Location, Quality of life, profession/trade or family? What single factor influences where you live?

[cjdewese]

I chose quality of life but co-parenting is definitely a factor as well.

I live in an extremely unique community in Southern California. I know what you are thinking but not at all like that.

My back yard is 100K acres of national forest, I own my electricity through a co-op, own my water, my well is only 60' deep with water that has 0 added chemicals and my mortgage is probably comparable to any other state people want to move to for a cheaper way of life.

We have access to free range beef 2-3 times a year for helping with branding and the occasional drive or help with a lost cow. High speed internet FINALLY which has allowed me to work from home instead of driving 100 miles one way 3 days a week.

Ultimately my oldest son who lives an hour and a half away is what keeps me here. Being able to show him a different way of life than the city that he lives in is what means the most to me. It's as close to country living as you can get in Southern California and it's a much different pace of life. My youngest gets to walk down the street to his Grandpa's house which is the same place I was born and raised in and my wife and I got married at 8 years ago.

I get to share childhood memories with my kids on the same trails, rocks and lakes doing the same things but way safer. A pretty happy and blessed man.

 

[Mojave]

I mean I know A LOT of people that have almost as much PTO as they want and more so now than ever companies are a lot more flexible.

But most Euros can’t afford to travel.

 

[Poser]

But most Euros can’t afford to travel.

Can most Americans?

Summer bummer: 56% of Americans fear they can't afford vacation this year due to inflation

Americans are planning to be thrifty this summer, as half fear they won’t be able to afford their getaway due to inflation.

www.studyfinds.org

 

[Mojave]

No

 

[Trr15]

I moved multiple times for promotions over the past 15 years. Covid gave me the flexibility to work from home and choose my location. Finally taking advantage of that and moving to where I want to be instead of where I have to be. Relocating at the end of this month. Determining factors for us were accessibility to the outdoors (hunting/fishing/snow sports, etc) lower cost of living, resident college tuition benefits (3 kids at home) and the appeal of small(er) town living.

 

[fngTony]

Lifestyle.

Decided to move out to SW CO to pursue lifestyle obligations after a number of years in Nashville and Memphis. I wanted mountains in my backyard, large swatch’s of public land, hunting, a long ski season, world class Mtn biking and a relatively low population. Took a bit of transitional work, but landed a good job here in under a year and a half. I put lifestyle demands first and let the other aspects work themselves out.

Did you start a new career too or something similar just with a new company?

 

[Poser]

Did you start a new career too or something similar just with a new company?

Transferable skills, but an entirely new industry.

 

[BurtMacklin]

DFW
Moved to be closer to my wife/her family and for a better paying job. Once we had a kid we realized how nice it was to have family close by. There isn't much in the way of outdoor recreation unfortunately.

 

[elkyinzer]

Mix of family and quality of life we moved to wifes hometown when we had kids which is a huge help with hunting and fishing time. I could work from anywhere with internet. Fully intend to be a semi-nomad when the kids fly the coop but for now they keep us pretty anchored.

 

[ODB]

Funny, when we moved back to Idaho after having left for a bit, the wife was excited she would be close to her mom in Seattle. Then her mom promptly up and moved to Alabama. Never know how it all pans out…

 

[tony]

West Virginia
Took a job in Huntington WV in 1992, met a gal, had a child. That child is grown and gone, that gal and myself have went our ways. I have nobody here, and retired from that job. Current job I could work anywhere in the U.S. (nurse)
I love the terrain, location, slow pace, weather isn't too bad. We get hell hot, ice cold, a foot of snow or no snow. Hunting is decent and getting better WT wise. Elk in the next 10-20 years at least.
Firearms, 2A are constitutional rights and held proud and high. Tax free guns and firearms for residents.

Thought about moving back home to be closer to my folks, but its a ghetto, and won't get any better any time soon. Its only a 2.5-3 hour drive back to see them.

 

[nam1975]

You can either get off the couch and do your things or not. I know people who live in major urban areas or the middle of nowhere.

Some have great happy lifestyles, others sit around and do next to nothing, watch too much cable news and complain about how terrible things are or will be.

Granted you can’t hunt elk in Florida or deep sea fish in New Mexico, but activity = happiness.

 

[ShortMountain91]

Family would be the single biggest influencer. Wanted multiple kids (have 3 now) and wanted them to grow up near the rest of their family. So we built a house on the farm I grew up on. Just lucky that it also happens to be in a wonderful state with plenty of outdoors stuff to do. Can walk to dads, walk the farm with the kids, can ride the gator to wife's mom's place. My mom is 15 min away. We fish, hunt turkey, deer, small game all within a few minutes of the house and drive maybe a hour to hunt ducks. Very blessed

 

[highcountrymuley]

wondering about this myself - facing divorce and selling the house and starting over. i live in CO, love seeing mule deer and elk all the time but after being here 18 years, from FL originally, looking at getting back to the southeast. i keep my head in the sand politically, but after moving from front range to western slope... these conservative folks are worse than the hyper-liberal mess that is the front range!

Severe weather is a big factor in choosing where i want to go. Being closer to family is huge, Hunting and fishing opportunity also. I'm thinking TN, Missouri, Kentucky, North Carolina...