RE: What keeps you where you are?

[Gone-Camping]

 Camperroo
I m a transplant! I moved here when the US Navy sent me here back in 1976, and with the exception of a few brief interludes, I ve remained here! I m a Mass native, and have a deep yearning to return ----- someday! I miss the snowy winters, and closeness to family.
 
 I ve stayed here for a few reasons actually, but perhaps chief among them have been the mild winters. While I really do miss the snow, I ve enjoyed the lack of it in this part of the world. And if I really want to play in the snow, all I have to do is head west for about an hour, the other 3/4 of the state get snow regularly.
 
 The other reason is roots! When I lived in Mass, my parents moved often, usually every 3-4 years, one town to the next. If they moved any more often I would have thought they were gypsies or something! But moving every few years as a kid meant I never had any really close bonds with friends. Yes, I ve got several good friends up there, but not like I ve made down here living in the same area for the last 27 years! I ve made roots here, deep ones!
 
 I also have state I hate the summer weather here, though there was a time when I loved it! I guess getting older makes it harder to deal with the heat and humidity. So perhaps one day I ll give up the roots and return home ----- Someday!

[tlhdoc]

 Camperroo
What keeps us here in Central PA are family, jobs, low crime rate, good schools, 4 seasons, nice state parks.  Do I need any more reasons?

[rednekrubbrduck]

 Camperroo
When I was getting out of the service, I was thinking about where I wanted to plant roots.  I was stationed in N. California at the time and knew, after had been there a year (never seen skeeters the size of fighter jets before), California wasn t for me.  Upstate NY wasn t that great as far as jobs went at that time, and, after had spent 3 years in England, I knew I wanted someplace with that slower paced lifestyle.  A friend of mine had moved to the KC area and she invited me out to visit.  So I took some leave and spent a week with her, and after that I was sold.  People were friendly, jobs were plentiful, there was a huge cross section of different cultures and activities, and the cost of living was low enough u could have a decent lifestyle at $10/hr.  (I was half expecting to find Baptist revival tents on every other street corner, but was happy to find it was BBQ places instead)  Granted..the summers can get oppressive as far as heat and humidity goes, and I do miss the upstate NY winters (the winters here are more brown then white), but there is always something to do here, the sense of community is strong, top notch school systems (son is in one of the best rated public schools in the country), the history of the old west, the history of the much older west (let us not forget there were others here way before most of our ancestors came over from Europe, or were forced over from Africa), and it s ok to watch the cars rust, and the grass grow.  The fishing is good at the local lakes, and the people in the farming communities still wave at you as u drive thru their town to say howdy.   I still have 2 sisters in upstate NY (One in the Syracuse area, and one in the Albany area) along with an aunt, uncle, and cousins, and every time I drive back to visit, I am reminded why I didn t return to settle in the Syracuse area.  KC is growing at a huge rate, and the economy here has taken a not so good turn, but I don t think I could live anywhere else.
      On another note..My dad retired to Boulder, CO from upstate NY for tax reasons, the Rockies (he still skiis at 75, and still back packs, canoes, white water rafts at times and other things), and he likes the climate, and culture.

[Redwolf]

 Camperroo
What brought us here after I got out of the USAF in St. Louis was a desire to return to the south (we re from Florida), and the job offer here in Austin.
 
 Why would we want to leave?  The job is good, but who knows how much longer I ll be employed with so many programming jobs being taken from Americans and given to Indians?     We love Austin...it s a very cosmopolitan town.  The people are friendly, and very laid back.    The city is clean, and very much alive.  (St. Louis is a  old  city, with many bad, decaying areas).    There s so many parks to go camping at within a few hours drive (or less!).    The state is wonderful...we ve got mountains in the west, bayous in the east, a sea shore south, nice hills where we live, plains and canyons north.  
 
 The summers are hot, but hey, so is Florida, and so is St. Louis.   The winters are wonderfully mild...we can go camping year round!
 
 If I lost my job, the only reason we d leave is if I found a job elsewhere.  Otherwise, we love it right here.   Probably the best place we ve ever lived.
 

