Pros and cons of living in Maine? (car, cell phone)

[Purplecow]

Originally Posted by CabinCritter

I hope you can find the right doctor to see. Have you talked to the nearest facility to see if they know of anyone that fits your needs is in the area? Long shot but worth a try if you haven't already.

I somehow didn't see this post (I read this forum every day). Actually, no, I haven't found one. I think I should post this to the thread that talks about relocating to Maine when you're older, but, when you relocate to Maine when you're older, chances are that you're set in your ways medically. You know what you can tolerate and what you can't in terms of medication; you don't want a total stranger (doctor) telling you to take this and do that (I'm a vegetarian who doesn't smoke and drinks hardly at all, but with high cholesterol).

I hope some "fe-mollies" are on the forum, because I also take HRT (hormone replacement therapy). I swear by it, will have it pried from my cold dead hands before I give it up, and will travel back to my state of origin if necessary to continue taking it. That's why I want to go to Edmunston and see a French doctor. Whether right or wrong, I'm under the impression that French health care professionals are less regimented than American. (Of course, I may be totally wrong about this.)

I take only one other cheap old medication for nerves and blood pressure and aches and pains. Man, do I not want a young kid I never laid eyes on telling me he/she knows best about my health.

Sorry for the rant--and what exactly does this have to do with the price of Maine tomatoes ? Well, because it's Northern Maine, I have a very small amount of doctors to choose from.

[Purplecow]

Originally Posted by DauntlessDan

Friendliness, as far as the neighborhood where we live, I think I could lie by the side of the road with blood coming out of my mouth and people would just drive by.

Yeah, I'm also interested in where you live (general region). Before I left my Mid-Atlantic state for Maine, a good friend warned me how "cold" Mainers are. He had a fishing camp he sold a few years ago up in Canada, and said Mainers "have no sense of humor" and "think they're better than everyone else." I think he must have mixed Mainers with Canadians.

Mainers are the kindest people in the nation. With the exception of the Northwest, I have lived in the Three Corners, and find people especially in northern Maine so down-to-earth and helpful that I'm kicking myself for not moving here sooner.

The only thing that "hurts" is, well, Canada. I had never been to Canada in my life, and my first time over the bridge, they stopped me and asked me all kinds of questions, and scared the living daylights out of me. (Haven't been back since.) I find the folk from New Brunswick just a tad condescending (just a tad), but New Brunswick ain't Maine.

[Maineah_For_Life]

This is why I don't move to northern Maine. I have advanced health problem, and the lack of doctors is certainly a factor.

I'd love to live there, though!

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by DauntlessDan

One of my biggest cons about living and Maine, and some of the native Mainers might agree, is in order obtain a decent paying job one has to be licensed, certified or degreed with a Maine cert/license in the field sought. Never mind you just got through doing that exact same thing by another name for 10-20 years somewhere else. And just about EVERYTHING requires at least a certification.

I have not experienced that at all.

... Friendliness, as far as the neighborhood where we live, I think I could lie by the side of the road with blood coming out of my mouth and people would just drive by. Seriously. Wife and I get out on walks all of the time around town, people don't even acknowledge us....

Hmm, around here people stop in the middle of the road to have a chat. Nobody drives by you with out waving. ...

[Purplecow]

Originally Posted by Submariner

I have not experienced that at all.

No, and I'm actually surprised at that. The stereotype of Maine that ironically attracts people to come here, or at least vacation here, is that it is some brooding, windswept, Brontean place that condescends to remain a part of the Lower 48. I just with City Data would add more emoticons so I could put my favorite little ROFL guy at the end of that idea!

[DauntlessDan]

Submariner I guess it depends on what kind of jobs you are looking for. And what entity is posting them. It is good to hear that you have friendly people near you. I really can't say the same where I am. Maybe we just moved into one of those homogenous neighborhoods where everyone has lived there for 20+ years and are not open to "outsiders".

New North Mainer I am in a small town in central Maine. Actually wife and I have been to Canada (Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, St Jean Sur Richleau, Sherbrooke many times when we lived in the NEK of VT and western NY. Liked Montreal very much. Canadians we found to be mixed in their openness, like anywhere else. Again, maybe it is just the town I moved to. People here are CONGENIAL, but not FRIENDLY. Maybe again, I need to give them more time to warm up to us and find out that we are not here to change their town but just to fit in.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by DauntlessDan

Submariner I guess it depends on what kind of jobs you are looking for. And what entity is posting them. It is good to hear that you have friendly people near you. I really can't say the same where I am. Maybe we just moved into one of those homogenous neighborhoods where everyone has lived there for 20+ years and are not open to "outsiders".

That is a possibility.

For this Californian, maybe I just happened to move to a Maine town where folks 'from away' are accepted.

The predominate anti-away sentiment I have seen, has been here online. Not In-Real-Life.

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by DauntlessDan

Submariner I guess it depends on what kind of jobs you are looking for. And what entity is posting them. It is good to hear that you have friendly people near you. I really can't say the same where I am. Maybe we just moved into one of those homogenous neighborhoods where everyone has lived there for 20+ years and are not open to "outsiders".

New North Mainer I am in a small town in central Maine. Actually wife and I have been to Canada (Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, St Jean Sur Richleau, Sherbrooke many times when we lived in the NEK of VT and western NY. Liked Montreal very much. Canadians we found to be mixed in their openness, like anywhere else. Again, maybe it is just the town I moved to. People here are CONGENIAL, but not FRIENDLY. Maybe again, I need to give them more time to warm up to us and find out that we are not here to change their town but just to fit in.

Some towns have been kind of "over run" with people from away, and I think their welcome mat is not out in the same way as in the past, if you know what I mean. The locals don't like all of the changes. So it might make them less friendly to outsiders.
Not sure if that's the case in your town or not.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

Some towns have been kind of "over run" with people from away, and I think their welcome mat is not out in the same way as in the past, if you know what I mean. The locals don't like all of the changes. So it might make them less friendly to outsiders.
Not sure if that's the case in your town or not.

My guess is that new population growth means higher property values means higher property taxes. Natives tend to see newcomers with dollar signs attached—their own dollars, lol. I bet a lot of nice quiet native towns nearer the coast have seen so much growth that they're being overrun by tourism, too. That can't help those new in town.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

From above:

"Never mind you just got through doing that exact same thing by another name for 10-20 years somewhere else. And just about EVERYTHING requires at least a certification."

"I have not experienced that at all."

My wife was a certified teacher with tenure and teaching honors level English students. She has a masters degree. When we came home to Maine she could not get a job teaching because she did not have two specific undergraduate courses required to teach in Maine. One was a ticky tacky methods course and the other one had to do with Maine procedures. She had taught in six states because I was in the military. She ended up working here as an ed tech at 1/4 her previous salary because she loved teaching kids. After two years the parents nearly had a riot demanding that she be hired as a teacher and the local board finally relented and hired her as a teacher. Yes, Maine does have barriers to employment in the professions, but under the present administration those barriers are being taken away.

One other factor in the school's reticence was that nobody in the district had a masters degree and none of them had ever taught anywhere else. They did not want somebody who had taught in six states. They might bring in a different idea.