I'm starting to feel like I've lived a lot of places. Each time I move or get to a new place, I find myself comparing the current place to the past places. I make mental notes of likes and not so much's and realize its impossible to compare them directly. Each place has its own things going for it. Here are some of my notes. I've been contemplating the lists for the last month and adding to them as things come up. This list is a work in progress so don't be surprised to see some additions or even changes over time.
Garden City, Kansas November 2012- Present
Likes
Gas Prices, I saw $3.70 and thought, that's kind of high...then I remembered the prices in CA
The People (so friendly, so helpful)
The cultural cornucopia (Hispanic, Vietnamese, Somalian, Old Mennonite)
Stitch in One
The Lack of Shopping causes me to be more thoughtful about purchases
It takes about 6 minutes to get anywhere in town.
We have a house! (And a garage and a craft room.)
The school district recruits and hires every year.
Our new Pho restaurant.
My crafting network is growing.
Lots of locally owned businesses, including a local coffee shop.
Teaching Jobs.
Crafting Buddies!
Not So Much
No VW dealership. Most people don't like working on bugs and when you're car is broken, it's not exactly easy to drive it 3-4 hours for the closest service
The water,It's taking us a lot of effort to make it normal.
Talk Radio
Two lane highways
Hauling my Recycling to a Drop Off
Cow Poo
No Costco
Customer Service
Limited coffee shop hours (Closes at four on Saturday and closed on Sunday.)
Things I'm not so sure about:
There's a chance I could run into my doctor...anywhere
Wal-Mart
I get/have to garden for produce
Colorado Springs, Colorado May 2009-November 2012
Things I Liked
Being an hour and a half away from Denver(airport, museums, professional sports)
The mountain views
Sunny days
Monday Night Knitting at the Library
Afternoon rain
The Zoo
Proximity to Family
Being a librarian
So many yarn shops!! (Yarn along the Rockies)
So many quilt fabric shops!
I can easily take a walk or a hike from just about anywhere on multi leveled terrain
Not So Much
Horrible Drivers (or a horrible mix of drivers from all over the country)
That it can take over 30 min to get across town.
Things I'm Not So Sure About
Deer everywhere.
Gas Prices, they're not so great, but not as high as CA
McCall, Idaho Summer 2008
Likes
Keep Me in Stitches, and the owner Lynda
Aspen Trees
A view of the lake from everywhere
Proximity to Boise
Ice Skating Rink
Its a vacation/resort town so there are lots of shops and cozy places to be
Not So Much
Cost of Living
sLOW speed limit
Not Sure About
All the shopping is in Boise, but its less than two hours away
Moscow Idaho School Year Fall 2007-Spring 2008
Likes
College Community, Lots of activities, High energy
Rolling hills of grain
This is where I met Luke
Fun Farmers market in the Summer/Fall
Great Potatoes and Onions
An hour and a half to Coeur d'Alene or Spokane (Costco, Airport)
Not So Much
Not a great feel for quilt or yarn shops
Not Sure About
How it would be to live there not in college.
Depending on which way the wind was blowing you could smell the pine mill or the animal poop.
Fresno, California Most of My Life
Likes
Living close to family and friends
My church Family. I grew up there.
My quilting and knitting buddies.
The schools. They're familiar and I'm proud if them.
Teaching Mentors
Fruit. All of it.
So many great places to visit nearby.
A good Whole Foods.
Trader Joe's.
Sur La Table.
Taco Grande. Batter Up Pancakes.
GB3
Woodward Park, and all it's trails
Family with Dogs I can Borrow
Yosemite.
Each home has it's own green waste, recycling, and trash bins.
Not So Much
Smog.
Bad air days.
Gas prices.
Taxes.
Smelly white trees.
Garden City, Kansas November 2012- Present
Likes
Gas Prices, I saw $3.70 and thought, that's kind of high...then I remembered the prices in CA
The People (so friendly, so helpful)
The cultural cornucopia (Hispanic, Vietnamese, Somalian, Old Mennonite)
Stitch in One
The Lack of Shopping causes me to be more thoughtful about purchases
It takes about 6 minutes to get anywhere in town.
