Why Do You Live Where You Live?

I got to know some great people who opened my eyes to all the levels of destruction caused by private automobile use, and bought a home 10 blocks from my job.
I've been car-free 3 years now and I hope I never have to go back.
I considered myself an environmentalist before, but I feel a million times better about myself now that I'm not such a hypocrite.

Interesting, but that kind of life can't be lived everywhere. Try living in Texas with no car and you won't go anywhere. The only job 10 blocks from your job is cleaning someone else's house or mowing yards. Gas is getting so high tho I'm thinking about going back to horse and buggies.

I know. That's why I live where I do . . .

That is one downside of living out in the country. We have to drive to everything! Our average gas price is 2.50 a gallon. I have a minivan but our older Honda is getting a workout these days.

My story is alot like Marcy1.......born here and will most likely die here!

I am working in the same small town I went to HS in 35 years ago. (Crivitz, Wisconsin) My entire family including most of my aunts and uncles live within a 50 mile radius, and we're talking 3 children, 4 grandchildren, can see my parents house from here, even though we own 60 acres. (Used to be 2- 40's) 2 sisters own land within 3 miles, 6 brothers and sisters altogether, and 11 kids in each my dh family and my mom's, and ton's of cousins.

Married out of HS and we were way too young....moved away with my second DH for 8 years, and when he asked if I'd like to come back here.........I jumped at it! Not the best move financially, but we purchased my parents first farm from them, which was only used for cropping at the time. Remodeled the ancient house, and built on a piece larger than the original, and we're still doing something, we just can't leave anything alone on the house!! DH wonders why he needs to do something AGAIN, when he already did it once, and I ask him to notice how many years ago that was, and the fact that we raised a family here!

Anyway, after some loftier aspirations, (Couldn't hack corporate BS) for the past 7 years I have had an excellent position at a small town Pharmacy, many wonderful pets have come and gone here, along with many memories, I have our two remaining Arabian horses, retired after the kids showed the heck out of them, acres to garden on, and DH is chomping at the bit to retire, (Back surgery is hastening that decision), So if I get my way, I will retire from my present job, spend many hours on the covered porch that is almost finished, and while away my time in the house that Tom built, and garden with my mother's and grandmothers rose and flowering almonds, and continue to just be "ganny"! Might sound boring, but it's my dream come true!! Legit

Well, I'm pretty far from home...

Started in Los Alamos, New Mexico (and no, I don't glow in the dark). Escaped small town life to get my undergraduate degree in Albuquerque, NM. Psychotic boyfriend made the city a bit uncomfortable - 1.5 years together and 1.5 years trying to get rid of him. Goin' east (you'll see a pattern shortly) where I landed in Austin, TX.

What a great city during a good time in my life. Got my MBA there, picked up a husband along the way and worked at Dell Computer for a few years. Got rid of the husband, quit the job, sold the house and moved up to Albany, NY where I took off a year, traveled and was happily unemployed. FWUMP goes the stock market and a job becomes a necessity.

Albany for 4 1/2 years working for GE and saw a job opportunity here in Ireland...(which I have loved since '98, having traveled here on 5 separate vacations). So, family in New Mexico, my house, my dog and my better natured half still in New York, and I am here in Ireland for another year and a half or so.... and then where? We shall see! Probably back home - a different person than I was when I left. :-)

I'm here because it's the most beautiful country in the world
I'm here because I'm fortunate enough to have a job that's allowed me to visit 14 countries in the past year and a half
I'm here because....well, I don't know....
At some point, I'll be ready to move back to the US, I think... for the cheap gas prices and my dear Doug!

Quite a ways from home too but not near as far as Sandra. lol

Born in Picton, Ontario, Canada, moved to a farm I mile from Cannington, ON when I was 7 months old. Went to college in Sioux Center, IA, Christian college affiliated with my church.

One September evening in 1976, I was settling down for a long, QUIET, enjoyable, night of reading. This was a treat as all 7 housemates were going out to various activities. The last 3 leaving thought I could not possibly enjoy an evening at home alone, dragged me out of bed, threw me in the shower, literally, and I went to a party. Met future DH and have never lived anywhere but IA since. Iowa farm boys are pretty darn hard to move!!

