What do you like about Indiana? (Indianapolis, Fort Wayne: apartment complex, amusement parks, neighborhoods)

[ChickeyDuck]

Originally Posted by acegirl

Couldn't agree more! I'm new here but a longtime lurker. I have to say, I was one of those who couldn't wait to 'get out of Indiana'- last year we moved to Florida & I have to say, what an eye-opener! Only now can I appreciate what I had back home, and it was pretty darn good. I left behind my family, great friends, great schools, seasons!, I could go on... to live by the ocean. Well, I'll tell you what- I liked the ocean alot more when I lived in Indiana. I can't even enjoy here in Florida because I'm too preoccupied with horrible traffic, crappy humidity, bugs, critters & unidentified crawly things (I really didn't know Florida had scorpions), the WORST drivers I've ever encountered, poor schools, no sense of community, I could go on here too.... Simply put, I cannot wait to get back home in Indiana! I've learned my lesson, the grass is NOT always greener

HI acegirl
I too am a Hoosier living in FLorida...AND HATE IT! You never realize how good it was back home. The thing I miss the most, besides my family, is humble & friendly people. The people down here are so RUDE! The Driving here is insane! Even at the grocery store they stand in the middle of aisle ways and won't move. I don't think they know what the word EXCUSE ME & Thank You means. I'm sorry, but I seen other people comment on Florida a couple days ago, but it was deleted. Everything I read that people were saying about Florida...IS TRUE!
Anyway, I get to make a two week trip home in June....I'm so excited
My Schedule:
Holiday World/Splashin Safari
BLue Springs Cavern
Marengo Caves
Lincoln's home and Musuem
Indiana Railway Musuem
Brown County(Nashville)
Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame Musuem
A League of their Own is one of my favorite movies...AND I can't wait to see the field they filmed in, in Huntinburg & the Musuem.
Hmmm, not sure if I missed something....LOL!
Then at least three days in my home town of Lafayette.
Can't wait to get an Arni's & or Pizza King Pizza
Frozen Custard....mmmmm a Fruit Drink!
And Christos for a good ole' Philly Wrap & Beef Barely Soup.
Oh I can't forget about O'Charley's....Prime Rib...mmm!
*I know I'm not going to want to come back to Florida after this trip, but my husband might miss me

[PixiStix]

LOL, you sound just like me! We are coming back to IN for part of the summer & I can't wait! Luckily (or unluckily?) our house hasn't sold yet due to the bad market so we at least have a place to go back to- I told my husband, you will be pulling me kicking & screaming onto that airplane when it's time to fly back to FL.

And you're exactly right, the people here are so different. All walks of life here, it's just so transient. Everyone pretty much does their own thing & do not want to be bothered. And yes, rudenss abounds! I really miss the good, honest, down to earth people back home too. And those are the people I want my kids to grow up around. I'm just so uneasy here. It's hard to explain but I know it will never be 'home'.

I saw some vacationers the other day in the grocery store & they had Colts gear on. We struck up a conversation & I jokingly asked them if could hitch a ride back with them

[Zig'sbird]

What do I like about Indiana? To put it simply, it's home.

I love the first snow fall of the season.
I love the leaves turning during the fall.
I love the month of May.
I love the fact that Indy seems small to me, until I take city streets to go from Greenwood to Fishers.
I love trees.
I love the fact I can make a deal with a farmer and buy a half of a cow or hog and know that it was not fed a ton of crap.
I love the fact that the majority of the people believe in community, both on the local level and federal level.
I love the fact that the state of Indiana supports it's National Guard soldiers in Iraq.

Have I been outside of Indiana? I've spent some time in: Arizona, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, Germany, Kosovo, Kuwait and Iraq. So, yes, I do appreciate Indiana. However, like someone else mentioned, if I could move the whole state to an area where the temperature was 70 year round, I would rename it heaven

[Zig'sbird]

Originally Posted by Lyncass

Hi, I'm new here. I live in Delaware and I loathe it!! Pollution,crime and expense cause me much stress! This sounds crazy but I've been searching for "Bedford Falls" to move away and start over. I found this website today and I love hearing how you all really love your state! I long for clean air and a safe neighborhood. I work 2 jobs and it is taking forever to save for a house, but you don't get much for the money here. Every one here are to busy to wave "hello",much less say it! Enough rambling, I noticed Bedford on you're map and I'm curious If anyone has been?

Welcome aboard.

Bedford Indiana? I've been through it a few times. It's in the southern part of the state. It's a small town and seems nice. Outside of that, I really don't know any more.

[Jaxson]

I got an email from a friend reminding me of another reason I love living in Indiana that we get to witness. I asked her if I could share it here so enjoy reading about an amazing day trip!

We drove straight north up into Amish country. All the ladies had their wash hanging out on the clothes line. The children were getting out of school and jumping on their bikes and riding. The little girls had on black capes and black bonnets. They looked so cute.

Amish guys were riding bikes around over the countryside going from one place to another and some were in buggies. I saw one Amish guy and 2 children leaving a grocery store in their buggy. It has to be so discouraging to them seeing all the English flourishing around in the cars and trucks. How do they not covet us and our faster transportation? DH said some of them surely do.

I didn't see any young girls out this trip or any women. It was a beautiful day. I did see one woman out taking clothes off the clothesline. We went close to where there was an Amish grocery. I like to stop at those and buy bulk items but I had to go to the bathroom so we pressed on.

I saw lots of sheep and 1 lot of about 50 goats. They all looked so pretty with their winter coats on. One man had his huge work horses out pulling a wagon with a water tank on it filled with something. We saw mules laying on their sides out in the fields sunning themselves. And we noticed that almost every maple tree had a bucket on it catching sap for maple syrup. One woods
was full of the buckets hanging on trees and their was a little building out in the woods. DH said that was probably their sugar shack where they cook the sap down into syrup.

