Why are people leaving Wyoming (Sheridan: homes, buying, living in)

[Kristynwy]

Lol I agree What is a normal is a good question

I totally know what you mean, I have heard great things about the teachers here...

[tiggyboo]

My earliest memories are from Cheyenne - then we moved forever after I got to be about 7 years old. I've been dreaming about Wyoming and Warren AFB ever since. I've been back for a few visits and really enjoyed it. I'd count myself lucky to make it back there permanently someday.

[prariethunder]

Are there people in the Sheridan area who have a Lawn Mowing Service/Landscaping business? A Sheridan real estate agent told me of a person who has so much business cutting grass he has to turn some folks away. I thought little grass grew in Wyoming to even have a lawn sevice . How "green" does Sheridan area get during summer? Are there only 3 months of a season where grass grows? I don't think this vicinity gets much rain. I bet there are much snow removal jobs. Do any of you local residents have thoughts??

[jkb826]

There are several lawn mowing and landscaping people around Sheridan. I am not sure where you got the idea about grass not growing in Wyoming. We have to have something to feed all the livestock our ranches raise each year. You come to Sheridan in late May - early June and it is so green that it reminds one of Ireland. Youusally start mowing you lawn in May and stop in September or so. There are snow removal but I don't think one could make a living doing it, especially these last few years. It is either feast or famine in that department and lately more famine than feast... Yes there is lots of grass here , after all we are on the edge of prairie. The rain has been less lately but for lawns alot of watering is done. Some years the city put restriction on lawn watering but not this last year.

[Earniefan]

There isn't much "grass" in the prairie and such in Wyoming. However in town we do have lawns that we water just like anyone else in any other state.

[llyy82]

I lived in Casper, Wyoming for a while and moved. I am originally from DC, so Wyoming was a big change. Still I didn't mind it so much. However, I had to move because there is a big problem with healthcare. It takes weeks to get a doctor appointment. There aren't very many doctors to choose from. Almost all of them only take Blue Cross and Blue Shields. If you have another insurance they won't take it and you have to pay upfront and then have your insurance refund you. It really was a hassle. There aren't many activities for children. Like for example the rec-center only offered the main things like tumbling, gymnastics etc. Not any preschool type classes for the little ones (since I was a stay at home mom). So, my little one was bored a lot. Not very many places to dine and shop. Since there wasn't much to do people went out to eat a lot. That was a problem because then my family and I would have to wait 30min. to 45min. to get a table at a regular restaurant like OUTBACK! The restaurants would be packed! The schools aren't very great either. Also there is a huge Meth problem! I didn't see beacause it didn't affect me but my husband was in the oilfied so he saw it a lot. Most of the users were from Casper. Therefore, I had to move. I wanted better for my family. My husband couldn't wait to get out of there. Still, it is a very natural beautiful state. I have never seen lakes so clean in my life. Really pretty.

[GingerSpice]

I moved to Southwest Wyoming in June of 05. Because the move allowed me to be a stay-at-home, I decided to put up and shut up about what Wyoming lacked compared to rural East Texas where I had grown up and lived my whole life.

But now I will list what it lacked:

TREES (THE LANDSCAPE)-GOD I missed the trees and grass. It was serious culture shock to be livin' in the desert.

HUMIDITY-who knew you could miss something like that....but it was SO DRY

SUMMER-cuz it never happens here...

MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS-self explanatory

APARTMENTS OR DECENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING-cuz they are few and far between in this town

SHOPPING-cuz there is next to nothing besides a Wal-Mart and a Kmart--we do sport a Staples and a Starbucks now--woo-hoo!

ISOLATION-because in addition to bein' a newcomer (which is a lonesome thing to be in a close knit Wyoming community)-outside of Rock Springs and Green River--the nearest place of any decent size is Salt Lake City, UTAH.

Having said that, we got the chance to move back down south (within two hours of our family and friends) after livin' in Wyoming for 18 months and I talked my husband into it even though he wasn't crazy about the idea.

We lived in Bossier City, La for less than a year and we are back in Wyoming. Unbeknownst to us, Wyoming got under our skin. What we liked about it..

THE LANDSCAPE--If you look at the landscape with love in your eye, it can be quite majestic. It can be some of the most beautiful land that God ever made.

HUMIDITY-To walk outside and not break into a sweat can be a thing of beauty.

SPRING-cuz they may not have summer here but spring lasts about 3 months and can be so nice and cool compared to the south..

MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS-Sometimes not havin' your momma or your MIL lookin' over your shoulder 24-7 can be enjoyable. Having a place near Yellowstone for family and friends to visit can be a bonus...VISIT I SAID.

APARTMENT OR DECENT AFFORDABLE LIVING- Who cares what the price is ..when you can afford it cuz your hubby works in the oilfield and makes the BIG BUCKS.

SHOPPING- You spend alot less money when you have no place to spend it.

ISOLATION-because to be around less distractions can make you closer to those you love (my kids and husband) and makes for some very beautiful landscape not to have it clogged with smog or over run with crowds.

I think we are in Wyoming to stay. And it's not lookin' like such a bad thing anymore....

[longjohn5864]

gingerspice----Now that is something to hear. Thank you. You have made it alot easier for me to move there in March. You gave pros and cons and put it together well. And I think you are right. It makes alot of sense. My husband landed a job in the mine and we are now buying a house. Your story has made me more anxious to get there. I am also coming from the big city. It sounds great!

[Earniefan]

Gingerspice - no summer in RS huh? I guess when I was sweatin' my ass off from June to August it was all my imagination. Good to know, I'll go ahead and remove that a/c from the window since I don't really need it. What the heck do you call summer?

[captmark]

...and their outlook on life. I keep coming across this tired old theme of "big city v. small town" on many different boards (not just WY). Frankly, it bores the hell outta me.
The fact is, we all know that many people living in the middle of large cities remain lonely and isolated, even though they apparently have unlimited opportunities to meet new people. Conversely, many individuals living in rural communities enjoy close friendships, even though their circle of contacts may be relatively limited. It all depends on the person and (more importantly) their ability to form new friends, no matter where they are.
As an example, I live in a large metropolitan area. A rather angry, depressed and anti-social fellow I know at work recently expressed an admiration for the situation of the Tom Hanks character in "Castaway"; he spoke enviously of someday finding himself in the same situation. His exact words were "If I could be marooned on a deserted Pacific island with a small house and an unlimited amount of provisions and selected books, I wouldn't need anything else, ever." I replied by quietly humming the tune to S&G's "I Am A Rock", while slowly walking away...
Bottom line: If you're someone who has a hard time meeting new people and making new friends, then you would be well advised to just stay where you're at. Also, if you don't have any real friends where you're now living, you probably won't be able to make any new ones by moving somewhere else, whether city or country. In that case, the problem isn't your location, it's YOU.
However, I've found that if a person is willing to make the effort, they can almost always find SOMEONE living in ANY AREA with whom they could share common interests and a friendship. That's because I know there are REAL AND GENUINE rodeo riders/cowboys living in L.A. and New York (State, anyway), just like their are REAL writers/art/food lovers making their home in Wyoming (there are also phonies and poseurs living in ALL those places, but that's a different story...)