Author Topic: Why do you live where you do? (Read 4498 times)

Jerry · « **on:** January 15, 2009, 02:33:03 PM »

I think this will be of interest. I think for most of us it's a matter of circumstances.
I know the kids I grew up with in Philly pretty much stayed there. A few went to Florida as senior citizens. I guess they liked the "Early Bird Dinners!"

reddad35 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2009, 04:11:17 PM »

I was born in Kentucky. My father was in the Air Force. I moved every 2 years to a different state or country. I lived in Florida just after being born, San Antonio Texas, Atwater California, Souix city Iowa. We spent the last 2 years of service in Azores Portugal. We moved back to Kentucky/Indiana (we live on the ohio river one bridge apart) when I was 10. I graduated from school and decided to move to Florida. I lived in Florida for 19 years. I purchased 3 houses down there after renting a new place every 2 years or so. I purchased my first house after my son was born. I sold my last house when he turned 13. 5 years is the longest I have ever lived in one place. My wife and I decided to move back to Indiana after yearly visits and the laid back slower attitude that it came with. The last straw was when my 12 year old had over 3000 kids in his school and he had to sit 3 to a seat when he road the bus. We moved back to Indiana and my sons grade shot through the roof (4.0). He has 420 kids in his high school. I have lived back here at "home" for 5 years now. I have looked at other houses in the area already but have not taken the plunge. I think with my military upbringing it is hard for me to stay settled and stay put. I hope some day soon I can settle down. I have already thought of moving back to Florida when my son graduates this year. I like it here but miss the green leaves/grass year round in Florida.

Long winded.. but I live where I do now to make a better life for my son. BTW he loves it here, friends, school, hills and the ability to have a drivers license which he probably would not have if we stayed in Port St. Lucie Florida.

Jerry · « **Reply #2 on:** January 15, 2009, 04:50:09 PM »

facinating Dad. My sister lives in Palm City next door to Port St Lucie.
You did well changing schools. My kids are adults, but the schools here are a zoo and a disgrace.
I am glad they graduated before the decline.

Joyce · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2009, 05:56:07 PM »

This is my home town, Bills too. Very small, K-12 used to be in one building up until 8 years ago, now split, in 2 buildings side by side on the same property.
K-12 less than 1000 students. Very much like Mayberry. Only one traffic light that goes from red to green on Main Street.

When I picked up my lunch today, left my Jeep running outside in the parking lot because of the blizzard and icy conditions. Walked to the deli to pick up a local paper.
Then walked back to the chinese place to get my sushi. Oh, left the office open while I was gone too. That's how safe it is here.
Will be here until Jamie graduates and then hopefully move on to tropical year round 'barefoot' climate.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2009, 05:59:33 PM »

Born in Oregon. When my parents divorced my mother moved us to Phoenix. Her mother and brother both moved there as well and she had cousins there too. She wanted to get far away from my father and his new wife.

I moved back to Oregon in 1985 because I was in a bad relationship and wanted to get out but my friends were all married or had moved and I had nowhere else to go. Could not afford my own apartment.

I never in a million years would have believed that I'd still be here. I got married in 1989 and DH won't even think of moving.

El Jefe · « **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2009, 06:10:25 PM »

Born in Long Beach California and moved to Michigan when I was 8, that was where I learned to love the outdoors. Joined the Navy and saw the world. Mother & Father moved to Florida. When it came time to retire well Florida was where my Mom was (dad passed in 97) so we left San Diego and moved to Tallahassee. Where I found a house with a big pond!

PondmaninAL · « **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2009, 06:19:21 PM »

I was born in Birmingham, Alabama. My family and I moved to Hermitage, Tennessee during my fourth grade year in school. After my graduation, we moved back to Birmingham for about six months and then out to a little town called Odenville, Alabama. I lived in that area up until a little over ten years when I met my present wife and moved to Florida, my wife's paradise. I only agreed to move here since it's a good climate for more aquatics.

reddad35 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2009, 07:44:20 PM »

Quote from: Jerry on January 15, 2009, 04:50:09 PM

facinating Dad. My sister lives in Palm City next door to Port St Lucie.
You did well changing schools. My kids are adults, but the schools here are a zoo and a disgrace.
I am glad they graduated before the decline.

I am a Surveyor and my office was in Palm City for over 10 years on 714.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #8 on:** January 15, 2009, 08:33:10 PM »

I was born in Los Angeles. My family moved to New Brunswick,Canada. All my schooling was in Saint John and university in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Met the love of my life when I needed a calculus tutor.

Got married then moved back to L.A.

Found the smog was unbearable

and moved south of L.A. to Orange County and have been there ever since. Raised my kids here. They've spent all their school and university lives here too. Can't imagine not living near an ocean. Would love to live closer to the beach.

