Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I do regret it sometimes. I grew up near a larger city, but moved to a very rural area a few years ago. I've lived different places in between, but this last move is permanent.
I don't have access to a larger selection of vets and farriers as I did before, although I am quite happy with who I've found. It has taken me three years to get to this point though.
My hobby and sport, eventing, has been basically laid to rest. There are no trainers here, no instructors. The closest reputable one is one and a half hours away. The closest horsey area is two hours away. It's too costly for me to compete anymore, with trailering and such.
The small town here is stubbornly backward. Monopolies of business, communications, etc. stall any type of progress. Shopping local would be a pleasure, however there is nothing here that is worth buying; most of these stores are thrift type shops that look like Grandma's attic 4 years after she died. My money goes to stores online, and occasionally, to stores in larger towns one and a half to two hours away.
The scenery is beautiful. My friends and family like to visit, so that helps. I have made wonderful friends here as well. I have found other interests besides horses. My husband is successful in his profession so we are comfortable. But yes, occasionally, I wish I could drive 5 minutes to a Target.
If I may ask, why did you pick this town to move to since it doesn't seem to have many of the things you enjoy?
Junk/thrift/"antique"/craft booth type stores are commonly retail found in very small towns, if there is any at all, because there is little overhead. You don't have to work with suppliers, restock your inventory with vendors, etc. As long as you can pay the rent on the storefront, you're basically just housing your garage sale.
If I may ask, why did you pick this town to move to since it doesn't seem to have many of the things you enjoy?
That is an understandable question. We relocated here for my husband's job.
It does have many things I enjoy, but that was not the point of the answer. I didn't want to add back all the good things about the town, all the pros to counterbalance the cons, because I felt it was easier just to explain why sometimes I regret the move. The feeling of true regret is not often. I am quite happy here.
We moved to a very small town in NC in 1999 from a much larger place in Florida and prior to Florida we lived on Long Island. At first we loved it, everyone seemed friendly and there was little crime. However we began to realize that everybody knew everybody else's business and they loved to gossip especially about us, the damn Yankees.
There was also nothing to do in that town. They had a Food Lion, a Piggly Wiggly, a McDonalds, a Burger King and a mom & pop restaurant. That was it. No bowling alley, no movie theatre, no miniature golf. The highlight of the town was a fairly decent library. It was just too much of a culture shock for me at that time. I think I would have liked a smaller town that wasn't in the south, perhaps out west somewhere where you had hiking and kayaking and enough things to do outdoors in nature that you never missed anything else.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,031,425 times
Reputation: 46172
+/-, but my home is my 'retreat'. tough to do in the city (but possible if you have the $$$). I MUST have a barn / shop to tinker in, and a HUGE garden to get lost in. Tough to do in the city.
I like occasional trips to cultural events and activities in the city (and airports, I LUV international airports, 2-4 flights / month!), but those things are all easier to visit / access on demand / need.
I will cherish the QUIET tonight, as I do every night!
I see the 'foo-foo' dogs on leash in the city, and remind my farm dog how nice he has it!!!
never even seen a leash, or dog run / fence. FREEDOM, we like to run free!
BTW... I am one stoplight and 22 minutes from a million people metro (yet have a 50 mile un-interrupted view from my home). Close enough
+/-, but my home is my 'retreat'. tough to do in the city (but possible if you have the $$$). I MUST have a barn / shop to tinker in, and a HUGE garden to get lost in. Tough to do in the city.
I like occasional trips to cultural events and activities in the city (and airports, I LUV international airports, 2-4 flights / month!), but those things are all easier to visit / access on demand / need.
I will cherish the QUIET tonight, as I do every night!
I see the 'foo-foo' dogs on leash in the city, and remind my farm dog how nice he has it!!!
never even seen a leash, or dog run / fence. FREEDOM, we like to run free!
