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We worked and dreamed for 30 years to get what we wanted; lived all sorts of places and worked all sorts of jobs.
Now we love where we live. 100 year old farmhouse, 60 acres, in a town of 145 people - 5000 in the whole county. We have long winters, snow and even occasional blizzards, short warm summers. We have hills that climb to the incredibly blue skies, wild and wet thunderous springs, deep fall where the hills turn gold and red. Rivers that tumble down waterfalls and cut through deep canyons, that are frozen to gaspingly stunning stillness in the winter. Deep dark nights covered in stars, and full moons that catch on the hilltops and turn everything to gold and shadow. Clean air, pure water, no planes, trains, or automobiles. The endless amazing silence, broken only by the keening of the wind, the soft lowing of cows, with the occasional prideful cackle of a chicken laying another egg or a coyote pack howling and shrieking in the distance.
The only way we're leaving here is ten toes up!
Sounds Dreamy! Kudos to you and yours for finding your place!!
Exactly where I am right now. Live in Raleigh NC (orig from No. Calif) and after 7 years just can't fit here. Nor can I put my finger on it. We can leave here but just can't find anywhere else that feels better after we visit.
Our last stop was Carmel, Indiana --- although there were some great things about the area I just couldn't see myself living there...no real reason...just couldn't. So, we too continue to look.
Maybe those of us that feel "stuck" should start a support group!!
I can see it now "Looking for a "Place Called Home" the journey of becoming unstuck"
There are quite a few of us searching for it and some of us that have actually attained it...
I agree that sometimes it may be a neighborhood, a relationship, a job, etc. that can have a negative effect on where you are currently living.
Figuring that out I guess would/could be (is) a big part of the journey. I look forward to it!
I don't want to take this thread off topic...
But you know what I am really finding is that until I am REALLY happy with myself and the person I am I end up not being happy with any place we've moved. I've moved many, many times and this seems like the first time in my life I am beginning to connect that I think I could be happy anywhere if I was simply happy with myself. I'm not sure anymore if it is an actual place that could make me happy, because every time I thought that would happen with each move I ended up over time feeling "stuck" again.
But you know what I am really finding is that until I am REALLY happy with myself and the person I am I end up not being happy with any place we've moved. I've moved many, many times and this seems like the first time in my life I am beginning to connect that I think I could be happy anywhere if I was simply happy with myself. I'm not sure anymore if it is an actual place that could make me happy, because every time I thought that would happen with each move I ended up over time feeling "stuck" again.
I was wondering if that is true for anyone else?
I agree and I don't think it's off topic because that could be a valid reason for loving or hating the place you currently reside. Relocating may help initially, but eventually the cycle starts all over again... If you find inner peace and are happy with yourself I believe that no matter where you live you could be happy. If you're stuck mentally, you'll be stuck physically...With that said a move may kick start a happier frame of mind and set you on a path of inner happiness...We tend to as human beings blame external reasons for our unhappiness and until we realize that the internal is the larger part of it, we'll continue to search "externally".
We worked and dreamed for 30 years to get what we wanted; lived all sorts of places and worked all sorts of jobs.
Now we love where we live. 100 year old farmhouse, 60 acres, in a town of 145 people - 5000 in the whole county. We have long winters, snow and even occasional blizzards, short warm summers. We have hills that climb to the incredibly blue skies, wild and wet thunderous springs, deep fall where the hills turn gold and red. Rivers that tumble down waterfalls and cut through deep canyons, that are frozen to gaspingly stunning stillness in the winter. Deep dark nights covered in stars, and full moons that catch on the hilltops and turn everything to gold and shadow. Clean air, pure water, no planes, trains, or automobiles. The endless amazing silence, broken only by the keening of the wind, the soft lowing of cows, with the occasional prideful cackle of a chicken laying another egg or a coyote pack howling and shrieking in the distance.
The only way we're leaving here is ten toes up!
That sounds a awful lot like the place we found up here in N.H. Clean air, pure water,changing seasons. What more could you ask for. We took the southern route for ten years and got all that retirement type stuff out of the way while we were still healthy. Now were back up here to finish livin.
I agree and I don't think it's off topic because that could be a valid reason for loving or hating the place you currently reside. Relocating may help initially, but eventually the cycle starts all over again... If you find inner peace and are happy with yourself I believe that no matter where you live you could be happy. If you're stuck mentally, you'll be stuck physically...With that said a move may kick start a happier frame of mind and set you on a path of inner happiness...We tend to as human beings blame external reasons for our unhappiness and until we realize that the internal is the larger part of it, we'll continue to search "externally".
Thanks @kwalk65 for your sweet rep comment!
Some times it is the external reasons-if your physical surroundings are contrary to who you really are (10 months of summer in my case), it's hard to have inner happiness. Believe me, I've tried to be content in Florida but by May I'm ready for a change. I just don't fit with the "Florida Lifestyle"-never really have.
But I know what you mean and agree that internal happiness is paramount.
Except for my first six years, I have lived my entire life in WY. I graduated from H.S. and had made up my mind to get out of here, but let my parents scare me out of it. They thought I was being selfish and crazy for wanting to go- they wanted to keep their thumb on me. I married, had three kids and begged my husband to leave WY but he didn't really want to and fought me on it. Now finally he would love to get out of here too, but we have three teenagers to consider (who also want to leave this town), my husband has a secure job and insurance, and a mother-in-law who has health issues and completely depends on us ever since my father-in-law passed in 2010. There is too much extended family drama here and I'd like nothing more than to be away from it.
Our town is small, there is not much to do. We do have pretty mountains and low crime, but it's dry and fairly windy year round. Cold and snowy in the winter- below zero happens often. It's a cliquish small town and hard to find your place unless you conform to the majority. Closest decent shopping is 2.5 hours away- it's 35 minutes to Walmart. 5-6 hours to the nearest big airports in Salt Lake City, UT and Denver Co. Hate is too weak of a word to describe how I feel about living here. I'd love to go somewhere warmer, and greener for sure- where there is more going on.
As much as I love Chicago, my patience for this city treating its citizens like an ATM machine is growing thin. Add to that the desperate fiscal situation of Illinois which no doubt will involve substantial tax hikes, and it's looking more and more like it's time to get out of this state. Having previously lived in Madison and Pittsburgh, I'd move back to either in a heartbeat if the right opportunity came along.
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Kudos to you and yours for finding your place!!
"Looking for a "Place Called Home" the journey of becoming unstuck" 