Jerry · « **Reply #9 on:** January 15, 2009, 11:05:45 PM »

I was bus boy near Dixville Notch NH, close to the border. The job ended, I hitch hiked back to Philly. My aunt lent me 100.00 for a plane ticket to California. My Mother reunited with my supposedly dead father. I knew better. They were in LA and I followed. They stayed together until the end. I went to LA Trade Tech and did well in a matter of months. Met a girl, married and never looked back. 57 years later it's the same girl. She has changed a little. Thank God
I haven't!

I can imagine living somewhere else, like Hawaii or the Keys, but not with my wife who is not a sun or water person.
I would be on the beach fishing and kayaking everyday! Like Joyce said...barefoot!

mascot · « **Reply #10 on:** January 16, 2009, 07:03:18 AM »

I grew up in Maryland, and at 17 ran away from home and decided to hitchhike cross-country...I got my first taste of California where I ended up 3½ days later.
I eventually went back to Md and finished High School, then joined the USAF and went to Texas, Colorado & Illinois, and ended up in North Carolina at my PDS.
After I left the Air Force, a friend said, "I'm driving someone's car cross-country, wanna go?" I asked when he was leaving and when he said, "3 days" I said, "okay" and we ended up in Half Moon Bay, Ca.
After a couple years I moved to San Diego (my company transferred me to Fresno - but I quit that job after about 2 months there).
I lived in San Diego for about 20 years and then bought a home in Sun City, where I've lived for the past 5 years.

But I was lucky....I could have ended up in a morgue in 1979 when a lunatic gave me a ride in southern LA and pulled out a knife and threatened to cut me up into small pieces. I got away after he turned down a dark road, away from where I was originally heading on 101 South. The next day I stepped out of a moving car because the old fart that gave me a ride couldn't keep his hands to himself, I tumbled but was unhurt. I chose to not hitchhike for a while after that, and walked 28 miles that night and slept on a hillside when I got tired.

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #11 on:** January 16, 2009, 07:15:21 AM »

I have lived in the same community all of my life. I love to travel and visit new places but I would never want to move. I want to be near my friends and family, that means a lot to me. I also love it here because of the change of seasons. I can't imagine living where it is warm all year long. Give me a cold, snowy day with a pot of soup and a good book and I'm happy.

Karen

Esther · « **Reply #12 on:** January 16, 2009, 08:14:27 AM »

My family moved from a rented farm just south of Grand Rapids and purchased a farm about 10 miles east of Grand Rapids in 1950. People who live on farms don't move much. So stayed there until I was married 14 years later. We lived on campus and worked in Kalamazoo while XDH went to Western Michigan University, majoring in teaching Industrial Arts. When he graduated, we moved back to Grand Rapids where we bought our first little home and had Kevin, Braeden's daddy. He taught highschool at Forest Hills but it wasn't long and we decided to sell and get out of town. We didn't want our kids growing up in a city. This house was on a dead end gravel road with 4 houses on it.

Our second and current home was purchased over 38 years ago. It was a mess but structurally fine. The pool hadn't been used in a couple of years and there were all kinds of crud in the water. There was actually green spongy algae floating on the surface. The sides had pulled away from the sidewalks an inch or two all the way around. The landscaping had been let go and all the bushes were so over grown, we couldn't prune them down and have anything left but stumps.

Over the years, we have upgraded most everything bit by bit. As I look at the decorating, it needs it again but I guess it isn't to be as Social Security doesn't pay as well at the bank did, LOL.

Every one of our 5 kids live within an hour drive and Pete and I attend the same church my parents and I attended when we first moved to the farm. The folks there are like extended family.

I suspect we'll stay there until something massive happens and we are forced to move. The properties have built up around us as there is now several platts all around so it is kind of like being in the city again.

MikeW · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2009, 12:11:02 PM »

I was lucky enough to have lived in a bunch of places growing up ( moved about every two years) on three continents.

I came to L.A. on holiday about twenty five years ago, and pretty much just stayed on.
Summers without humidity, winters without white stuff, and people from all over. Figured I'd found a good place to hang my hat for awhile. I had no interest in gardening back then, so what a bonus when I started messing in the dirt to find the I had a Mediterranean climate!

Cheers,

Mike

cc · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2009, 02:54:53 PM »

I was borned and raised in Hong Kong while it was still a Britsih Colony, I still miss the afternoon tea with scones and chestnut cakes. When the high school in Alberto, Canada accepted me, my father said no because I would freeze my butt there. And he went on to say if the school in Hawaii accept me he would let me go, so here I am many years later. A lot of people complain about the cost of liviing here but I am used to much higher cost of living back home so it doesn't really bother me.
I like the weather and the easy going people over here, what we called the aloha spirit.

