We could live here

[southernlady]

Is what dh said as we drove into Montana.

SSSsssoooo, we are gonna move but not til next spring.

We went ahead and traded in the Escape today we drove for the trip we just finished. Traded it for a brand new F150 Lariat. Same color but is a 4 x 4 not a FWD. Since it will hit our credit report anyway, and we can't do much about a mortgage until Jan anyway, we went ahead and got the truck.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Is what dh said as we drove into Montana.

SSSsssoooo, we are gonna move but not til next spring.

We went ahead and traded in the Escape today we drove for the trip we just finished. Traded it for a brand new F150 Lariat. Same color but is a 4 x 4 not a FWD. Since it will hit our credit report anyway, and we can't do much about a mortgage until Jan anyway, we went ahead and got the truck.

Just think it through. (I know you will.) My daughter has a friend (from high school, so she has known of their issues for over 25 years) whose parents moved from So. Cal., where their multiple kids from multiple marriages, plus grandkids, all live. These parents are recovering alcoholics, sober for about 20 years...so good on them.

The husband retired, the wife...younger...left her job, they had a house built in a senior development six hours or so driving time from the friends and family.

Two months after the move, family members commented that the retirees were drinking at a wedding. Three-and-half months after the move, last night, the mom was drunk posting on FB. I mean REALLY drunk posting, picking fights with her first husband on their collective kid's FB page. It was ugly.

Apparently, her lifestyle kept her clean and sober. But they left it...and left her job, her friends, her kids, her grandkids and it's an all day event to get there to see them. (Closest airport about two hours away.) And I'm pretty sure the husband is just as drunk.

Some people are portable and others are not.

Disclaimer...we moved about a 4.5-5 hour drive from our daughter. But airports are nearby. We recently had a dry spell on visits that bothered me, but they flew up for a weekend last month and may do it again later this month. And, I am in daily communication with my kid most of the time. This poor lady has so many kids and step-kids and is so far from easy transportation and has nothing to do all day...it's just sad to watch.

 

[southernlady]

Just think it through. (I know you will.) My daughter has a friend (from high school, so she has known of their issues for over 25 years) whose parents moved from So. Cal., where their multiple kids from multiple marriages, plus grandkids, all live. These parents are recovering alcoholics, sober for about 20 years...so good on them.

The husband retired, the wife...younger...left her job, they had a house built in a senior development six hours or so driving time from the friends and family.

Two months after the move, family members commented that the retirees were drinking at a wedding. Three-and-half months after the move, last night, the mom was drunk posting on FB. I mean REALLY drunk posting, picking fights with her first husband on their collective kid's FB page. It was ugly.

Apparently, her lifestyle kept her clean and sober. But they left it...and left her job, her friends, her kids, her grandkids and it's an all day event to get there to see them. (Closest airport about two hours away.) And I'm pretty sure the husband is just as drunk.

Some people are portable and others are not.

Disclaimer...we moved about a 4.5-5 hour drive from our daughter. But airports are nearby. We recently had a dry spell on visits that bothered me, but they flew up for a weekend last month and may do it again later this month. And, I am in daily communication with my kid most of the time. This poor lady has so many kids and step-kids and is so far from easy transportation and has nothing to do all day...it's just sad to watch.

I completely understand where you are coming from.

However, dh and I seem to be portable. Otherwise we would not have survived living all over the country in the last 18 years. The ONLY states I will not voluntarily go back and live (although we love to visit) are CA and MI. We do well in new areas. Since we got married 18 years ago next month, we've lived in:
S. California
Georgia
Pennsylvania
Missouri
Michigan
North Carolina (coastal area)
Tennessee
North Carolina (mtns)

We've also lived (separately before we got married):
Me:
South Carolina
Europe

Him:
Alabama

Some of each list was a couple of times as in North Carolina and to be honest we only moved back cause my daddy wanted us here.

Thanks to the internet/cell phones, we can easily stay in touch with what family wants to stay in touch. But I've learned over the years, your best "family" is the one you make, NOT the one you happen to be born into.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

WAHOO!!!!! You can pave the way for us .

 

[brooklyngirl]

Wait, what? That would be a bold move lady!

 

[southernlady]

Wait, what? That would be a bold move lady!

We like to live bold!

 

[Elizabeth N.]

Wait, what? That would be a bold move lady!

they saw God's Country.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

they saw God's Country.

So the state is invisible to atheists? I think not! Lol

 

[Munchkin]

It is God's country. But I hope you love Winter. Really cold LOOOONG Winter. Maybe you should visit this Winter for a couple weeks!

 

[Elizabeth N.]

MT winter, at least in the places they're looking at, is pretty darned mild in comparison to a lot of other parts of the country.....like New Jersey.

 

[bearmom]

I can see that - Montana is beautiful country. We are in a similar state, thinking we need new scenery, even if it means we still work somewhat and remain mobile.

You can justify the truck as well, because it will come in handy in MT.

Sue's post reminded me of something I'd been wondering about, and it had to do with the snowbird lifestyle and drinking. We are frequently beside retired or snowbird couples in campgrounds, and they usually are very friendly and welcoming as if anyone camping next to them is practically family (and maybe we should be, as everyone can practically hear each other snoring at night).

It seems that drinking is a common theme, and we are almost always offered cocktails or something. Now, I will admit that this last week we did have a fair amount of booze with us as well, but it was an assortment we had gathered in Europe and brought home the specialties from different regions like champagne or limoncello, and isn't the norm for us. Anyway, about 2 pm our new friends had thrown back a few too many "martoonies" and were looking for drinking buddies. This was similar to many stays in other campgrounds as well.

So at one point I was wondering if they retired because the had too much drinking to do, or if maybe they are so bored with retirement they are forced to drink.

 

[DianaCox]

I can't imagine ever living away from the ocean. But last week, when we took Kirmy and David to the coast, I realized that we hadn't actually BEEN to the shore for at least a couple of years, despite living 30 miles away. I'm thinking on what that means ...

Three of our four kids live within a mile of us (the other one is in VA). And my father is nearby as well. Moving away would be traumatic for me - but perhaps we need to lead the way to a place where our kids can have a snowball's chance in hell of ever owning their own homes.

But I also cannot imagine that place being somewhere that it snows - never again.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

on my way back from billings the other day, I stopped at several spots on the interstate. Was not impressed with Columbus , big timber or Livingston. I would not want the railroad or the Yellowstone river in my backyard.

 

[southernlady]

on my way back from billings the other day, I stopped at several spots on the interstate. Was not impressed with Columbus , big timber or Livingston. I would not want the railroad or the Yellowstone river in my backyard.

Depends on how close to my backyard! And how high ABOVE said river!

Actually, I don't really notice trains even in the middle of the night unless they are RIGHT next door!

 

[southernlady]

I can't imagine ever living away from the ocean.

Three of our four kids live within a mile of us (the other one is in VA). And my father is nearby as well. Moving away would be traumatic for me - but perhaps we need to lead the way to a place where our kids can have a snowball's chance in hell of ever owning their own homes.

But I also cannot imagine that place being somewhere that it snows - never again.

I don't mind snow at all, IF equipped for it!

And we are Mtn not ocean people. Give me mtns and I am happy as a pig in mud!