Seen a lot of the US traveling with DH in the truck, seen a lot of Canada traveling to family. Not sure where I want to retire but I hope it's somewhere a bit warmer, southern ON would be great, especially Hamilton to Niagara Falls area, but it's a pretty expensive area. Vancouver, either side of the border would be great too. :)

I am in Utica, Michigan because, My family lives closeby.......but our family only really consists of a small number of people.....I have my parents, Dh's parents and my cousin that i keep in contact with.....I was born in Saginaw, MI....moved to Washington MI. when i was 10....moved to Azusa/Upland California (stayed in both places for a few months)..I stayed only 8 months in Ca. nice place to visit, bad place for me to live....I dont like a lot of people.......hence the reason Ca. is not good for me to live......I lived in Alger MI. for 2 years with my dh before we married......in a house we still (unfortunately) own.....It is a handyman SUPERspecial.....and we only had time and money to finish half of it.....If i ever see that house again it will be too soon.....so very much work and so very little payoff.......except the country living.....I miss the lazy saturday afternoons and do nothing sundays.......we would just spend time together.....unless there was some project on the house going.........i am rambling on and on....sorry......then when dh's parents were having trouble with employees at their auto shop, and dh is the only child, well the responsibility lied upon him to 'inherit' the business......which is a whole lot of back breaking work and no pleasure.........I am a believer that you should love to do your work.......or at least not hate it.......I am a petgroomer at heart....and will always be a pet groomer because I LOVE IT!! and i may not get rich doing it......but.....I will always love to go to work!! I love my house.....It is the perfect "city" house....in my opinion.....our closest nieghbor is a disabled veterans hall.....and the yard is huge by city standards...(which we needed for our dogs)....and the road is busy enough that nobody knows we are even there, unless they are looking for US....I have the business in the shop and we are 10 min from dh's shop....although he is still late to work at least once a week.......LOL.......I have a wonderful new porch and you cant see a lick of road from it......you feel like you are in the country.....with the fire pit and covered porch......and my favorite pots of annuals....I love my bright yellow kitchen and all the bold colors in my house.....I will be there until we retire or they widen the road and buy us out....which i am praying doesnt happen anytime soon......I still dont like the hustle bustle of city life, but I plan to live somewhere very rural when i retire!! someplace like, hmmmmmmmm.......ALASKA!!!! It has always been a fantasy of mine too Weezingreens and tigerlily!! I have never been there, so i cant say for sure that i would like it there, but Kentucky and Tennesee are Lovely also, and i have been there.........and both are worthy of highest marks in my book......I live where i live cause of family and work both........long story to conclude to that huh? LOL

Very interesting thread. Really neat to read everyones story.

I have lived in this area all my life, Was born just 20miles north of here close to Canadian border. Married my dh right out of highschool, had three great kids. My parents moved 14 times before i got married, one move out of state to Oregon, the other times just different locations in WA. My DH and I lived in the middle of our apple orchard until he died just 3 months short of our 50th wedding anniversary. We had sold all the orchard 8 years earlier, just kept the house. I sold the house a couple of years after, was really sick of living in the middle of an orchard. Bought the 5 acres where i live now, my daughter called it homesteading as there was nothing here but a great view , plus lots of grass and sagebrush.

So now I have lots of garden space and a lovely view from every room in my house. No houses in sight from my house, never need to lock any doors. Four miles to our little town 175 miles to nearest large city but i don't miss it...Very different from the coast, weatherwise, taxwise, etc. So I am happy with my location. DonnaS

Kooger, I think most farmers are hard to move! It must be the love of the land. I was raised on a farm, my Dad is 83 and is perfectly content to stay home. We help out now, but it is amazing how much he can still do. Blk.angus and grain.
Farmers feed the world!

lol True! He realizes we should have moved years ago. Now with his dad gone and mom in poor mental health, we can t move til she is gone. His brother is handicapped but takes care of himself and works. He married in 98 so we don't have to watch over him anymore. We plan on moving when MIL is gone. Think he'll actually do it? We shall see.... :)

I was born in south-east England and went to university in Norwich, but my chosen field of work - cultural film exhibition - has a VERY narrow range of job opportunities, so when one came up in Belfast, I went for it without being too sniffy about the location. This was in '69 BEFORE the infamous Troubles had really started...
Then, when the Troubles started, I was too happy and well-established to move.
Now I'm retired, I have my pied-a-terre in France and I am wanting to get out of Belfast as I find it, after over 35 years, a bit stultifying. (Also I have to look at what my successors are doing with the Film Theatre that I created and developed...)