Sean · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2009, 03:26:14 PM »

I was born and raised in Calgary Alberta Canada Zone 3 and the winters there are hell, freeze thaw, freeze, thaw on and on and on. I suffered migraines and a bleeding nose most of my life there because the barometric pressure swings so much and the weather is not conducive to gardening so I moved to Vancouver BC Canada Zone 8B, the warmest part of Canada where I can grow Banana's and Palm trees and my tropical waterlilies survive the winter outdoors.

I have only had 2 migraines since I moved here 11 years ago and they were likely stress related and no more nose bleeds either. We might get a lot of rain in the winter but at least it usually isn't snow.

Cheers,
Sean

marla · « **Reply #16 on:** January 16, 2009, 08:42:51 PM »

I was born in Milwaukee, but moved to Upper Michigan (Iron Mt.) when I was 2, then back to Milwaukee when I was 4 and then to Waukesha county when I was about 5, my parents moved for better education for us. The area was very rual, lived in the same home till I graduated from Radiology school, then moved about an hour north to Fond du Lac. I met my husband who was from Waukesha County and moved back. I still live in Waukesha County but farther west. I would love to retire someplace much warmer, but unless DH and I live in separte households that will probably not happen.

Sunbeam56 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 16, 2009, 09:21:54 PM »

Texas gal born and bred. Family ranch in Webb county - on the border with Mexico.

I've drifted around Texas. Ended up in Danbury when I got divorced. The Judge said don't take the kid and move - you can live in the three contiguous counties. Came here because one afternoon, after working the day at Brett's fish farm, as I was driving home, had to slow for a gaggle of young kids walking barefoot down the road with towels - they had been swimming in someone's pond.

It seems like a safe place to raise kids. Too safe, really. The locals are overly complacent.

You can leave your door unlocked - so Mr. Vrazel can come in to do plumbing repairs. He will get it done, and leave the ticket on the table.

The local priest, before he moved, would come over for lamb dinner. I'm not catholic - but enjoyed his company.

But someone stole my dog off the office porch. :*( Bandit (the golden) and Deevah (the Rottweiler) got cold and walked from the house to the office. Both had collars with my phone number. Bandit showed up three days later without his collar.
Weird, because I've not had anything else stolen. Not electronics, not money - just my bad dog.

The Police chief knows my name. And doesn't call - that's a good thing.
When we blow up fireworks in the front yard, noone complains.
We can build bonfires in the back yard.

I like the comfy of a small town - and the freedom of rural living.
And its not bad that the water is only 30 feet down - we can always dig a well.

SueSTx · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2009, 05:49:59 AM »

We also live in a small rural community. DH has been here 60 years. He says he'd love to live where there are "trees"...he means trees that haven't been planted around someones home. I grew up in tree country...no big deal to me. I like to be able to check out the farm house 3 1/2 miles away with the banoculars.

I leave the keys in my car at all times. I was on vacation once and the lady taking care of the dogs used it because hers wouldn't work. She brought it back full of gas. She never left the community either.

I have been known to leave my purse with money, check book and credit cards in the unlocked car also. I don't do that so much anymore. Times are a changing. :'(

The only time anybody locks their house is during the summer...I don't need any more squash. LOL The UPS man opens the screen and leaves your package inside.

Jerry · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2009, 09:53:54 AM »

In LA you would be robbed blind, assulted and maybe worse. Mike W. will concur, Mikey too.

There are areas to be avoided. It is a jungle out there.

EagleEye · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2009, 10:03:56 AM »

I have lived in a small town here, or near here my whole life. In my travels, I have never found a place I'd like to plant my roots. Now, at my age, and with my house set up for me, yard, ponds, great roads to ride, great hunting , and plenty of lakes to fish nearby, I'm going nowhere.

The one thing about living here that I like best is the four seasons! I have things that I love to do in all of them. By the time I'm sick of one, it's over and a new one is here. I can't imagine missing one of them.

Steve

mascot · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2009, 11:59:03 AM »

Quote from: Jerry on January 17, 2009, 09:53:54 AM

In LA you would be robbed blind, assulted and maybe worse. Mike W. will concur, Mikey too.
There are areas to be avoided. It is a jungle out there.

LA?!? Don't you mean Southern California in general? We've had so many break-ins around here that I'm starting a neighborhood watch and community group board so we can all remain in contact!

I have accidentally left my door unlocked before and fortunately nothing was gone, but we've seen enough that it's risky to leave things unlocked intentionally. It is very odd, though, that when someone forgets to shut their garage door overnight they are never a victim to theft of vandalism...it's only those who secure their belongings who get robbed! why is that?

Jerry · « **Reply #22 on:** January 17, 2009, 12:27:51 PM »

Pure luck Michael! Or maybe they assume someone is near?