BTW... I am one stoplight and 22 minutes from a million people metro (yet have a 50 mile un-interrupted view from my home). Close enough
I grew up on a 500 acre ranch just north of San Antonio. We moved from there to the Fort Worth area when I was in 2nd grade. So my first memories are of our ranch life - which I loved. I haven't enjoyed the city life much, although that's all I've lived in since that move in 2nd grade.
Just wondering if my rememberings are just nostalgic.
I find it interesting the vast differences in opinion of what constitutes "small town" vs "big city".
I have lived everywhere from the typical suburban neighborhoods, to within the "big cities", to places so far out there that it's 30 minutes to the nearest gas station, and an hour to the nearest grocery store beyond the few items you can buy at a gas station or "general store".
My current town that I live in has a population of 6700 people, and is almost entirely residential. Our businesses consist of a single Shell gas station with attached Subway, two general stores (where you can get things like soda, chips, smokes, alcohol, but no produce), a post office, fire department, k-8 school, and recently a dollar store. That's it..period. No "downtown" area of any kind at all. Most of the properties are very scattered, with a few modern planned developments full of cookie cutter houses.
One of the towns I lived in while in Michigan had a population of roughly 1700, with many stores in a developed downtown area, an actual grocery store, plus developed residential areas around the downtown area comprised of largely early 20th century homes with modern subdivisions beyond that. Despite 1/4 of the population and land area, it felt MUCH bigger than the town I'm in now.
In my case, I don't so much regret moving to where I'm at now, as much as regretting taking a career path in technology that locked me into staying within a proximity of the big cities. Up until my recent move a year ago, I spent the preceding 15 years living within the "big city" suburbia areas. Never liked that life one single, tiny, bit. Yeah, sure, it was mighty convienent having 24 hour gas stations, grocery stores, auto parts stores, etc within 10 minutes of the house, but I never once felt like I could truly unwind and relax at home. It was just a constant barrage of noisy neighbors, barking dogs, cars flying down the streets, sirens, etc.
I wish I was even farther out there than I am now, on a bigger plot of land, but I don't want to be spending 4-6 hours a day just commuting. Part of me regrets settling in Arizona. But the thought of ever moving back to the city? I'd rather die.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,031,425 times
Reputation: 46172
Quote:
Originally Posted by lhafer
Thanks for all the replies!
I grew up on a 500 acre ranch just north of San Antonio. We moved from there to the Fort Worth area when I was in 2nd grade. So my first memories are of our ranch life - which I loved. I haven't enjoyed the city life much, although that's all I've lived in since that move in 2nd grade.
Just wondering if my rememberings are just nostalgic.
Roots are ROOTS... Even tho I grew up on a ranch near beautiful Estes Park CO, I am a born and bred Prairie kid, who is most 'at home' on the prairie where my Great Grands homesteaded while living in a 'dugout'. My very perceptive spouse commented this yr (37 yrs married)... "I can't believe how happy / relaxed, and fun you are when you are 'at home" (at my roots, NOT at my current home). Both Estes and the prairie work well to set me at ease, I imagine it is more of being FREE from home projects and interruptions than being restfully in Nirvana...(it was not that restful as a kid!)
Surprisingly, I was able to tolerate and even enjoy my stints in Singapore (5.5m) and Bangkok (6.5m) and Barcelona (1.5m). likely due to knowing it was only for a season that would soon end. Asia cities are fine for me, as on weekends the many Parks are EMPTY, cuz everyone is SHOPPING!. However... living on an island in BC drove me NUTS! (no escape except when ferry comes) https://www.google.com/search?q=thet...w=1182&bih=710
Sorry you had to leave the ranch in Grade 2! You missed a lot of 4-H fun (Just finished the "Wildgame Feed 4H Fundraiser" at my Hill Country TX home.) I'm STUFFED!
Of course there is ALL kinds of 'country'. I remember taking a couple cowboys home from the dance at Hawk Springs, WY (pop 45), I got to their driveway (snowing hard) and they said the house was another 14 miles off the road...!
I find it interesting the vast differences in opinion of what constitutes "small town" vs "big city".
