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Old 08-13-2008, 07:56 AM
 
20 posts, read 58,850 times
Reputation: 27

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Hi everyone!

Another newbie here. We are in the process of making some final decisions on a move to Maine from Mass. Wondering how other former Mass families found the transition. We have 2 children 8yo & 5yo - so changing schools too. Would love any input!

Michele

 
Old 08-13-2008, 01:27 PM
 
Location: Maine
2,272 posts, read 6,656,530 times
Reputation: 2563
There are TONS of people of Mass living here. Where are you moving from, and where to?
 
Old 08-13-2008, 04:52 PM
 
Location: Montville Me
182 posts, read 489,724 times
Reputation: 89
We did it January 4th of this year.

Run, don't walk.
 
Old 08-13-2008, 05:31 PM
 
Location: Maine
7,727 posts, read 12,354,717 times
Reputation: 8344
I've known quite a few families that moved to Maine from Massachusetts. I don't know any that were sorry. Most had to make big adjustments in their income. If you do decide to make the move do your homework first. Find a place that will fit you. If you need McD's and pizza delivery, keep that in mind. Try to leave Massachusetts behind,... don't go to your childs school and tell them how they do it in Mass.,.. remember there were reasons you moved and you have to acclimate to your new home. Things move a little more slowly here, so enjoy your life and live in the present. We Maine-iacs love the outdoors, it's a great place to raise kids. Take them camping, hiking,.. just have a bonfire in the back yard fire pit with a bag of marshmallows. Kids will remember these things long after they've forgotten what brand of sneakers they had.
 
Old 08-13-2008, 09:58 PM
 
20 posts, read 58,850 times
Reputation: 27
Thanks for all the responses so far!!!

We are coming from Chelmsford (near Lowell,ma/Nashua NH border). We were looking into Raymond. I know it's small - but we have vacationed there the past 3 years & love it! We are so ready & in need of a change of pace. It's not healthy to be so stressed out. We have started to do our homework - love the internet! I'm a nurse & my husband is a contractor. The kiddos are heading for 3rd grade & Kindergarten.

msina - sounds great to me!!!
lawmom - TONS huh...that says a lot!
bringselpup - Where in Mass where you? I headr this winter was record breaking!
 
Old 08-14-2008, 04:51 AM
 
Location: Montville Me
182 posts, read 489,724 times
Reputation: 89
Quote:
Originally Posted by mom2moms View Post
Thanks for all the responses so far!!!

bringselpup - Where in Mass where you? I headr this winter was record breaking!
Yes winter was a record breaker, I killed a snowblower doing our 300 ft driveway but all I did was get on Uncle Henry's and find another. They understand snow up here. Never once were we not able to leave the property if we needed to.

We came from Revere. We have been vacationing North for quite a while but we wound up getting involved with Camp Sue Curtis for a bit and the friends we made there and several friends of our own who had moved to Maine all helped expose us to something we had been missing prior to that. We live a mile and a half down a dirt road in a town with only about 1000 people and share a zip code with the next town over. Back in Revere we knew our neighbors names and all but never shared a meal with them. They lived the width of a single car driveway away from us. Here our immediate neighbors are a half mile away and we began getting invites to dinner within a week of moving here. We all get together to play croquet and BBQ now and again when the weather is good. Once when a neighbor drove by and saw me building a shed he went home grabbed his tools and came back to help.


We've never felt more at home in our lives.

Last edited by bringselpup; 08-14-2008 at 04:56 AM.. Reason: punctuation
 
Old 08-14-2008, 04:53 AM
 
Location: South Portland, Maine
2,356 posts, read 5,705,898 times
Reputation: 1536
I think the people who have come from Ma to Maine and did not like it....were looking for the wrong things, or just had different expectations. I also think "where your coming from in Ma" compared to "where your going to Maine" plays a big role.
 
Old 08-14-2008, 05:18 AM
 
Location: Montville Me
182 posts, read 489,724 times
Reputation: 89
Yes when we first got here and my answer to where from was near Boston they would be a bit surprised. I would then either get asked what I thought of the general situation or get told "little different up here isn't it".

Both were probing to see if we were yet another flatlander that was going to start expecting everything to be like it was back home. Even the dinner invites were a neighborhood form of the same. I guess the former owners, who were native Mainers were loud and obnoxious and generally didn't fit in well. It became quickly apparent to all that we came up here to fit in not make things fit us.

I was absolutely floored months later to be informed we had earned great respect within the community for coming up and simply moving into a single wide that is little more than a very comfortable camp. If we had taken a bulldozer to it and put up a McMansion I strongly doubt we would be as welcomed as we have been.

Last edited by bringselpup; 08-14-2008 at 05:20 AM.. Reason: baaaad gramma
 
Old 08-14-2008, 05:26 AM
 
Location: West Michigan
12,082 posts, read 38,780,166 times
Reputation: 17006
Quote:
Originally Posted by flycessna View Post
I also think "where your coming from in Ma" compared to "where your going to Maine" plays a big role.
I think this is one of the biggest factors. My wife was born and raised in Pepperell, MA and loved the whole area that surrounds Portland. She lived in York for a while and had friends that lived in the Raymond area so she was there quite a bit. Up in the County, she wasn't such a big fan . Just too remote from anything for her, and it is a valid point. A lot depends on where you are looking at. Raymond is far enough out it isn't in that mass mindset that is developing in the Portland area, but close enough it isn't a 3 hour drive to anything that resembles a city.

Good Luck and do your homework so there are few surprises.
 
Old 08-14-2008, 05:32 AM
 
6 posts, read 12,103 times
Reputation: 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by msina View Post
I've known quite a few families that moved to Maine from Massachusetts. I don't know any that were sorry. Most had to make big adjustments in their income. If you do decide to make the move do your homework first. Find a place that will fit you. If you need McD's and pizza delivery, keep that in mind. Try to leave Massachusetts behind,... don't go to your childs school and tell them how they do it in Mass.,.. remember there were reasons you moved and you have to acclimate to your new home. Things move a little more slowly here, so enjoy your life and live in the present. We Maine-iacs love the outdoors, it's a great place to raise kids. Take them camping, hiking,.. just have a bonfire in the back yard fire pit with a bag of marshmallows. Kids will remember these things long after they've forgotten what brand of sneakers they had.
we're thinking of moving to Maine within the next two years. You seem to be very informative. How are the schools? I'm concerned about youth violence in the schools and in the community. Is that going on there? Employment? neighborhoods? Anything would help. thank you
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