Everyone, this has been fascinating to read!! I know that I wrote in here and watched thread, but nada on both. Must have been the other night when I got thrown off.

I grew up in Ohio, 30 mi from Cleveland, most of family is still around there as is 90% of my classmates grad with. Left in 75 when joined the Army after I got laid off and couldn't find another job there. Lived in AL, NJ, AL, then S. Korea and KS, then back to OH (78). Moved to TX in 80, married soldier met in Korea and went back to Korea again (82), Korea again, TX again, Germany, then to NY (92) at my DMILs, for "just a few months!" He is still there.

DD and I lived 2 dif places there. Loved Providence, NY, only had a vol fire hall and a video store. Attempted reconciliation gave me the best present, my younger DD. Child custody paperwork allowed me to leave after the RIF, Reduction in force, aka- fed gov't permanent lay-off. Fortunately, they found me a job near Pittsburgh (98).

Originally, even marked my long-term calendar w/ older DDs grad date in 03 + planned to move south immed afterwards. This place grew on us, bought a home (02) and planning to retire here.

I went back to school, got my BS in HR, then tried law school. Too many hrs and not enough sleep for my health, sanity and family, so instead starting on my MBA (prob Jan). That is about only way I can get a higher paying position w/fed gov't. Need that so: (1) can pay off stu loans and this house and (2) higher wages will get me higher pension amt, so I can afford to retire!

That is not to say that I haven't been considering taking a tour overseas, like to Germany again, with the fed gov't before I retire. Prob not till the younger DD graduates (2016) though, unless she wants to go.

It's nice to get paid extra to live in a dif country, travel all over, see + do things that cannot do anywhere else. Of course, that might be contingent on the wage level I earn after my MBA, my position get here, positions can get there, DDs and DGC!! ~ Suzi :)
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Oops - Edited to fix a date.

This message was edited Aug 21, 2005 9:05 PM

Quite a list of travels, Suzi!

I was a military child do I know the drill well.

Yea, it was pretty hard on the older DD, getting uprooted in Germany in 2nd grade, 5th grade moved in NY to dif school, then here in 8th grade. She went from A/B student to C/D, w/couple Fs. I am not willing to do that to the younger one, unless she wants to go! Besides, just cuz want to go, doesn't mean would get the position either... I think it would be a great way to end my career though. Maybe come back and work a little longer, depending... ~ Suzi :)

Hey, I was in 16 schools before high school and it didn't affect my grades... I was always a good student.

The older DD is a very shy, quiet introvert and finds it very difficult to make friends! She won't call for pizza, ask clerks for assistance or anything, and is getting worse, which is hard for even me to imagine!

When we moved here, she was in 8th grade and on strike, sort of. I made her do her homework and she wouldn't turn it in. Of course, everything was my fault that Dad and I split... I dated someone, so of course, they were horrible. Dad - another story! You know the deal.

The younger one finds it difficult to make friends also... don't need problems repeated, getting too old for this!! So, I'll finish my MBA and get a better job here. If I still feel urge to go, will after she graduates, unless situation dictates otherwise! :)

I don't live here for the lengthy growing season, that's for certain.

I grew up and worked down in the Hudson Valley of New York and vacationed in the Adirondacks. When my work responsibilities started preventing me from getting away even on weekends or holidays, I knew it was time for a change. Since the work I do requires only that have access to a phone and internet connection, I can pretty much live anywhere I want. So in 2000, I moved full time to the mountains I love.

Life is good. Not easy, but good.

Wayne.

What a great thread!

I grew up near the Great Lakes and when I met my DH (a Texan) he was open to living anywhere but he had a good job here in Tx so I moved down. We've since lived lots of places (cities and states). We loved our stay in Colorado (so scenic) but the cost of housing was higher than we'd seen in Tx.

We moved back to Tx to the Bryan/College Station area but the wages there were way below for skilled trades that we had seen everywhere else we'd been. After struggling there awhile and scoping out the other Tx towns we decided San Antonio was a city we could live near for the rest of our lives! There is always work, housing is CHEAP (taxes somewhat high on property but considering NO state income tax it's a trade off), work near this city pays more to national scale and while growing still tries to maintain that small town community feel with lots of things going on.

