:eek: YIKES! I have to go along with the "culture shock" theory.
I moved from Houston to a smallish community right after I married. (NOW, I'm in a larger town 3 miles out). My sister moved here from Dallas after her divorce. (In all those years, she JUST found someone to share the rest of her life with...slim pickins) I had to join a crappy all girls baseball team because THAT'S what the ladies DID.

A small town is a great place to raise a family, but it kind of stinks if you're young and single and lets face it...can I say I think you have a wild streak? Oh honey, no way was I anywhere as free spirited as you, but by THESE peoples' definition I just might have been! There are so many aspect of this smaller community that really grate on my nerves. Almost everyone who moves here through the plants hate it becuse it's like living in a fishbowl! Plus, if you are a fish from another pond, it can be hard to crack the establishment.

Now, let me WHINE for your parents. PLEASE DON'T MOVE THAT FAR! Take a look at the map and figure about a 3-4 (OK...6 if you MUST) hour drive.
If there is ever a need, on EITHER side-illness, babies,weddings, LONELY, "SOL", a doable distance for a one day drive is reassuring for both parent and child.
As a side note-my daughter talks like she will move very far away
when the time comes. She soooooo wants to live up North because she likes the climate, the pace and the numerous people she has met. It WILL break my heart, but I won't try to hold her.

I'll be your surrogate Louisiana daughter - I have no plans of leaving :) I love it down here! New Orleans is in my blood and I don't think I'll ever be able to shake it. Plus, I'm too cold all the time to go anywhere to far north!

juniorgrrl-I'll be your surrogate Louisiana daughter - I have no plans of leaving I love it down here! New Orleans is in my blood and I don't think I'll ever be able to shake it. Plus, I'm too cold all the time to go anywhere to far north!

OH HOORAY!!! Now,I've got a MILLION ideas for your wedding!;)

After I signed off, I thought of something. valkyrie, what is your field? It could work out better than one would suggest. As a really extreme example, if you are a doctor or a vet and move into a community where there is a universal need, you would be like a saint and wrapped in love and respect. The slower pace and the ability to really be apart of a community is a great way of life. Or maybe you just want to give it a try! Though I and some others may not feel it is right for us, maybe there's a part of you that would just blossom! Somehow, I think you will make the right decision and if not..there's always U-HAUL!:D

[QUOTE]Originally posted by justamom
[B] juniorgrrl-I'll be your surrogate Louisiana daughter - I have no plans of leaving I love it down here! New Orleans is in my blood and I don't think I'll ever be able to shake it. Plus, I'm too cold all the time to go anywhere to far north!


If you another daughter, here I am! I can't stand the Northern weather lately and need to move down South. It got to -6 this morning. :eek:

Thank you everyone for the comments. They're very helpful. Even considering the limitations of a smaller town (especially food, music and racial diversity) the idea is still somewhat appealing to me. I'm getting tired of the big city for many reasons, and think it might be fun to "Thoreau" (you know, how he went into the woods to live "deliberately" for a while) in a smaller town. I figure if I hate it, I can move back and will have a new appreciation for everything that annoys me now.

Justamom, in theory, I love the idea of moving within driving range of Chicago. However, the problem is that I want to GET OUT of the midwest. I want to live somewhere with a different climate and scenery -- probably a town along the Oregon coast (and near a cool city like Portland for weekends when I need some city fun). It's too cold and hot for me here, and every winter and every summer I am miserable. Also, I'm not very attracted to the idea of living in a smallish town in the midwest -- I don't think that would suit me and I'd be better off somewhere "west coast."

Also, justamom, I wish I were a vet!!! I'm an attorney, but if I move I won't practice law, first of all because I'm not licensed in any other state. This is good with me, because I don't want to practice law any more!!!

I'm wondering -- when smallish towns are discussed, they're usually described as conservative, everyone knows everything about you, etc. Is this the same if the town is more like a tourist destination? The communities I've been considering are pretty touristy, and I'm attracted to the whole transient atmosphere and the idea of having new people around all the time. I wonder if smaller towns that attract a lot of tourism have a different vibe than smaller towns that don't. Is this true?

Also, my boyfriend would be coming with me, so I wouldn't be alone. :)

valkyrie-You may be on the right track with a "tourist" type setting.
I remember when we visited this little hole in the wall-Green Mountain Falls, Co.-Hubby and I felt we could have moved there in a heart beat. It was right outside MANITOU which is kind of a psychic mecca, artsy and full of tourists. LOVED IT! This area definitely had "seasons" and by the time we visited, some of the more remote attractions were hampering down for the winter as the visitors became fewer and fewer. All the reasons you gave for wanting to leave would make me want to leave TOO! LOL! Portland proximity sounds pretty neat. Heck, pull out a map and choose! You might just get the best of both worlds!
But promise to call your mother! ;)
I feel so STUPID...I KNEW you were in law! Brain wiring askew...

Eaglechick!If you like mosquito repellent instead of perfume
c'mon down!:D