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2009, 06:38:01 PM »

I lived in Ohio all my life , born here . My mom's family is from NY ...they ended up in OH .
My Dad's family is from Ireland ..with a little Indian blood mixed in from an ancestor .....yea, I'm a mutt !...

Lived in a small town in Highland county until I met my DH & moved on a nice sized farm ..with all
the animal's I could wish for & a few I don't want.....

bonnie

Esther · « **Reply #24 on:** January 18, 2009, 09:02:18 AM »

Bonnie, nowadays, I suspect most of us are mutts. I know I am. My DH doesn't even know his heritage because he's adopted.

Mikey · « **Reply #25 on:** January 18, 2009, 09:34:48 AM »

Born & raised in SoCal. I was born on the coast in Long Beach and soon moved inland, what they call the Inland Empire. Extremely smoggy in the 60's because the sea-breeze would blow all the smog inland where it was trapped. As a kid B52s from March Air Force Base used to lumber overhead on a regular basis. We moved further inland to Yucaipa, a small semi-rural community in the foothills. My foster parents had 3 acres loaded with fruit trees.

To continue my college education, like a salmon I returned to where I was born and I currently live in a bedroom community adjacent to Long Beach here in north Orange County.

Work is what kept me here but I must admit I really enjoy the climate 95% of the time. I enjoy spending time outdoors and I hate humidity. We are close enough to the coast that it seldom gets into the 90s. I enjoy gardening and can do that 365 days a year if I so choose. Right now I have Tangelos and Lemons growing out back and ready to pick. In a few more weeks the Valencia oranges will be ready to squeeze. I love the convenience of having everything within a short distance. Recreation, entertainment, culture, music, arts, gardens, mountains, desert....it's all here within my grasp.

I envy those of you who live in what I call God's land. I would love to have acreage, rain, greenery and be able to leave my doors unlocked at night. You are indeed blessed and you are the heart of America.

finnpond · « **Reply #26 on:** January 18, 2009, 11:18:39 AM »

We also were born and raised in Washington...

I dragged my wife away from here for career/work related reasons on a 20 year odyssey....
Pipeline work in Alaska, 8 years in Hawaii, 8 years in Florida, 2 years in Utah and we would always spend vacations and time off back in Washington State...

Finally realized family and friends were all getting older and so were we, so we made an all out effort to relocate back to God's Country here in the Pacific NorthWest... We are now going to "visit" all the beautiful places we've lived in, but it's a great feeling to be able to see relatives and friends whenever we get a chance and not have to plan a long trip and time off in advance...

So glad we did, as I just lost my little brother last Tuesday, and am able to be here with everyone ...

Dave

Roark · « **Reply #27 on:** January 19, 2009, 10:12:31 AM »

Born and raised in SoCal. Swore I'd never leave. Loved the beach, the mountains, the desert... the smell of cocoa butter on young, nubile skin... (ooops... I digressed there a bit. heheheheh). Did software/hardware/firmware consulting for 20 years and decided one day to chuck it all.

Moved to Danbury because Savannah made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Bought a cat and the house came with it.

Pillaged and plundered in the field of law (completely new to me!), and found myself face-to-face with appellate judges, high-powered attorneys, and the rest of these semi-sane characters. Decided I'd found a new system to hack, and stayed-on. Got to like the thrill of the hunt, and the bare-knuckles wet-work in a good knock-down/drag-em-out trial.

While here I met an underaged redhead and fell in love. She's five, but pushing about 2000 lbs, and hers is *definitely* wider than mine! Decided the age difference wasn't a real obstacle, but the munchkin-sized saddle she came with is!

Got into cattle too, and now call a longhorn with a 7-foot rack a "pet".

My parents (both still alive and well), think I'm nuts. They cite the ungodly humidity here in the summer and the occasional cold-snap during the winter. They're not fans of the mosquitos, either. But then they see Roark Junior and I "blowing-up the world" on the 4th of July in Savannah's front yard, see the go-cart tracks around the house, and generally will acknowledge that maybe this gig does have it's benefits.

And I get to eat Savannah's cooking. She feeds me.

Roark

Jerry · « **Reply #28 on:** January 19, 2009, 11:09:32 AM »

That may be the fuuniest post ever!!!

Desertponder · « **Reply #29 on:** January 19, 2009, 11:17:47 AM »

Long time roots in the area. I was born here, my parents were born here and both sets of grandparents came to this area in 1912 and 1921. The town was very young then.
My dad's parents planted orchards and were part of the fruit growing history in the community.
My mother's parents homesteaded in a remote area of the valley known for ranching, they raised sheep and farmed.
I've never left because I never felt the need to.
The scenery is beautiful here, the climate is real good, etc.
Now that I am 50 and most all of my family is gone I'm feeling more of an itch to possibly live somewhere else but I haven't figured out where that might be.