Edited to say: Oh yes, the biggest reason I like Texas, I LOVE the weather, and here on the eastern side you still have all the green! I don't think I could ever live with snow again.



This message was edited Apr 26, 2006 10:38 PM

I grew up in Nebraska and dreamt of living in Florida until I met someone who told me about the humidity, bugs, lizards and such. Lived in Louiseville, KY for three years and loved it. Ended up in California. Lived in Orange county and then when I had to buy a house on my own I would first look at the soil and then at the house. That is how I found this house. Great soil, it is an aluvial fan, so drains well and is fertile.

You can tell where my priorities lie.

I was born in Colorado, grew up in Southern California, lived one year in Phoenix (my dad's job), moved to San Diego when my husband got a job there. We were divorced and I eventually remarried and moved to Hawaii, where my husband was from, lived there for 12 years, moved back to Southern California when we were divorced and then to the very north of Northern California (extremely beautiful but no jobs there), then moved to Utah to raise my son for the good family atmosphere (we had been there a lot and loved the mountains), and then eventually here to North Carolina when my son went into the Air Force and my other two children lived here. One of my daughters had come here because my son-in-law was in the Army and they wanted to stay when he got out, and my other daughter moved here to be with her sister. So I came to be near the kids and grand-kids. I never wanted to live in the southeast, but God had a different plan for my life. I have been here for 19 years and now have 11 grandchildren and step-grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren. Seven years ago one of my daughters and her family and myself bought a house together, so she does the cooking and I do the gardening. We renovated part of the lower level of a tri-level into a very large, bright and airy apartment. I have had health problems, so it has been a good decision to be in the same home. So that's it in a nutshell.

Was born in Cowtown Texas. Lived on the West coast and have lived on the East coast. I have never found nicer people anywhere than Texas. Daughter lives in New York and flies home once a month just to chill. She cant believe that drivers still wave to each other here as that just dosent happen up there. True the weather will always amaze you (we were out by the pool on New Years day,not the norm and hit 101 on Easter, not the norm).
Dont see us ever leaving here but ya just dont know where the wind may blow ya !!

Simple answer- I was born here. I have lived just east of SaintLouis in Illinois and central Lower Pennsula Michigan but we eventually just came home. Now I couldn't be torn away with wild horses. Marshall Missouri just two blocks from my grandparents house where I was born.

I live in Oregon because my hubbys job brought us here in 1972. For a long time I wanted to move back to Washington because I missed family and Puget Sound, I grow up on the water. However older family members are gone and I have grown to love Oregon. I moved to beaverton just over a year ago to be closer to son and granddaughter. Also because of health problems, it makes things much easier for me to be closer to stores etc. I would love to try living, for a short time, in other states but I could not leave my son and family, we are so close. My other son is in Fl. and i miss him so. Oregon is really a beauitful state.

I live in north Mississippi because that is where my son, dil, and three grandchildren are... and my mom, too. My mom is in failing health, so we want to be near her doctors and the regional medical center.

My job is in Memphis, and I have traveled lots of places through the years... so I kinda have an idea of what it's like in other places.

I was born in Croswell MI and lived there until I was eight. We moved to Memphis for better employment opportunities for my father. It was an extreme culture shock for that little girl that I was. I couldn't understand the people when they talked; it was so hot in the summer; there was no place nearby to go swimming... Went to college in east TN, loved the mountains... Married someone from Birmingham AL. We moved to North Little Rock AR for 1-1/2 years, then back to B'ham, then back to Memphis. We divorced, and my family (my support system) was here, so I stayed here, living, through the years, all within 20 miles, in Memphis TN, Walls MS, Southaven MS, and Olive Branch MS.

I still have strong longings to return to Michigan. I have such wonderful memories, but like others who have posted, everyone there has moved or passed on. I remember the small town atmosphere, leaving the doors unlocked and the keys in the car, the cool summer evenings, the lake, the cherry orchards, the raspberry patches, the pea trucks...