We have a house! (And a garage and a craft room.)
The school district recruits and hires every year.
Our new Pho restaurant.
My crafting network is growing.
Lots of locally owned businesses, including a local coffee shop.
Teaching Jobs.
Crafting Buddies!
Not So Much
No VW dealership. Most people don't like working on bugs and when you're car is broken, it's not exactly easy to drive it 3-4 hours for the closest service
The water,It's taking us a lot of effort to make it normal.
Talk Radio
Two lane highways
Hauling my Recycling to a Drop Off
Cow Poo
No Costco
Customer Service
Limited coffee shop hours (Closes at four on Saturday and closed on Sunday.)
Things I'm not so sure about:
There's a chance I could run into my doctor...anywhere
Wal-Mart
I get/have to garden for produce
Colorado Springs, Colorado May 2009-November 2012
Things I Liked
Being an hour and a half away from Denver(airport, museums, professional sports)
The mountain views
Sunny days
Monday Night Knitting at the Library
Afternoon rain
The Zoo
Proximity to Family
Being a librarian
So many yarn shops!! (Yarn along the Rockies)
So many quilt fabric shops!
I can easily take a walk or a hike from just about anywhere on multi leveled terrain
Not So Much
Horrible Drivers (or a horrible mix of drivers from all over the country)
That it can take over 30 min to get across town.
Things I'm Not So Sure About
Deer everywhere.
Gas Prices, they're not so great, but not as high as CA
McCall, Idaho Summer 2008
Likes
Keep Me in Stitches, and the owner Lynda
Aspen Trees
A view of the lake from everywhere
Proximity to Boise
Ice Skating Rink
Its a vacation/resort town so there are lots of shops and cozy places to be
Not So Much
Cost of Living
sLOW speed limit
Not Sure About
All the shopping is in Boise, but its less than two hours away
Moscow Idaho School Year Fall 2007-Spring 2008
Likes
College Community, Lots of activities, High energy
Rolling hills of grain
This is where I met Luke
Fun Farmers market in the Summer/Fall
Great Potatoes and Onions
An hour and a half to Coeur d'Alene or Spokane (Costco, Airport)
Not So Much
Not a great feel for quilt or yarn shops
Not Sure About
How it would be to live there not in college.
Depending on which way the wind was blowing you could smell the pine mill or the animal poop.
Fresno, California Most of My Life
Likes
Living close to family and friends
My church Family. I grew up there.
My quilting and knitting buddies.
The schools. They're familiar and I'm proud if them.
Teaching Mentors
Fruit. All of it.
So many great places to visit nearby.
A good Whole Foods.
Trader Joe's.
Sur La Table.
Taco Grande. Batter Up Pancakes.
GB3
Woodward Park, and all it's trails
Family with Dogs I can Borrow
Yosemite.
Each home has it's own green waste, recycling, and trash bins.
Not So Much
Smog.
Bad air days.
Gas prices.
Taxes.
Smelly white trees.
2 comments:
I've only been in Colorado Springs for about 10 days in total and I knew from day 2 back in Feb when we were visiting that the drivers were horrible! I feel like I am back in Fresno.
It really does take 30 minutes to get anywhere. Which is strange because most of the main streets around here are 4+ lanes. Crazy.
I also love Pho. Really, really love Pho. I could eat it so very often. I fell in love with it in St. Paul, MN. We recently discovered an excellent restaurant where there is nothing bad on the menu. But, oh the pho! I am hooked. I pass it on my way home from work. It is seriously tempting to stop and pick it up on Friday's, when I work half a day and I just can.
I may borrow this post, and discuss my own "Oh the Places I've Lived". I have a separate place of living for:
1. childhood
2. high school and summers b/w college
3. college
4. graduate school
5. year engaged, and 1st year of marriage was in different apartments, same complex (but very different experiences)
6. 2001 to present
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