As you can imagine, Arkansas isn't that great. Where would recommend to move and why? What did you like or not like about the different places you've lived or stayed for time?
San Francisco is awesome, but it's expensive. I'd recommend the suburbs if you're going to move to that area though. The actual city of San Francisco is a nice place to visit. It's also a nice place to leave.
Might I suggest San Bruno, Millbrae or Daly City. All within earshot of affordability yet still close to the inner city with the endless number of cool things to do and see that it has to offer.
You can also move to the east side of the bay to areas like Lodi and Stockton. These places are a bit of a journey to get to San Francisco itself and have some bad areas in regards to the crime rate, but housing prices are very affordable. If you want to go in to the city, you can simply drive to a park and ride near Antioch and take the BART to anywhere you want to go.
Penticton BC. Nice weather , nice people that say "sorry" when I step on their toe. I have never seen an RCMP officer even hint at drawing his gun. Safe, relaxed, friendly . I guess the temperature keeps heads cool in Canada. Medical care outside of Canada scares the shit out of me. I don't have any human rights when I leave Canada. I am living in a near Canadian utopia where I don't have to do anything criminal to pay my medical bills. There isn't any bills.
I have lived in many places and my favorite was in the Black Forest in Germany! I loved the food, the History and the people! I was in the service over there and thought of staying there when I retired from the military. I came back to Canada mainly because my children were still in school and I needed a job till they finished school. We have been back there a few times and hope to go again. I love Europe and all the history.
I've only lived in the Greater Seattle area and Kauai. I personally feel happier on Kauai than anywhere else I've ever been on Earth, but I haven't been everywhere yet.
Kauai suits me and my lifestyle just fine, but may not be for everyone. It's tiny island living, no stress, everyone happy and forgiving, beautiful scenery in every direction, simple basics. It's a far cry from exciting "city life" but that's just a plane ride away.
Easy to get outdoor exercise with the best weather on the planet, or be a hermit if I just want to enjoy my privacy. People here are caring and mostly respectful.
I can enjoy live island music any night of the week, with a wide variety of island musicians born and raised here, plus retired musicians who have settled here and play rock and blues for the enjoyment of it. That's about it for night life on this quiet island.
Can enjoy a quiet sunset on the beach, or gather with friends for happy hour. Just easy island living. Perfect for me in this time of my life.
Sounds like paradise.
North Epping, Sydney. Shared a house with a massive balcony overlooking the Lane Cove River National Park. Two minutes walk, and the loudest thing you could hear was birdsong. Good times.
Hating where you’ve lived all your life is normal. You’ve been there long enough to know all the bad crap in the area. But to someone else, it might be perfect.
I personally loved living on Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. It was quiet, not too many kids screaming, and just off base were some pretty damn good restaurants. If I was willing to drive an hour+, I could go to St. Louis or an hour in the opposite direction, I could get to Branson.
But it all really depends on what you like to do personally and if you can afford to live there. Personally, I’d love to move to Hawaii. But the cost of living is way out of my budget.
Did basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood. Although the trees were nice, the heat and humidity were not pleasant.
@NoMagicCookie I did basic there and I ended up getting stationed there as my last duty station. But I’m from Louisiana. So the heat and humidity didn’t bother me at all. Lol. In basic, they were canceling ranges and I was confused as it was like 90 degrees and 40% humidity. That’s a pleasant day where I’m from. ???
@Leo716 I'll never forget our walk back from bivouac. I was warned before Basic Training to fill my canteen and drink as much water as possible every time the water truck stops on the walk back. The truck (water buffalo) ran out of water about half way back so a lot of kids had no water for the last hour or so. If memory serves, the "wet bulb" (cut 4 inches of shoe-lace dip it in water and swing it around your head for two minutes) was 88 degrees. The look of disgust on our seargent's face when he turned around and looked back at us on the last hill before hitting camp was memorable. . . then his "Ok . . . um . . . just . . . go sit in the shade. If you have water share it with people." I, fully hydrated with more then a half full canteen of water was feeling great but when I turned around and looked back - - - there were people passed out on the road. I used a lot of my water dumping it on people that were passed out. . . .
@NoMagicCookie TRADOC got a lot more strict in the last few years. Even back in ‘07. When I was there in 2011, it got crazy because they were field testing all sorts of “New training” aspects. Cadre and Drill’s couldn’t yell at a trainee unless they were threatening safety. And running out of water is like taboo number 1. As a range medic, we were having to test water levels and bacteria levels in the water. You’d be surprised at how nasty some of those buffalos were. But I saw an entire command team either get transferred out of TRADOC or relieved of duty due to “unsafe training conditions”.
