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Just curious as to what your family and friends from your home thought about NC when you told them where you were moving. And what they think now that you are here and they have visited you. I just thought it would be interesting to hear these answers. Thanks in advance for sharing.
Hello! My friends and family knew that we were looking for a change and most were supportive. We are extremely fortunate and happy to be here. We feel blessed everyday to experience the beauty and serenity of the area we chosen and have no regrets. Those who have visited also love the area but will be staying where they are. Most of the negative feedback we have received was from those who could not believe that we could sell everything and move across country. We just got burned out with the fictitious "keeping up with the Jones'" mentality with which we previously surrounded ourselves.
Aside from the sorrow we were leaving our entire network of friends and families, the majority of people had heard great things about this area and were jealous. My mother was the only one who made comments about crime and such, but she has always been dramatic and goes on heresay, not actual information.
I had one friend who, prior to visiting, was adamant he would never ever leave his native state (Ma) no matter how good I made the triangle sound. He came down for 4 days and afterwards he mentioned that he and his wife fell in love and they would be keeping their eyes out for job transfers down here.
My mother, ha gone from hating it (due to that awful awful crime ya know ) to falling head over heels in love once she had been here. Now she is counting down the months until retirement so she can move down, be closer to her grandkids, and enjoy the slower paced lifestyle here.
So all in all very positive feedback from visitors.As for us, we love it here with all our heart and soul
in general my family was supportive, but it took my mother about 4 years before she stopped asking when we were going to 'move back home'. it was another few years before she stopped referring to my visits there as 'coming back home', rather than the visits they were. i know thats probably being very picky...but i always sensitive about it. my parents are emmigrated to the u.s. over 40 years ago & when they visit europe, they always call it 'going home'...and in my head i always think, helloooo you have lived here longer than there, plus you married here & had 4 kids here, doesnt that qualify moreso as home? home, to me, is where you hang your hat! as for their views, although my parents are european born, they have a very 'yankee' mentality & as such, have stereotypical views of the south. they have visited several times & always make comments (to us) about not being able to understand southern accents...which makes me just roll my eyes.
My family and friends still ask me when I'm going to return home -- after sixteen years. I never entertained the idea of ever moving anywhere until a few short months before I actually up and moved. I think they were all shocked.
But my ex-husband and his wife followed me down three months later. They apparently thought I had a really good idea. Then her sister lived here for a while.
In many respects, I feel like I let some people down by moving here. Some people can handle long-distance friendships, and some can't. I talk to my sister nearly every day. I talk to another friend once every couple of weeks, and she's visited a few times, and those are always joyous times.
I had one close friend who just wasn't so comfortable on the phone and wasn't into email. But when I went up there to visit, I felt like I'd just seen her the day before, and it was wonderful. But I felt very sad that we missed so much time together. She died not long ago (far too young), and at her memorial, there were about 1,000 people. It was held in an auditorium. A great many of those people were ones she'd met after I left. Previously, we'd go out every single weekend, with our husbands, always finding fun events. A couple times we even vacationed together and drove all the way down to North Carolina to the Outer Banks.
So after I left town, she went out and made not just one but many new circles of friends, and started her own groups (dancing librarians, knitting groups, Great Dane rescue, among just a few). It was amazing to me how brilliant she was at bringing people together, and she had a great sense of humor that I miss so much.
I visited her twice after her diagnosis. It just brought to the forefront how much I had missed not having her as a friend (in the same city). I was also not there for her when she was going through all the horrors of illness. I was needed, but I wasn't there.
So moving from one's friends and family is a big deal and is not to be taken lightly. Sometimes you don't realize what a big deal it is until years later.
Last edited by lovebrentwood; 04-03-2009 at 11:15 PM..
DH and I had toyed with idea of moving out of RI for a couple of years but hadn't really discussed it with family. Our kids are grown and live elsewhere. When we visited for the first time in 1/08, we fell in love with this area and knew we wanted to make this our home. My family (dad 83, 2 sisters, nieces/nephews) did not want us to go but understood why we wanted a change. Our house sold in 3 weeks and then reality set in. We moved here 4/15/08. My sisters were very upset and couldn't understand why we would even consider "leaving the family". Guilt trips galore!! I can honestly say that nobody had any pre-conceived notions about NC and this area in particular.
Fast forward almost one year. We so love it here. We know we made the right decision and this is truly home. We miss nothing about RI except our families. Not one thing to complain about. My dad has already visited twice and he loves it here. My sisters have not yet ventured down but they work full time and don't have a lot of free flowing cash for trips. Both of our children have visited, my daughter from China last July and our son/his wife have been here 3 times. They all loved it but will not be moving here. We recently went back to RI for the very first time since our move and couldn't wait to get back to NC. No regrets here.
I am from Long Island, NY and when we told family and friends we were moving to NC, I might as well have said "hicktown", USA. Most people had preconceived notions of what it was like to live in the South, although none ever did and certainly never visited this area. Passing through on I95 on the way to Florida is not a expert imo.
My father in law said we would never make a healthy profit on a home if we bought in this area. Guess what? 6 years later my inlaws just bought a villa 10 minutes from us. Guess he changed his mind. Glad we didn't listen to him.
My advice is: Don't listen to family and friends, unless they have lived in a certain area.
I moved here from San Diego five years ago; lived a block off the beach. Most friends thought I had lost my mind...I got a lot of "hick" jokes. Now half of them have ditched California, and the other half are looking to leave.
It sounds like all of us transplants are happy as can be that we came. I know I have never felt so welcome before in my life. The minute we moved in we had families in the neighborhood who extended themselves to us. It is nice to drive down your street have people who will actually wave, or recognize you at the store and take the time to talk. Even if I have been ignorant about something local i.e. what meat product is on the BBQ platter lol, people are more than willing to help!
I am from Long Island, NY and when we told family and friends we were moving to NC, I might as well have said "hicktown", USA. Most people had preconceived notions of what it was like to live in the South, although none ever did and certainly never visited this area.
This is the answer I most expected, from people up North--it's certainly what you read in comments on message boards that people there make about Southerners any time it comes up, no matter what the topic of the discussion. Thanks for being honest, and I'm surprised more people haven't said this.
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My mother was the only one who made comments about crime and such, but she has always been dramatic and goes on heresay, not actual information.
) to falling head over heels in love once she had been here. Now she is counting down the months until retirement so she can move down, be closer to her grandkids, and enjoy the slower paced lifestyle here.