Just something to think about when you are stuck in traffic going to and fro. My family does this kind of day trip to Amish country 2-3 times a year and I always come home having learned a little something of life in simplier times. Got to love Indiana for it's diversity!

[judy3]

I like Indiana because it isn't all about one thing. I don't think people flock here to fulfill something in themselves that they think they need to witness or experience necessarily. People aren't landing here halfway on the way to somewhere else either. I live about 30 minutes away from downtown Indianapolis. I can go there for a winning pro football team. I can be at one of the nicest minor league baseball parks there. I can go see the 500 race. I can be in Chicago in a little over 3 hrs. I can be at the derby in Kentucky in a few hours. I can go up north to the great lakes, I can visit Amish country up north. I can go a little over an hour south and be in the hilly southern area that in Fall has a glorious display of color, in an artists community. There are major universities in this state. If you believe in the philosophy about it's the journey of a trip, and not the destination that is most remarkable, Indiana might be a state for you. Only you, are the journey. You provide whatever you are to the Indiana equation. If you aren't happy, Indiana will not be for you. If you've seen the movies, HOOSIERS, or BREAKING AWAY you have seen an example of what goes on here. Most of it is a belief that things will be good. I have read about people wondering if they will fit in here or there. I have lived here all of my 50+ years and there is no place in this state that I have been made to feel less than welcome. No one has ever forced their political views, or their religious beliefs on me. People have mentioned what theirs are, and when I mention mine, that is where we leave it. There are people here from every country and state. I have been in states where people have told me that the natives notice the plates on your vehicle and will make impressions about you from that. Bring a good attitude here, and you will be met with a good attitude. What may be described as a less than picturesque landscape is made up for a million times over in the spirits of the people here who are generous of heart. A landscape will not sit up with you all night when a tragedy falls out of the sky into your lap, but the kind of people I have known here all of my life most definately will.

[CountryGal05]

Hi guys,
I am a hoosier also. I have lived here my whole life. I am from Muncie, then i moved to Noblesville and now i live in Indianapolis. I am one of those ppl who would LOVE to move out of state. But after reading this i am not sure if i want to. I really want to live south. Like lets say TN, or even AL! I would love it. I am not a "big city" kinda gal. I do love Indiana tho. I was raised here. thats all i know "Hooiser"...haha but i am sure when i do move away it wont be for long. Just like the rest of you. I will be back! haha but i am not leaving any time soon. But i would love to see the rest of our country. I have been to a couple other states, and most of you are right. Not everyone is nice. But there are ppl here who are as rude and the ppl you talk about. I have met them! Believe me! haha but i think you will find that everywhere. Now i have never been to the Southern part of Indiana. I would love to see it. The rolling hills...does anyone have any pictures? Or even to just live 2 miles away from my neighbor would be alright with me. Well its been fun. See ya'll soon...

[Jaxson]

Originally Posted by judy3

I like Indiana because it isn't all about one thing. I don't think people flock here to fulfill something in themselves that they think they need to witness or experience necessarily. People aren't landing here halfway on the way to somewhere else either. I live about 30 minutes away from downtown Indianapolis. I can go there for a winning pro football team. I can be at one of the nicest minor league baseball parks there. I can go see the 500 race. I can be in Chicago in a little over 3 hrs. I can be at the derby in Kentucky in a few hours. I can go up north to the great lakes, I can visit Amish country up north. I can go a little over an hour south and be in the hilly southern area that in Fall has a glorious display of color, in an artists community. There are major universities in this state. If you believe in the philosophy about it's the journey of a trip, and not the destination that is most remarkable, Indiana might be a state for you. Only you, are the journey. You provide whatever you are to the Indiana equation. If you aren't happy, Indiana will not be for you. If you've seen the movies, HOOSIERS, or BREAKING AWAY you have seen an example of what goes on here. Most of it is a belief that things will be good. I have read about people wondering if they will fit in here or there. I have lived here all of my 50+ years and there is no place in this state that I have been made to feel less than welcome. No one has ever forced their political views, or their religious beliefs on me. People have mentioned what theirs are, and when I mention mine, that is where we leave it. There are people here from every country and state. I have been in states where people have told me that the natives notice the plates on your vehicle and will make impressions about you from that. Bring a good attitude here, and you will be met with a good attitude. What may be described as a less than picturesque landscape is made up for a million times over in the spirits of the people here who are generous of heart. A landscape will not sit up with you all night when a tragedy falls out of the sky into your lap, but the kind of people I have known here all of my life most definately will.

Very nice description judy3. Love that last line because it is so true in my experience living in IN pretty much my whole life. Tried CO and FL but always came back home again to Indiana!

[canda]

Hello canda here I live in harrison county indiana work in new albany Indiana,there are alot of caves in harrison county alot of lakes in harrison and washington county as well.
Alot to do.we do alot of traveling which is fun.we are relocating to north carolina to closer to family there.I was raised in Indiana.it is what you make it but if you live in the country such as us.you have to alot of driving to get to anything.but that is part of it.

[plantfreek]

I like that it's not as freezing cold in the winter as Minnesota where I'm from. I wish there were more lakes to fish in cuz the only one near me here in Bloomington is so dirty I don't want to eat the fish I catch. If anyone knows of good fishing lakes within 60 miles of Bton I'd appreciate hearin about them. I get very homesick for the lakes I grew up around in Minnesota and being able to go fishing would ameliorate some of the homesickness. Thanks.