[aldebnj]

 Camperroo
Not much is keeping us in New Jersey.  Moved here to be close to the Ocean and to help take care of my wife s aging Grandparents.  They have since passed away and we find we prefer the Ocean with out the beach clubs and condos.  We spend more time on the beach on Cape Cod then we do here.  The traffic and pace of life here are killers.  My Mother and Sister -in-law are still in the area, so my wife gets torn now and again.  DW is a Cardiac RN and I am a Network Engineer, so we can find work where ever we go.
 
 We are looking at possibly relocating to Central PA or joining Family Life Mininstries in Little Rock, AR.   We are both from Upstate New York and miss the pace of life there but not the ailing economy.   After oldest DD graduates from High School next year, we have a window of oppurtunity before youngest DD starts High School.  We don t want to interrupt the high school years if possible.
 
 Al

[DC]

 Camperroo
Small town in a big State.  30 degree below zero winters with a 40 mph wind keeps the riff-raff out.  No wierd bugs, scorpians or lizards.  Hunting is wide open.  Fishing is great.  Lots of places to camp where you won t see anyone all week long.
 
 The only bad thing is the out-of-state eco-freaks who seem to think they have to " save"  us natives from ourselves.

[slowpez]

 Camperroo
We sort of ended up in SC when DH retired from the AF.  I really hated it at first because he promised me we would live out west, New Mexico.  However, since buying the PU and realizing how close we are to all the places we love to camp, I m beginning to feel this area is not so bad after all.  Within three hours we can be in the mountains or on the beach.  Add a couple and we are in Florida.  We can camp almost all year long.  It doesn t get any better than that.

[Camperroo]

 aldebnj
Everyone here has such really interesting replies!  I guess for us it s hard to leave the familiarity of where we are, yet we aren t that thrilled with it anymore.  We are starting to research towns within a half hrs. drive or so from here and already realized we could sell our house, pay off debt and buy another home and reduce our mortgage debt by a few hundred dollars.    Sounds like we should jump at such a simple change don t ya think...but DD is just starting high school this year and is now getting all worried we ll be moving and she ll have to start at a new high school where she knows no one.  So that makes us feel guilty...but then again she would only be moving less than 45 min. from where we presently are so she could easily stay in touch with her friends and then also make new ones.   Can you say anxiety!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[B-flat]

 DC
24 years of working in real estate keeps me where I am in a familiar market place.  I was born and raisef in the next county and live within a 25 minute drive of there but work is perhaps a 33 from that original homeplace.  Where I live now is only about 17 minutes to the office.  My grown children and the grandkids are within an hour s drive.  I love the small town charm and living in such a nice area.  When I move, it won t be far from here.

[garym053]

 Camperroo
What? Move away from Vermont?? Well, maybe during Mud Season!!! IF you don t know what Mud Season is- It s that 1 to 6 week period in Spring when every bit of dirt, roads, driveways, yards, walks, etc turns into quicksand about 2 feet deep!
 
 Actually what keeps me here is my job, pays well, commuting to work and meeting 10 cars in 10 miles is heavy traffic! The seasons- I love to Camp, Paddle, and Cross Country Ski, and VT & NH have some of the best of each! AND the number ONE reason- the house is paid for!!!

[Papaso]

 Camperroo
I grew up in Elizabeth, N.J. in between the oil refineries and New York city. When I was a kid I d look at the horizon from our front porch and watched the World Trade center going up. I loved growing up there, it was a wonderful place. One of the best things was being able to be at the Pennsylvania mountains, New York Mtns, Washington D.C., Canada, the Jersey shore in less time than it does to get out of Florida. But this thread is what keeps me where I m at and that boils down to Family, business and the Ocean in that order. When it comes to the Ocean this is a hard place to beat, and oh yea YEAR ROUND CAMPING on the ocean to boot.
 Happy Camping
 

[whitestar505]

 Camperroo
Camperroo,
 
 
     Yes, when seeing friends and family moving all over the country can give one the wondering feet. I am here to say after moving 35 times or more both in my military and civilian careers, THE GRASS ALWAYS LOOKS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE. My friend, Home is where you hang your hat. Enjoy where you are because before you know it things will change and be different and you will miss what it was before. There is nothing wrong with staying where you are.. Besides just think of the money you will save by not moving..[]