Where Would You Go? And Why?


 As I write this, I am once again sitting at the desk/secretary that belonged to my grandmother and once resided in the sun parlor (now music room) of my home.  I can look at the bay window (I LOVE bay windows) and can see the water in the lagoon flowing in from the North (because that's the way the wind is blowing).  Fluffy clouds fill the sky, but when they pass and the sun shines, I am warmed and wish I could just climb in that space by the window and curl up.  It is peaceful and calming; something I definitely need.

This house was my mother's dream.  It took her decades to obtain this dream and she (and my father) enjoyed it.  Then SuperStorm Sandy came in 2012 and destroyed that. She (they?) had the ability to restore the dream and this was the house where my parents retired and spent the rest of their lives.  My father died in the house.  I wish I could say the same for my mother.  It is one of my greatest regrets that I didn't get her home and allow her to die while looking out on the water watching the birds that she loved so much.

This house, sitting on a NJ barrier island, might have once been my dream too.  However, climate change and rising costs have changed how I imagine my future.  (I am seriously thinking about my future as I read Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything Even Things That Seem Impossible Today by Jane McGonigal.)  While I am too young for retirement (and am not sure that is even a possible reality; another reason why I am reading Jane McGonigal's book), I have begun to think about where I (I should actually make that we, since I'm not living alone) would like to live out my final years.  (No, I'm not dying and I'm confident that I have several decades ahead of me.)  It's simply that for all of my life I have lived in the same town and I have never really given thought to what I want or where I want to be.  (This is nothing against where I have always lived and it may very well be where I decide to stay until my last day.)

So I've been thinking (imagining) if I were to go somewhere, where would that be?  

Again, at one point I thought it would perhaps be the NJ shore.  Not being a fan of cold weather, maybe moving south?  I love Florida (or at least the Florida that I have visited...let's talk Disney!) and have always wanted to see the Keys.  However, bringing the topic of climate into the equation (both planetary AND political), I don't see Florida as a place I could live comfortably long term.  (Still want to visit the Keys and NEED to get back to Disney and the Orlando area!  Miss my Florida resident friends so much!)

So where?

One of my other favorite places (and this is no surprise if you've read my blog in the past) is Skytop, PA.  A true treat in the Pocono mountains.  Skytop is not just a lodge/resort; there are homes in the area.  Homes for sale?  That's another story.  There are several homes that I adore (and not just ones that are on the lake), but houses tend to be passed down from generation to generation, so the likelihood of a purchase (and one that I could afford) is not looking so great.  And while the remoteness of the area is something that I really like; the distance from to the supermarket and to healthcare (something that definitely has to be considered) is a little much.  If you, or someone you know, live in the Poconos, talk to me because I don't want to rule this out.

When we were looking for colleges for my son, one of the places we went was Cazenovia, NY.  We were charmed by the town as well as the college (which sadly is no more).  Would that be a good area to go to?  It isn't too remote, but I've heard rumblings that it's not very welcome to "newcomers."  (Or anyone who hasn't lived there forever.)  Again, if you or someone you know is from the area, talk to me.  Rumors aren't reliable; people are.  (Or can be.)

While we have never been, both my husband and I are intrigued by the Berkshire area as well as lower Vermont.  While I've said that cold weather is not my thing, with the temperatures rising all over the planet the New England area is becoming more and more attractive.  I am hoping that 2024 will afford us some time to travel north and explore this area.  Saying it one more time; if you or someone you know, is from the area...talk to me.

Of course all of this may be for naught, but exploring possibilities for the future can be fun.  I definitely need more fun in my life.  Furthermore, I need to think about what I really want.

Therefore I'm asking.  If you were to live somewhere new, where would you go and why?  What do you imagine?  Hearing about other's dreams will help me in imagining my own.

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