I have lived everywhere from the typical suburban neighborhoods, to within the "big cities", to places so far out there that it's 30 minutes to the nearest gas station, and an hour to the nearest grocery store beyond the few items you can buy at a gas station or "general store".
My current town that I live in has a population of 6700 people, and is almost entirely residential. Our businesses consist of a single Shell gas station with attached Subway, two general stores (where you can get things like soda, chips, smokes, alcohol, but no produce), a post office, fire department, k-8 school, and recently a dollar store. That's it..period. No "downtown" area of any kind at all. Most of the properties are very scattered, with a few modern planned developments full of cookie cutter houses.
One of the towns I lived in while in Michigan had a population of roughly 1700, with many stores in a developed downtown area, an actual grocery store, plus developed residential areas around the downtown area comprised of largely early 20th century homes with modern subdivisions beyond that. Despite 1/4 of the population and land area, it felt MUCH bigger than the town I'm in now.
In my case, I don't so much regret moving to where I'm at now, as much as regretting taking a career path in technology that locked me into staying within a proximity of the big cities. Up until my recent move a year ago, I spent the preceding 15 years living within the "big city" suburbia areas. Never liked that life one single, tiny, bit. Yeah, sure, it was mighty convienent having 24 hour gas stations, grocery stores, auto parts stores, etc within 10 minutes of the house, but I never once felt like I could truly unwind and relax at home. It was just a constant barrage of noisy neighbors, barking dogs, cars flying down the streets, sirens, etc.
I wish I was even farther out there than I am now, on a bigger plot of land, but I don't want to be spending 4-6 hours a day just commuting. Part of me regrets settling in Arizona. But the thought of ever moving back to the city? I'd rather die.
This is us at the moment. Hubby is in the oil and gas industry, so it's quite likely Houston will be our home base until he gets out of that field either by leaving or retiring (but at 38, he's a long way from retiring!). We currently live in the Netherlands for another couple of years. Not sure where we will land next. But I do want/need some space!! I'm so tired of being around people all the time. I miss country life!
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit
Roots are ROOTS... Even tho I grew up on a ranch near beautiful Estes Park CO, I am a born and bred Prairie kid, who is most 'at home' on the prairie where my Great Grands homesteaded while living in a 'dugout'. My very perceptive spouse commented this yr (37 yrs married)... "I can't believe how happy / relaxed, and fun you are when you are 'at home" (at my roots, NOT at my current home). Both Estes and the prairie work well to set me at ease, I imagine it is more of being FREE from home projects and interruptions than being restfully in Nirvana...(it was not that restful as a kid!)
Surprisingly, I was able to tolerate and even enjoy my stints in Singapore (5.5m) and Bangkok (6.5m) and Barcelona (1.5m). likely due to knowing it was only for a season that would soon end. Asia cities are fine for me, as on weekends the many Parks are EMPTY, cuz everyone is SHOPPING!. However... living on an island in BC drove me NUTS! (no escape except when ferry comes) https://www.google.com/search?q=thet...w=1182&bih=710
Sorry you had to leave the ranch in Grade 2! You missed a lot of 4-H fun (Just finished the "Wildgame Feed 4H Fundraiser" at my Hill Country TX home.) I'm STUFFED!
Of course there is ALL kinds of 'country'. I remember taking a couple cowboys home from the dance at Hawk Springs, WY (pop 45), I got to their driveway (snowing hard) and they said the house was another 14 miles off the road...!
My oldest daughter is 10, and LOVES animals. She would be SO GREAT in 4H!! I was actually looking into getting her into 4H right before we moved here. Currently she's not doing 4H because they don't have that here, but she is doing horse riding lessons now.
I find I am most happy when I am on a trail in the mountains somewhere. I don't necessarily want or need to go back to Texas - but we probably will, at least for a while. But I'm so over the bugs, humidity and heat of the summer there! The PNW calls both me and my husband. We have been to Victoria, BC for 4-5 weeks each time the past 2 summers. WE absolutely love it there. Also really like Washington as well. Vancouver was okay - just a huge city feel. But Whistler was cool!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
