Are you happy with the state/province/country you live in?

[kphoger]

It is weird sometimes though when I go down to Mexico and don't hear any political stuff from either the U.S. or Canada.  Some of the local municipality stuff is interesting to listen to as an observer.

When I was there last month, I was asked more than once to say something about Donald Trump.  I slowly backed away, avoiding eye contact, until I was at safe enough distance to run like mad.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Am I happy living in Indiana? Yes, even though we do have issues. The only "con" of living in Indiana is the winter weather (snow and wheelchair don't mix)!

Do I want to live somewhere else? No, and I don't have any plans on moving out of Indiana anytime soon. In fact, I want to live somewhere warm during the winter months, and I would rather vacation in Arizona than Florida during the winter months!

[Max Rockatansky]

It is weird sometimes though when I go down to Mexico and don't hear any political stuff from either the U.S. or Canada.  Some of the local municipality stuff is interesting to listen to as an observer.

When I was there last month, I was asked more than once to say something about Donald Trump.  I slowly backed away, avoiding eye contact, until I was at safe enough distance to run like mad.

You were in a border state if I remember right?  The only thing I recall ever being asked down in Jalisco is about why Americans love politics so much. 

Amusingly a homeless person at the Grand Mercado in Guadalajara in 2020 kept bothering me for money while I was eating.  They kept saying something along the lines of "you're an American, you're rich."  I lied and told them I was Canadian, amusingly that got her to leave me alone. 

[kphoger]

You were in a border state if I remember right?

No, I was about a hundred miles south-southwest of Tampico, in the northern part of Veracruz.  Half of our team was from the border state of Coahuila, but the town they're from is 300 miles south of the border at the other end of the state.

I think Trump had recently talked about cracking down on immigration.  One couple on our team had two grown children who live in the US illegally—one who overstayed a visa, the other a mojada.  Talk about a conversation I didn't want to have!

(TIL what word gets filter-corrected to 'Wisconsinite' on the forum.)

[LilianaUwU]

... it's much better than being part of America.

Now, that's much more moderate of a take than what you had originally posted and then deleted.  Do I remember correctly, that you've never actually been to the US?

The take I originally posted was the same but more strongly worded. And no, I haven't been to the US.

[CoreySamson]

I'm pretty happy with where I'm studying right now in Oklahoma! Sure, it has its warts, but overall, I'm truly content here right now. Things I like about it:

- It's pretty cheap to live here.
- I'm probably biased here... I generally like Oklahoma's politics, but I also think Tulsa specifically has particularly well-balanced politics.
- I like the people and culture here, particularly the people at my university (it's one of the most culturally diverse universities in the nation).
- My university is majority healthy, fit people due to its emphasis on maintaining your body (I like that for the same reasons JayhawkCO mentioned)
- The weather is chaotic, but I like having the variety of seasons.
- Tulsa IMO is the perfect-sized city. Big enough to have lots of big-city amenities, small enough to avoid some big-city problems. I particularly like how the road grid is laid out.
- Braum's, Sonic, and QuikTrip.
- Sunsets here are always incredible (probably due to my location on a bluff overlooking the Arkansas River)

[kphoger]

I haven't been to the US.

I thought not.  It does seem to be part of the Canadian identity to hate America without having actually been here.

(Unlike this country, where it's part of the American identity to pity every other country without having been anywhere else.)

[SEWIGuy]

I live in a nice location in the Quad Cities where I moved to for a job. My guess is that when my job here ends, so does our residency in this area. It's fine.

[tigerwings]

No. Ohio is not the state when I spent summers here as a kid (mother was from SE Ohio).

Gerrymandering Politics are out of the Texas playbook. At least the cost of living is good.

Grew up in SE Mich. Rather be back in Colorado (a non-HOA area in SE Aurora?). Moved to Sacramento after a layoff, then to NW Ohio because my hated CA and wanted to be closer to family.


