Love vacationing, love working?

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by dramamama6685

Sorry, but I REFUSE to believe driving could be worse anywhere other than Boston. (I still love ya' though).

Oh yes, Houston is worse.

So is Atlanta, GA; Detroit & Ann Arbor, MI; Downtown NY City; Portland, OR; Parts of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area. There are lots of places worse than Boston. Those just popped into my head, there are even some touristy area that during the summer are nightmares to drive and are a lot smaller than Boston. I hate driving with a pack of tourists, don't know where they are going, don't care how long it takes to get there, and somehow forget that everybody else on the road are not also on vacation.

Rubbernecking while slowing down to 2 MPH in about 2 feet. Maybe even stop in the middle of a busy road to take a family photo by a town sign. Love the one where they will pull into your driveway and wander across the yard looking for a place to have a picnic lunch in a "quaint location." Don't forget you have to pull across all lanes of traffic from the far right hand lane to make a left turn into a trinket shop that has been in plain sight for the last 3 miles. Oh yes, all of these I have seen first hand, all in small areas. Only seen the cutting across all lanes of traffic in a large area, (then is was across 6 or 7 lanes in downtown Lansing, MI. still don't know how they made it without getting creamed.)

[IfULivedHere]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

At the moment you have an idolized/romanticized image of the state. As long as you keep vacationing here, you'll always have that. Once you move here, though, the reality of living here could completely turn out to be not what you had expected.

...Everything was awesome for two or three years-until the newness wore off and the face behind the mask was not as pretty as I had hoped.

Everything everyone else said was absolutely true- MaineMthTeach,FBeeKPer, gunmo5,MS

But I think K-Luv hit the nail on the head at least for me. Maine is where we go now to escape our problems/stresses for one or two weeks a year. That's why people vacation. To move there and bring all those things with us would kill my romanticed image of it.

Bottom line - it's still my dream to move to Maine, but you've given me good reason to consider why and when. Maybe a better plan is to buy a little plot of land somewhere up there, perferably on one of those bodies of water you call a "pond" (everywhere else in this country it's a lake) and put up a tent a week or two a year until we can build a modest "green" cabin.

Thanks everyone now I can get back to work.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by dramamama6685

Sorry, but I REFUSE to believe driving could be worse anywhere other than Boston. (I still love ya' though).

LOL, while Boston drivers themselves (and "One Way" roads that get the direction changed from one week to the next) are a unique experience, the road layout and volume of traffic in Houston is something else.

If you come into Houston on Rt. 59, you suddenly go from a mild two lanes in each direction to a massive (correct me if I'm wrong, El) five or six lanes (more?) in each direction. Then you have several highways that circle the city, and all of the highways have multi-lane "feeder" roads running parallel to them, on both sides.

Not only is it tough to try to figure out how to get to where you want to go, but if you make a mistake and need to turn around it's a whole 'nother adventure.

[Elcarim]

That is absolutely correct, Z! It's crazy!! And it doesn't help that you're running with folks who are doing 80-90 mph. It's scary sometimes. They are actually expanding 59 now. It's 3 lanes in many places and it is scheduled to become a super highway over the next few years or so.

There is quite a maze of major freeways through and around Houston, and if you get on the wrong one, you could literally go for MILES without realizing it because they all look the same. The only way I've figured out to keep myself headed in the right direction, though I often end up on the wrong road, is by keeping downtown in sight. You can see downtown from 30 miles away - literally! If you can keep your bearings based on it's location to you, you can always find your way back to the right loop or freeway.

It gives "Goin' to Grandma's" a whole different spin!!

[BacktoNE]

LOL We always thought Boston traffic was the absolute worst, until we drove out here. Cleveland at 9 AM and Chicago at virtually anytime is 100X worse than Boston. Even Appleton itself, population the same as Portland, is worse than Boston! Not as much traffic but significantly worse drivers...who would've thought that was possible??

As for moving vs. vacationing. If budget allows, purchase a piece of land or a vacation cottage in your target area. Try to spend some real "living" time there as opposed to fun vacation time. It still won't be the same as full-time living, but it might give you a better idea if Maine is the right fit for you and your family on a full-time basis.

[Elcarim]

That's great advice. Corgis has a "summer" home in Eastport where they spend a significant amount of time each year, from what I understand. They consider it more home than their established home. I'm sure the more time you spend, the more you'll come to know in your heart whether or not you belong. Good luck!

[Zymer]

Another fun place to drive is the highway around Indianapolis, it's the Indy 500 all day, every day.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by Zymer

Another fun place to drive is the highway around Indianapolis, it's the Indy 500 all day, every day.

Been on that one.. went out for several years to the BOA National competition.. it was absolutely nuts!