We're not moving anywhere soon but when life becomes too much for me I start to think about where I'd like to go from here. We know someday we want to move away from Minnesota. It has it's pros and cons. Like beautiful springs, summers and falls but they're all so short- if we're lucky we get 6 weeks of spring and fall and 12 of summer the rest of the year is spent in winter. It's an open minded place to live- we don't have to worry about finding other like-minded people that share our ideals. And my family is here. But Minnesota is a very expensive place to live and the cost of living doesn't equal the wages we are qualified to earn. Our rent here in $1200 a month and we're lucky to pay that much- our place could probably fetch closer to $1600 a month because of size and space. I'm not sure what utility prices are like in other parts of the country but here we pay on average at least $90 monthly for electric and over $200 for gas (heat) in the winter. For basic phone and Internet again $90 monthly. We don't do cable. We have no credit cards. And we're very frugal with money but even with that, when DH was working we lived pay check to pay check.
We looked into housing costs in Tennessee- where DH's family is- and found we can get a comparable house for half the price! And those are single family homes with a little bit of land surrounding them. But Tennessee has it's down sides too. Being in the "Bible Belt" finding like minded Pagans will be tough. And for non-vaxers they only have religious exemptions and medical- both of which may be hard for us to get. Here in MN we have conscientious objections. Also I grew up in a very right wing liberal home and being in a small town in TN I'll probably find it hard to make friends.
But where do we go? I don't know neither does DH. We keep an open mind and ask suggestions- a lot!
A mild short winter would be nice. And not too hot or humid in summer. Four seasons definitely. Cost of living equal to wages earned. And people with open minds or even better like minds. Just some place where we can feel like we're someday going to get ahead and live the dream. People still come to the US to live the American dream but honestly I think I'd tell them to stop and try to live it where they are because there are so many Americans that can't live it here and it's a farce- unless you already have a leg up.
I get to day dreaming about my dream and I Google images to put in my head. I make up stories to go along with it but still I am chasing the never ending question- WHERE?
Suggestions are always welcome!
(all the images here can be found by Googling cabins or small houses. I don't know where any of them are, only that a few are camping cabins.)
I love the East Coast, and Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina might meet your requirements. I actually have a pagan friend with similar beliefs that live in Alabama. I have found the west to be alot more open minded than the east coast, but life is prcey out here, but maybe rural Washington State. I knew someone from Yakoma, WA and he made it sound like a cool place to live. His famiyl moved there when they were giving land away to be settled.
ReplyDeleteI move alot and find it hard to meet people who's belief align with mine (left wing liberal, Catholic who doesn't see the point in church, someone who embraces education but questions medical authority, attachment parent). In my case, it is okay. I make friends of different backgrounds and belief and connect with them on those things we do have in common.
You deserve your American dream.
I hear you! We struggle with the same things. And, b/c of what we do for work we are actually pretty limited in where we could live and work at our professions. I like to imagine that a few years down the line I could get a good job that could support the family, in a cheap town where we could afford a small but workable home and a sculpture/fabrication studio, and with a great school for the kids, and easy commute/weekend visiting distance from NYC, and close to an airport. Wellllll.... its always good to dream ;)
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