My whys for Denver (borrowed from JayhawkCO)

Weather (Having four seasons with none being extreme, lack of humidity, etc.)
Political climate
Education level of populace
Outdoor recreation activities
Non-stop flight options
Mountain Time Zone
You don't have to drive far to get to the middle of nowhere

Cost of living would make it hard to return.

[1995hoo]

I've lived most of my life in Virginia. In the past I occasionally thought about going somewhere else, especially when I was in law school—I hoped to find a job in North Carolina because I liked it there. But that didn't work out. I now live in Fairfax County about 20 minutes from where I grew up, though my job is in New York. I have no interest at all in living in New York and I would have to hire a divorce attorney if I moved there, so I'm quite happy that I can live here yet get up there very quickly on the Acela when I need to be there. I couldn't do that as easily if I lived somewhere else, or at least somewhere other than along the Northeast Corridor, but there's no chance I'd live in Maryland or Philadelphia. Another reason I would not move nowadays is that my mother is going to be 80 years old soon and, while she is very independent, I'd feel like I would be abandoning her here if I moved away because we have no other local relatives. My brother moved to Louisiana and most of my mom's family lives in New York (other than a brother out west somewhere).

No question Virginia has changed a lot since I was a kid. Fairfax County is much more urban and has way more traffic than it did 40 years ago. It's still not a bad place to live. I like that the cost of living is not as bad as it is in DC or Maryland, there's less crime than DC, gas and car insurance and taxes are generally lower, we have two-party government (at least at the state level) instead of being stuck with a bunch of people who vote strictly on party lines, and property values are very high. Some people complain that real estate taxes are high because of the school system. While I don't have any kids, I recognize the value of that school system because I attended it growing up. It's a major factor in the high property values, too. As a kid, I don't think I appreciated the value of how many things there are to do in DC that don't cost anything (Smithsonian museums, etc.).

The constant political crap coming from DC does get tiresome. There are some people who seem to be too stupid to understand that not everything has to do with your political views and that your opinion on Trump is simply irrelevant to things like sports, how well you drive, etc. And this fall we have an election for governor, so I will yet again be thankful for the mute button on the TV remote.

[bugo]

No.

[kphoger]

No.

You don't show your location on your profile, so how is that a meaningful answer?

[GaryV]

I'm pretty happy living in Michigan. Yes we have our sore spots. But there's a lot going for the state.

I'm not fond of winters lately, where it's mostly damp air and heavy, wet snow. I much preferred the winters a couple decades back, where we'd get clear, dry, cold weather. 23 degrees and dry feels much better than 33 degrees and damp.

Summers have gotten humid and hotter and maybe less rain lately, so that's not as much of a draw as it used to be.

Still, it's nice living in a place with 4 true seasons. (Sometimes all in the same week!)

There's a lot of recreational and cultural opportunities. And many people don't realize just how big the state is, and how diverse the landscape. Sure there's flat glacial wash areas, but there's nice hills and forests too.

[Roadgeekteen]

No.

You don't show your location on your profile, so how is that a meaningful answer?

Bugo is from Arkansas

[bugo]

No.

You don't show your location on your profile, so how is that a meaningful answer?

Bugo is from Arkansas

You don't know where I live, douchebag.

[Rothman]

No.

You don't show your location on your profile, so how is that a meaningful answer?

Bugo is from Arkansas

You don't know where I live, douchebag.

In a van...down by the river?

[Henry]

I like it here in Seattle, mainly because on a clear day I can see Mt. Rainier from a distance, and there are plenty of exciting spots downtown, like Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, Climate Pledge Arena and the two stadiums near the west end of I-90, plus it's a top destination for those working in the tech and gaming industries, with the presence of Nintendo, Microsoft and Boeing. But the wet Decembers make me miss Chicago, and I may move back there after I retire to be closer to my family (and no ballpark will ever come close to topping Wrigley Field!). Los Angeles was not too bad, but I hated the smog and the earthquakes, so I had to move north.

