that's common people's approach to the world. The "well-to-do" have the freedom to "discover themselves". The world I live in is about making do and enjoying what I do, because I am doing it.
 
   / Why do you live where you live? #74  
Grew up in New England, mostly in Maine, but also MA and CT. Parents got a house on 100 acres in southern Maine before the invasion, my HS graduating class was 36. I left when my taxes were being projected to exceed my mortgage payment, part of the redistribution philosophy. Still have siblings and other family mostly in ME and NH. MIL still lives in NJ, which moving there after HI, I found the most depressing environment ever (no sense of physical orientation to me). A career in the army gave me opportunity to see and live in other parts of the world and states, Hawaii being one.
After I retired we were driving back to GA from looking at more property in FL and wife innocently remarked, "I thought you always wanted to move back to Hawaii". We found this 21 acres on the Big Island in 2003, moved in 2005. Strangest thing, but whenever I came to Hawaii it felt like coming home, yet there is no other place I feel this way. Quite emotional for some reason.
We aren't in postcard Hawaii. The seasons do change, the snow is visible on the mountain, but I don't have to shovel it. Temps range from 58-81 here at our place, no HVAC, just ceiling fans and fireplace. This is a rural area and I can swim in our pool in my white bathing trunks and no one knows. Politics are too liberal and too many taxpayer dollars wasted away on the takers, but I don't let that bother me.
We can live well within our limited means if we choose. When we first moved our living expense were actually less than Atlanta. People are friendly here, probably have more meaningful social life than any other place we lived. Our next door neighbor in Atlanta still asks, "when you coming home?" When we get off the phone, wife and I look at each other and one says, "we are home".
Son and granddaughter still live in Va, he is still enamored with DC area since we lived there in early 90's. At times we'd like them to be closer, but our parents respected our life choices, we give him that same respect. We are happy that he is happy. Many folks do relocate from here because they miss running their kids lives. FaceTime is great!!!
No big cities, even Honolulu is too busy, too much traffic. Spent 5 days there in March, my first trip off island since 2009.
I tell my wife, next move I won't have to pack :)
The army sent me to Hawaii originally, but in fell in love with the aina and moved back 24 years later.

David Sent from my iPad Air using TractorByNet
 
   / Why do you live where you live? #75  
I meant to add, I never lived in a place I didn't like and always enjoyed my time there as they all had their own positives.

David Sent from my iPad Air using TractorByNet
 
   / Why do you live where you live? #76  
All you guys in rural areas... you don't realize how much fun you are missing!

Here is a pic from the parking lot at work last night looking down at the freeway intersection:
fun.jpg
http://rowfamily.us/images/fun.jpg

I mean really... don't you wish you lived here? :anyone:
 
   / Why do you live where you live? #77  
All you guys in rural areas... you don't realize how much fun you are missing!

Here is a pic from the parking lot at work last night looking down at the freeway intersection:
View attachment 383120
http://rowfamily.us/images/fun.jpg

I mean really... don't you wish you lived here? :anyone:

I couldn't do it. I lived in South City in Saint Louis for 6 years, it was as much city as I ever want. Our current neighborhood in an old pecan orchard may seem like paradise to many, and in some ways it is, but it doesn't hold a candle to our future home in the sticks.

We are eargerly trading this...
068.jpg


For this...
IMG_20140629_111512_883_zpsad4mysil.jpg


San Diego is a fun place to visit but I don't think I could ever be happy there.
 
   / Why do you live where you live? #78  
All you guys in rural areas... you don't realize how much fun you are missing!

Here is a pic from the parking lot at work last night looking down at the freeway intersection:
View attachment 383120
http://rowfamily.us/images/fun.jpg

I mean really... don't you wish you lived here? :anyone:

The traffic going by the Larro Ranchero is much heavier than it used to be. Some mornings when I'm out in the garden, I see 8 or 10 cars go by. Although lots of mornings it is the same old fellow going back and forth to Altha. His wife died this year, and he is pretty lonely. But there are several folks I don't even know who pass the house.

Larro
 
   / Why do you live where you live? #79  
Follow up to post #9. This is my little lake as viewed off my front porch. Its 5.5 acres of open water and is 80 feet deep. There is an additional 5 acres at the far end that is 5-15 feet deep and full of cattails. I keep the lake stocked with bass. The lake is fully contained within my property.

View attachment 383138
 

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