Are you thinking about relocating? Five houses and three states later, my thoughts about life and moving out of state.
I have lived in three states, (New Jersey, Florida and Maine) and five houses in the past 9 years. I often get asked the question how do I know where I should be living? After so many changes in a fairly short time, I have a few things that I have realized.
As humans and maybe dogs, we are called to both leave and go to specific geographical areas. People say that they love being near the ocean, the mountains, rivers or deserts. They are being called to go to those locales by their soul yearnings. We are deeply nurtured when we live in places that we really love. The reverse is also true, we can be unhealthy when we live in places that do not suit us.
Every state is like its own country. They each have their own culture, geography and people.
New Jersey is a smallish state with a big attitude. It has had to negotiate with both New York City and State over many issues. It is known for the dreariness of the NJ turnpike, but it is really a garden state with many beautiful areas. It has temperate weather, lots of traffic and provincial. Many folks never leave NJ except to go to the NJ shore!! The politics are moderate and there is great access to culture, shopping and outdoor activities.
Florida could be called the Wild East. It is a large state with a large population and attitude. If you meet a transplanted Floridian from the Northeast or Mid-West, they are disdainful of snow and ice and winters and know that they made the right choice to live here. The politics and the weather are highly unpredictable. Straying off the path in Florida is ill advised. There are more alligators than humans living there. The snakes are petrifying to think about and then there are the wild boars. However, It is an easy place to meet people since there are so many newly relocated to the state.
The challenge is that it is a vacation state and its hard to take it seriously.
Maine. Where the people refer to themselves as Mainers, is here I am now. Again, it has its own culture. It is a beautiful state; people are often very self-reliant. Soon after I moved here, I had a dental appointment. After leaving the office, I found out that my car wouldn’t start*. I waited for AAA for an hour and then went back upstairs to the office to wait in the warmth. After I told the office mgr. what I was doing, she said we will help you. Three female staff members came out to the parking lot with me and jump started my car. I was so grateful. I have seen this attitude frequently since I have been here. Yes, it is cold and snowy and yet it feels more like home than either NJ or Florida.
How did I know where to go? I talked to people that lived in other states and did google searches. I took short trips to visit other states. I went to a medium that was skilled in geographical matching. I listened to my dreams. I wrote lists of what I wanted in my new locations. I made peace with where I was leaving so that I did not have any loose connections. It is a process. An exciting process and I feel that this will be my state for a long time. If you have any thoughts after reading this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Enjoy Spring.
*If you do move to another state, make sure to have your car checked out thoroughly. Upon moving to Maine, I had to buy a new battery and four all season tires. Every state has different weather and different car requirments.