At least you did the good thing by helping some of your battle buddies. Heat stroke is no joke. I lucked out and was already acclimatized to the weather there. We started in May and I think we finished mid-July’ish. But some of my battle buddies from the North were having a lot of issues with the weather as well. And I forgot to say, thank you for your service. From one soldier to another.
@Leo716 Thank you as well. I have a great deal of respect for those in the medical core.
The greatest "life lesson" I picked up while in Basic Training was from a Dr. who taught us field first aid. - - He finished his hands-on lesson with a discussion on "I really don't even want to tell you about this because - - - (long list of bad outcome for a tourniquet)" he then asked us what we could use to build a tourniquet. Someone (thankfully, although I thought it, not I) stated "My Belt." "WRONG!" Shouted the Dr. "YOU need your belt. If you give up your belt YOU become a causality and others will have to take care of your "insert polite explative" . Your number one concern in the field is your own safety, then the safety of others. You use his belt. He won't be needing it any more." I have learned his lesson applies to more then just physical safety in the field but all aspects of life. I often share that story (watered down but including the long list of why not to use a tourniquet) with many students.
We only lost one recruit from my group. His name was Homie (from India). I'll never forget the last time I saw him. Training was almost over. It was the night before the "Confidence Course." I went into the open bay bathroom to find Homie distantly staring into the mirror above the sink. He looked extremely worried. . . "Homie, What's the matter man?" "I am verry verry worried that something terrible is going to happen tomorrow." he replied with a thick accent. "Don't worry, we're done. Tomorrow is just a fun day" I happily replies." get some sleep it's over." "Something verry terrible is going to happen to me tomorrow I know it." The next day the first obstacle to enter the "what I would consider entertainment park" was a large trunk suspended by two huge (ship to ship) ropes. The hundreds of pounds of the log was swung back and forth and the recruit was to jump on top and roll over it. . . . Homie jumped on top, froze with his head below the log so as the log swung back, Homie's head was caught between the ground and the log causing his spinal cord to be partially disconnected from his brain. Although he was still alive and they did bring him to a hospital where they drilled holes in his head with bolts attached to a halo to suspended him several inches above a bed but with that outcome, and no positive word about him, rather sure he didn't make it. Although I was not in the medical ranks, I did run across many stories of folk (outside the field of combat) that just didn't make it. Sounds like your time there was very good.
So far? Portland Oregon. Good transit in the tri-country area, and also lots of great places to hike in nature with lots of forests streams and lakes not too far outside the city.
.....the gulf islands. Its an interesting step back in time while most have access to cherished modern ammenities as well ?.
I've lived in 11 states in the USA and spent extensive time in Great Britain.
I've been to 48 of the States in the USA and 63 countries total
I can be happy anywhere I can garden, have internet, and make money....and where humans can live and work freely by their choice.
Somewhere in upstate NY. NYC itself is nice to visit, but not a nice place to live, too noisy and dirty, imho. And too much crime. Upstate is quieter, and a bit slower paced.
My presesent one. I have lived here since 1984. I’ve lived here alone since my husband died 8 years ago. I love the privacy and the quiet as it’s in the middle of the country with nature all around. I also had a wonderful childhood in Edinburgh but don’t believe I could go back to city living., though it’s still a great thrill returning to the city of my birth with its spectacular views.
You can view my home on my profile page.
Two answers:
-Wherever I am right now. Amor Fati. It happens to be Philadelphia. My point is, embrace wherever you are. It is what you have. Longing for somewhere else is self-imposed misery.
-Having said that, I lived for a year in Eugene, OR. Beautiful, progressive, small enough to be easily manageable but large enough to have a lot going on. Affordable. A fair number of woo-woo's but they are for the most part harmless and entertaining. Craft and artisanal everything. An amazing food culture. For you weed fans, I'm not sure anyone noticed when it was legalized. Everyone was already stoned.
La Maddalena, Sardegna, Italia
This is a photo of La Madd.
No place is perfect. The places I enjoyed most were northwestern Illinois and Berlin Germany.
@byrdsfan i loved berlin,too. Being there during those cold war years changed my life in more ways than i can ccount, most of them for the better.
@Byrdsfan No, I was a soldier stationed at the US Army Hospital on Unter Den Eichen. Then I returned on my own and lived in Tegel. Married a Berlin girl and my oldest daughter was born in Berlin. I was there when JKK gave his famous speech. Yes, much of what was then East Berlin was still in a shambles from World War II.