My son, DIL and I are talking about moving to the country with some kind of a mother-in-law wing on the house so they can have their privacy, and I can have mine! I can't imagine living too far from them. My grandchildren are the blessing God saved to the end! It is awsome watching them grow and learn!

I just want to have a place that I can play in the yard, that is not too far from a place to find a variety of plants and shrubs, etc. I love my gardening!

I live here just north of Pittsburgh because it's kinda 'back home' again after 32 years.

I was born in Central PA. The job market was very depressed in the early '60s in that part of the country, so DH went to Cleveland, and got a job with The Euclid Division of General Motors which built heavy off road construction equipment. That job eventually moved us from the Cleveland suburbs to Hudson, Ohio when the government forced Gm to sell Euclid (something about GM monopolizing the field) The new GM division in Hudson became Terex.

In 1982, 6 months after my DH had a heart attack and heart bypass surgery, GM suddenly sold Terex to a German Company. Dh took layoff status with GM (rather than selling his17 years time with GM) then went to work with the German company and hoped for a call from any GM factory to return to work for GM.

That call from GM came in May of 1983 to the GM Truck and Coach Plant in Pontiac, MI. So off husband went to Michigan, while I stayed in Ohio for 2 more years to get kid through college and on her own.
Then I joined DH.

In 1997 we decided it was time to retire. We really searched our souls long and deep trying to decide where. We both hated Michigan, so that was not a consideration. We had done a lot of motorcycle traveling over the years and loved several parts of the country we had visited. Colorado was considered, as was Idaho and Arizona and West Virginia. But in the end we decided that family was most important to have near by. And knowing our children, they would be put under more stress than necessary if we needed help and they were too far away to provide it. ( Both DH and I have medical issues)
The daughter that lives in Ohio also has medical issues and her husband is an only child, so he was already taking care of his Mom and his wife. We didn't want to take the chance of adding us to son-in-laws burdens.

Daughter #2 had settled North of Pittsburgh after she left a Pittsburgh convent. We liked the area that she was in and the motorcycling is great around here. Plus we are just about 100 miles from where we grew up ( there is a lot of family still there) and going 100 miles or less in many directions we can see a lot more of our families including the daughter in Ohio. So here we are. It has been 8 years since retirement....and life is good!

We were both born close to New York City, both married and moved to the next county, Nassau, when we each married and raised our families there.

We moved out here, the North Fork of the eastern tip of Long Island, when Jack (my DH) retired from a life of banking. We each had two story homes before and wanted one level life and lots of room to garden, which we have.

We're five blocks from the heart of town but it feels as though it's miles away. We're on a peninsula of about 40 homes and love the summer breezes, four seasons, and the way the others keep their homes looking so nice.

My son is 90 minutes away and so is Jack's middle daughter. His other two (also adults, married, children) live more than 3 hours away, in New Jersey. My daughter lives 12 minutes away along with my two grandchildren.

Life is beautiful!

Pirl, that sounds really nice! I believe you must live in a beautiful place :)

Flowr,

You should see her posts on her gardens! Incredible for sure!

Flowr: Aimee is the official cheerleader for our gardens and a real sweetie - just so you know.

It truly is lovely out here. One neighbor has a Guatemalen garden worker who doesn't speak English. They came over one day to get some plants. He stopped, looked around and spread his arms wide and said "Guatemala!!!!" We love to hear compliments like that.

I grew up on a small farm in southeastern Vermont and moved to southwestern New Hampshire when I got a job as a farm machinery mechanic there. I met my wife here and we purchased 5 acres of land and built our own house. (We did not have much money then so we cut our own timber, had it sawed at a small local mill and started building in the following spring. We worked on it nights and weekends and it took us 8 months to get it closed in enough so we could live in it.) We are still living here, still working on the house. I still work on equipment but switched to heavy construction equipment in 1988. We will be celebrating our 31st anniversary on May 17. This is where both our roots are and we enjoy the different seasons. The long winters make spring that much sweeter, plus give me a chance to play in my greenhouse which tend to keep the winter blues at bay.

Ben, welcome to DG! Glad you are making a GO of it!

Pirl,

That is the biggest compliment you can get at your gardens now isn't it! How wonderful that YOUR gardens could remind someone of home!

Thanks darius, I'm new to DG (just shy of a month) This is a great place. I have acquired so much information and help here it's unbelievable.

