if you could just pick up and move...

Where would you go?

I've lived in a number of places during my not-so-long life. Luckily, a few of those moves included moving to places that most Americans just dream of vacationing. Plus, some of those moves went quickly from planning to reality. But, back then I was young, single, and everything I owned could fit into my 1985 Ford Tempo (plus a carrier on top).

Any future move would be a much bigger deal.

My wife was born and raised in the town we currently live in. She has joked in the past that she would move if it meant she could be a stay-at-home mom wherever we went. I pretty much took that as her way of saying my dream of moving is as likely to happen as her dream of being a stay-at-home mom.

As I suspect with any family, the children, jobs, and home are the main issues if we ever move. Our kids are 21, 15, 6, and 5. The 21 year old is about to get married. Our 15 is in high school and I agree that we should not move until she after she graduates. She's doing well in her high school and I am not sure she would handle a move that well...the whole teenage "you ruined my life" routine is not something I want to deal with. Our younger ones, 6 and 5, are just entering their school age years and though I am sure they would miss many things I believe they would find new friends easily and adjust just fine.

Jobs? My wife works for one of the top 5 employers in our area and has slowly worked her way into some decent pay. Moving could be an impact on her employment. Her employer has "branches" in other areas, but they are not quite the same job and not always available. This goes back to her stay-at-home mom argument.

My job, heck, I am in EMS. Nicely, there are Paramedic jobs all over the place. Sadly, some of the areas I like only have volunteer services. The thing is, I like rural areas...makes it even harder for jobs. This is one of the few reasons I would consider bridging over to nursing. A LOT better pay and jobs almost everywhere. But, to stay sane, I really would only consider a flight nurse position...but then I would really prefer to be a flight medic.

House? Yes, there are homes all over..but where we currently live the home prices are MUCH cheaper. This area has a very low cost of living and moving OUT of this area as opposed to those moving IN, have a lot harder financial burden. A family of four can easily find a home (not new, but nicely maintained) for around $100,000. How many areas can say that?

Why am I think about this tonight? Why am I bothering to blog about this?

I just comes to mind now and then, but there have been to recent things I have seen online that made it come out of the depths of my mind.

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Anyone consider moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan? I have not until I read this. Mind you, I would definitely check out the school districts first...but look at this for a long term bonus for your children: The Kalamazoo Promise.

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I took this test a year or two ago and got predictable results. But, somehow it has floated around again and someone forwarded me another email about it. It's an interesting survey that matches you with locations that fit your criteria and how you describe yourself, your likes/dislikes, etc.

http://www.findyourspot.com/

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Where would I move? I personally like rural areas but mostly small towns and those resort communities where the population quadruples in a certain season. I can handle the crowds short-term. But, I tend to like the folks who are there when the place is all closed up. I am sure there are towns like this all over the US. But, I tend to favor the northern states because I like the transition area from Hardwood forests to Boreal (northern evergreen) forests. Also, since I grew up in Michigan, I do like having water nearby. I don't really care about beaches. It's more the water, rivers, and lakes I like. Maybe I would like New England, but I have yet to visit there. Currently, I prefer the "pinky" of Michigan....http://www.mytraversecity.com/. And my current "favorite place on the planet" is Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior.

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So, back to my original question...

If you could just pick up and move, where would you go?

I don't try to let reality get in the way of thinking where I would go, so please don't let it stop you either. Please post a response and let us know. Or at least go to the Find Your Spot site and let us know if you find any of the results interesting.