For those of you who moved out of California - (Saratoga: job market, buying)

[Fontucky]

Originally Posted by Fargobound

LOL is Jerry taking too much of your money in taxes.

In Virginia?

[.highnlite]

Complaining because there is too much public land in California and it isn't in small pieces?

Just for your info. There are vastly more square miles of privately held ranch and farm land in California than there square miles in all of Oklahoma, which kind blows a hole right in the middle of your arguement.

Aldo Leopold said that a reasonable size for a wilderness is such that one can take a two week pack trip in it.

Doesn't mean one is by defination 'better' for everyone.

If you were to wander through every single post I ever made, and looked for any statement that I ever made, in which I inferred that anything is by defination 'better' for everyone you would have wasted your time, and come up empty.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by Fargobound

LOL is Jerry taking too much of your money in taxes.

I went off the grid and haven't filed CA state taxes in over 20 years.

[mountainrose]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

That was a lame attempt at an insult, or a personal attack, you are a Christian right?

Get this dearie. I have been around, I have seen more than most, and lived a life fuller than most, a purpose directed strenuous life. Instead of carping, from some suburban hell some place, take my advice. You will have a more interesting life if you do.

By the way, I would expect no attempts at insults lame or not from someone who titles themselves Mountain Rose, that disparages mountain roses across this great land.

For your benefit, high and light is a elevation to travel, and a way to travel, as a ski mountaineer, an entire universe I suspect you have no knowledge of.

Perfect response You couldn't have written a better confirmation than that. Hilarious!

And BTW I was both a down hill and cross-country ski instructor in the Sierras, Selkirks, Bitterroots, both Southern and Northern Rockies.

OP: Sorry for momentary hijack, couldn't resist---but to answer your thread question---both my husband and I were born and raised in northern CA for 40 years. We retired in the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Asheville, NC a few years ago after living in a few other states.

We researched moving back to CA to retire as we still have family and many friends there and visit often. Money and cost of living was not an issue for us, but as we researched CA more, we were too concerned with the downward spiral it was heading in, and being older we wanted a more peaceful, less crowded, and friendlier state. After much research, we chose Asheville area as it has many of the good qualities of CA (lots of organic farms with community/restaurant support, gorgeous landscapes and outdoor activities, strong arts and cultural activities, etc) without all the CA problems. Not saying NC doesn't have problems, but the Western Mountain area really met our needs better than CA.

And after living in 5 different states, we really responded to the quality of warmth, sincerity, and friendliness of the people here. Being retired, community became more of a priority to us and it is here in spades. It is a great area for retirees who want a healthy and vibrant lifestyle with tons of outdoor activities and great healthcare, plus it is a lot cheaper COL than CA for retirees.
But we are still rooting for CA's comeback as we know it has great potential.

You asked specifically why someone would move to the "Appalachians". Although there are certainly still pockets of hillbillies in the appalachians---it is a long chain of mountain ranges through many states with wide degree of cultural differences. The part we are in (Western NC, Blue Ridge and Smokies) are very progressive---more so than CA in many ways as the culture here tolerates and accepts people with different lifestyles or beliefs much more than CA does, believe it or not. There are Buddhists, Christians, gays, vegans, red-necks, PHds, illiterates, and more that all seem to get along with humor and affection amazingly better than anywhere else we've lived. Much of CA has become so narrow-minded and bigotted that it won't accept people with different views--just like hard-core conservative states. This was very refreshing for us to have independent thinkers and people who don't judge others so quickly until they really get to know them. I had the same predjudices before we checked it out with what little I actually knew bout the Appalachians and their rich mountain heritage, arts, craft, music, and farming culture.

[.highnlite]

No real Westerner, no real skier would move east of the 100th meridian, except for perhaps Maine, tough to give up mountains for hills.
Anyone can make stuff up.
Likely I am vastly familiar with western NC than you are, the place is full of my hilly billy relatives.

I find it telling that my dear old mum, a North Carolinian born and raised, has, for many decades, refused to visit NC in summer. Having spent time in NC and the East in summer, her decision makes sense. Willis Carrier should be named as the patron saint of the East.

[Febtober]

I moved from Orange County to Manhattan. I was only in California briefly and have no roots or ties there, so when a better job came along, it didn't take much for me to accept it. I'm happy with my decision.

[mountainrose]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

my hilly billy relatives.

BINGO!

[WeakandDizzy]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

No real Westerner, no real skier would move east of the 100th meridian, except for perhaps Maine, tough to give up mountains for hills.
Anyone can make stuff up.
Likely I am vastly familiar with western NC than you are, the place is full of my hilly billy relatives.

I find it telling that my dear old mum, a North Carolinian born and raised, has, for many decades, refused to visit NC in summer. Having spent time in NC and the East in summer, her decision makes sense. Willis Carrier should be named as the patron saint of the East.

Are you trying to tell me a real tough Westerner is scared of a little heat and humidity?

[anyam22]

[quote=SunnyTXsmile;27071311]Where's my "Team .Highnlite" campaign t-shirt? I know it's around here somewhere.

Though I'm typically a logical girl that goes with her head, this time heart won out. As you said, I decided, at this point in my life, to not trade landscape for a job. It would be shameful if I'd not at least taken away from the recent tragedy in my life the lesson that life is far too short, so live every day as if it were your last. For that reason, even though it made little sense on paper, CA won.

I love your attitude, Sunny, and fully agree (although I might not be able to live it if I were still in my younger career mode). I have been in Colorado for over 30 years now. I love it in the deepest part of my soul, and it has been...still is...very good to me. But there is one other place that I was never able to live, California, that carved out a sizable place right there with Colo. Now, retired at 65, single for the first time in my life, not especially well off financially, but ok there and I use EBAY to supplement, my heart is saying it's now or never. And really, at my age it is.

So in May, I'm going for it. I'm not moving the household. Shrinking it drastically now, putting it in storage and just taking my dog along for a year to see if I'm romanticizing or if California will be good for me. I figure I can always come home if I don't like it or get lonesome. (My ex and I did this same thing once moving to Mexico. We were definitely romanticizing that!)

I'm curious what part of California you chose. Landscape is very important. For me it's where I get strength and serenity. And, I'm willing to live smaller to have that.

[Reason42]

Originally Posted by mountainrose

Perfect response You couldn't have written a better confirmation than that. Hilarious!

...The part we are in (Western NC, Blue Ridge and Smokies) are very progressive---more so than CA in many ways as the culture here tolerates and accepts people with different lifestyles or beliefs much more than CA does, believe it or not. There are Buddhists, Christians, gays, vegans, red-necks, PHds, illiterates, and more that all seem to get along with humor and affection amazingly better than anywhere else we've lived. Much of CA has become so narrow-minded and bigotted that it won't accept people with different views--just like hard-core conservative states. This was very refreshing for us to have independent thinkers and people who don't judge others so quickly until they really get to know them...

...it is a valiant attempt, but I doubt your attacker on this thread, gets it...

...the recopy of the passage above is intentional, ye'all... nudge, nudge...

...in many ways he is scared of those much like himself (although, I doubt many of "those" are as accomplished as he, being the "US Continental downhill decent dirt-trike, mountain bike, whatever, record holder"... Lord, I just about lost my coffee on that boast...

...rich, he's just rich in so many ways...


...Good luck Mountain Rose, I've heard it's lovely over that a way...