Thanks, Aimee, it makes the work worthwhile.

WELCOME to Bensen! DG is a great place. So many people are of such help and support. It's pure pleasure.

About six years ago we took a mid June trip up to the Lupine Festival in New Hampshire. What a lovely sight to see all those fields filled with native lupines. Do try it sometime if you haven't yet.

Welcome Bensen!!

Thanks FlowrLady, nice to be on board

Hi all.
This is so very interesting!! I love seeing why people live where they do, mainly because we're trying to decide whether or not to move and where to. I can't see or hear of an area without trying to imagine what my life would be like there, new experiences, new places to explore and maybe the feeling that you were "meant to be" somewhere else and haven't found it yet. Maybe that's just because I love trying out living in different places and we've been in the same place for too long.. Born in Southern California, then to Virginia, then back to Los Angeles, then to Modesto, California, then back to Southern California (Whittier), then Yuma, Arizona, then back to S. California (Seal Beach), then Hawaii, then Seal Beach, back to Hawaii, Back to S. California (Laguna Beach ), met husband, then Davenport, Iowa, back to S. California (Venice), (Laguna Beach), back to Iowa, back to California (Martinez, Pacheco), then to Whidbey Island, Wa., then to Fallbrook, Ca and we've been here about 23 years now, so am thoroughly bored. Said we'd stay here til son was out of school and he's 33 now so I guess it's okay to leave! I always think that I do envy those who've grown up and stayed in one place. You have that continuity of life, all of the familiar places that hold memories and nostalgia for you, people you've known all of your lives. What I long for now would be "the old family homestead that holds all of the memories and associations of several generations", something to feel rooted to, that's unchanging in our all too complicated world. Those of you who have that are indeed lucky; when you've moved around a lot, there is the tendency to feel that you've left various parts of yourself in different places, never able to be able to recapture all of the parts of yourself, to be a whole person again. Most people tend to go where their jobs are and that's limiting, but it also gives you a "starting point", certain parameters within which to work. Like remodeling instead of building, when you have the freedom to choose, sometimes the choices are too many and it would be better to have a certain number of things already decided for you. Because my husband was in construction we were always able to say, "let's go live here or there for awhile". Of course that's when there was reliably more work. I won't keep writing the book here, just to say that it's gotten far, far, far too crowded in our little area and we're feeling the need for a new adventure and seeing where everyone else lives and why and how they feel about it gives me the chance to try to imagine if that's the place for us. Thanks for all of your stories.
Sherry

OK, I was born and raised in Norfolk, VA. Moved to Balitmore for a job for a little over 2 years. Then back to VA (Richmond) with the same company. Decided I wanted to go "home" so I moved back to Tidewater and found a place in VA Beach. Joined the Jaycees at 30 yrs old with the sole purpose of finding a husband (LOL) and I did! My DH was born in Panama (Navy family) and lived in Dryden, NY and then settled in VA Beach. We met in Feb of '91, married in '93 lived in VA Beach until '99 - had a daughter & son and then decided we'd had enough of the "transiant" atmosphere (due to the Navy) and wanted a change. Our first choice was Jackson Hole WY (where we got engaged) but soon realized we would only be able to afford a tent if we lived there. next was New England (we like seasons) but no jobs for DH (banking). We then figured, let's try 90 miles up the road in Richmond. I loved it when I had lived here before and knew we could find a neighborhood that had "settled families". We both work for the same company and have lived her 7 yrs and I love it! We lucked out and found a house on a half acre (which is small to some but big when you think of neighborhoods) and nothing had been done landscaping-wise. It was a clean canvas to design on. I will post before and after pics tonight.

Our dream is to retire in the mountains somewhere. We love Smith Mtn Lake as well as the mountains around Charlottesville, so one of these days......

Whoo, I'll try to abbreviate this one.

Born in New York.
Family moved to New Mexico.
Grew up, moved to West Virginia.
Moved back to New Mexico.
Moved around New Mexico.
Artesia, Roswell, Carlsbad, Alamagordo, Ruidoso.
Married in New Mexico.
Divorced.
Moved to Oklahoma.
Moved all over the map.
Moved to California for a few years.
Got married.
Moved back to Oklahoma.
Divorced.
Married.

And I've been here since 1993. No more divorces for me, please.