[Molandfreak]

Overall, living in Minnesota is very nice. There is a pretty robust amount of parks and public lands no matter where you go, lakes over a certain size are required to have at least one public water access point, so you can find plenty of spaces to have a picnic or have a quick hike in addition to taking longer trips. I enjoy having a full four seasons, since I love to go skiing and snowshoeing in the winter and there are plenty of places to do it.

You can find culturally enriching experiences even in some places where you wouldn't expect them. When I renewed my passport a couple years ago, I took a walk into downtown Faribault searching for a coffee shop. I found myself as the only white guy downtown as a Somali wedding was taking place nearby, and I eventually found a shop called Golden Star Coffee. It turned out to be owned by more Somali folks, and I was able to get an entire meal there for $7. I tried to leave a tip, but the owner didn't seem to want one, so I gave it to his son instead. The coffee looked like ordinary black coffee but it was much stronger, with sugary hints and many more grounds at the bottom like a cup of Turkish coffee. I also had a sambusa, sort of like a pie with fish and veggies in the middle, which was very spicy but a great treat for me.

Nearly every town has a farmer's market where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables, and some offer dairy products, flavored olive oils, and flowers each week. There are also community supported agriculture initiatives that will supply subscribers with fresh food every week, a practice I was involved in back in high school.

[Molandfreak]

No.

You don't show your location on your profile, so how is that a meaningful answer?

Bugo is from Arkansas

You don't know where I live, douchebag.

[kphoger]

Bugo is from Arkansas

I thought maybe I remembered Oklahoma...

[TheHighwayMan3561]

MN: I've had the privilege to visit some cool stuff, but to move away where I couldn't go to the North Shore would devastate me. I've never found anywhere else I like better.

US: No. I realize I have no place here. But because I would never be accepted anywhere else either either culturally or economically, I'm stuck. Realizing I have no place in this life has been a tough realization lately.

[thspfc]

What I noticed in this thread is the lack of "Why?"

Yes and yes.

Minnesota, more specifically Minneapolis: four seasons, natural features, bike infastructure, pro sports, mall of America, lack of idiots, no dominant in-your-face religious culture, and sentimental value.

United States: relatively strong economy, relatively high quality of life, relative safety, relative political stability, relatively strong infastructure, relatively good education (did I mention everything is relative?), diversity of people, diversity of places, diversity of geography, world's best sports scene, world's best national park system.

[Scott5114]

What I noticed in this thread is the lack of "Why?"

Living in Oklahoma, I was used to the typical news stories about my state being things like "Local [leader] makes bigoted statement about x", "Local family values x charged with [non-family-friendly crime]", "State government cuts funding to x", and so on.

Meanwhile, your typical Nevada story is always something like


(The restaurant the woman was so jazzed about coming to town that she got drunk off her ass in the drive-thru at 3:30pm was a Carl's Jr., by the way.)

Or

Nevada fucking rules.

https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs-201.html

NRS 201.180
NRS 201.190
NRS 201.353
NRS 201.354
NRS 201.450
NRS 201.455
NRS 201.465
NRS 201.540
NRS 201.550
NRS 201.555

Technically the tail end of NRS 201.290 too.

[Roadgeekteen]

Bugo is from Arkansas

I thought maybe I remembered Oklahoma...

Maybe that. I knew he was from the mid south region and the hog made me think Arkansas, he may have moved though.

[Bruce]

Washington is all I've really known, so I can't say for certain there isn't another corner of the world that I'd be better suited to.

But I am pretty satisfied staying put. There's a lot of stuff to do, a lot of nature to see, plenty of friends who share my niche hobbies, fairly good (by U.S. standards) walking and transit in the Seattle area, and overall a pretty good climate. Would like it to be cheaper to live here, but one can't have everything in life.

A small complaint is that road tripping tends to be a bit difficult when you're in a "corner" of the network. Canada is close, which is nice, but it's also Canada and thus even more expensive in many ways.