Hi everyone,
I have read here for a long time and finally brought myself to respond here.
I am a CA native and moved at 31 years of age to the Gulf Coast, and then on to my husbands home town 30 minutes north of Fort Wayne. I've been here almost 9 years and it's been a hard transition (seriously)...but I have finally begun to acclimate and I am coming to love this place in many ways. Our child only knows IN and believes this is the greatest place on earth. So I can compare with the southwest...and I used to think that was the greatest place on earth but now I've started to realize there is green grass
everywhere.
People in In are as friendly as the friendly people anywhere else. Having lived in the south, I think Hoosiers rival the famous southern hospitality, except in my particular small town they are put off by "outsiders" and quite distant (which is unusual for Indiana). But everywhere else I have found the kindness to strangers to be genuine and plentiful. I find Fort Wayne to be an extremely friendly place (I live north of there). Indianapolis and the small towns between are just as friendly in my experience.
There isn't much to do, BUT, but, but......that is only the case when you are from an area like So. CA where you have everything at your fingerstips and have a short attention span and no patience(mountains, beaches, deserts, amusements parks, etc.). What I have learned is that the exchange for having to live with Disneyland in my back yard, versus living elsewhere and taking an occasional vacation to go there is WORTH IT. First of all, you can't even SEE a property with a couple hundred acres in places like CA, let alone OWN a couple hundred acres, like you can if you chose in IN.
Beaches here vs beaches on the coasts: waaaaaaaaay cleaner. And way more peaceful. And you don't have to share a 12 foot square patch of sand with 4 other families and their horribly rude children and terrible music choices.
Amusement parks: We do have amusement parks (in Santa Claus and Valporaiso) and they don't cost $80 per person to get in. And they aren't exactly like the "other" amusement parks that everyone on the planet goes to. They are different (what a concept!).
In NE Indiana we are close to wonderful places to visit - 3 hours to Chicago, Indy, Ann Arbor/Detroit. A couple more hours to Loiusville, Columbus, Cleveland, Milwaukee or Toronto. And honestly you can drive to any of them in the amount of time I used to sit on the 405 freeway on a Friday afternoon, just to get home. Looking on a map, we are central o some amazing family-type vacation spots in the country.
Traffic: (see end of comment above). There is no traffic. My child who was raised here thinks a traffic jam is when there are more than 6 cars at a light.
Scenery: well, in the northern part of the state it can get dull. But....it's better than concrete and apartment complex (as far as the eye can see), cookie cutter neighborhoods and industrial complexes flanked by Costcos and Wal Marts. But the scenery here changes because....
We have distinct SEASONS. Growing up in Orange County I only dreamt of seasons. I have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating the new life that every season brings as well as having multiple wardrobes (never in my life had that until living here so it was a novelty)! And people up here complain when it's over 90 degrees. That is considered mild for parts of CA and the south west.
The conservativism can be a drag when you were raised where it is more liberal, but the conservatives seem to me more tolerant in these parts than in other parts of the country. I have come to love and appreciate living among them because it makes life interestingly calm. I am now a Conservative Liberal
.
In Fort Wayne we have a fabulous Zoo....and we are close to other amazing zoos (see cities noted above, plus Toledo).
Ok, I've run on and on enough. But I have felt compelled to make a comparison for those who think it's just dreadful here. I want to add that if you are unhappy and discontented inside, it won't matter where you live...you'll still be unhappy and discontended - even in paradise. I speak from experience.
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HI acegirl
That Totum Pole has been in the same spot forever. When we all walked through there this summer, I just wanted to cry. It just wasn't the same at all. Ah plantlover, Lafayette is such a differnt place now. Some good and some bad. But we always have our treasured memories to hold on too.
Eats
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