Places we consider home & newcomers

[shootingstar]

It continues to floor me, since I've moved to Calgary last fall, I've met several folks at different times, who also just moved from Vancouver. I know it is the job market, but man....it is a sacrifice. I thought I was one of the wierd...

Mind you, mountains are 100 kms. west of here. At least if one gets tired of prairied browness/flatness. When locals can afford time and money, they escape there..or Phoenix, AZ. :confused:

People looking at my place..since I'm giving up lease. Gosh, one woman sayin' she missed Toronto. I knew what she meant since I lived there nearly 20 yrs. myself and know it well.

[NbyNW]

I know it is the job market, but man....it is a sacrifice. I thought I was one of the wierd...

Mind you, mountains are 100 kms. west of here. At least if one gets tired of prairied browness/flatness. When locals can afford time and money, they escape there..or Phoenix, AZ. :confused:


Yep, it's a tough transition. I thought when we moved to Edmonton it would be like any other transition I've done in the past. It turned out to be much more difficult, for reasons I didn't anticipate.

At least in Calgary you have lots of flights to many different destinations. A lot of Edmontonians will fly out of Calgary for this reason. And, you are closer to the mountains.

And the consensus seems to be that Calgary has better restaurants, transit, neighborhoods and a more diverse economy.

I don't get the snowbird thing, either. More than a few of our neighbors spend 4-6 months of the year out of town. IMO, it's not a great way to build a sense of community.

I just can't find it in myself to commit any more of my personal energy to a place where even the locals so readily condone the outflow of the greatest of their financial, cultural and intellectual resources. At least that's how it feels to me most of the time. Life is too short.

[Trek-chick]

I moved quite a bit right out of college. I lived in California, Ohio, Vermont, Massachusetts and Florida ( briefly ). I have no regrets about moving so much... Glad I did it when I was younger but, Michigan will always be "home" to me.

It was hard being away from my family so I am glad I moved back.

My sister is in New York ( Long Island ) and I miss her a lot. It is hard not getting to spend time with my 4 nieces and not seeing them grow up :(

I think that is the hardest part about moving away.....

[Crankin]

I moved away from MA when I was 15 and hated Florida the whole time I lived there (almost 5 years). The cultural differences were too much for me, especially in the context of the time period, 1969-1974. When I moved to AZ, my parents had already moved there a few years before me. I considered it home, though I was "from" MA. I never considered moving back east. I had lots of friends, a good job, etc. However, after I had been married a few years, we took a vacation to the Cape. My DH is from Philadelphia and had never been here, but his growing up years were very similar to mine. AZ was getting crowded, polluted, and we kind of saw the political writing on the wall, although nothing like what is going today. I realized I really missed the seasons; when some of my friends started flying to LA to buy gold jewelry, I said "that's it." There's more to life than the newest shopping mall. And endless summer. I hated the heat and at that point, I couldn't afford a condo in San Diego for the summer, or even a cabin in Pinetop. It all came down to values and what we wanted for our kids. It was a huge sacrifice in terms of what we could afford here compared to Tempe, at that point.
Almost 21 years later, I have never regretted this decision. However, I am very glad I have lived in other places. New Englanders are often insular and complain about the weather constantly... what I love and appreciate, a lot of people deal with by going to Florida; ugh. There's a skewed perception about the worth of a private college education here and living in a place where about 75% of the people are college educated (the town where I live) makes people here unable to understand demographics in most parts of the country. The pressures to "achieve" are relentless. I swore I would never do to my kids what I experienced in the city I grew up in, but I did it, and they are better off. DS#2 never really warmed to MA, even though he was 5 when we moved here. He swore he would go back to AZ, which he did for a year, and then he joined the military. When someone asks him where he is from, he says Tempe... on the other hand, my older son is a total city person, the consummate Bostonian.
I do have "warm feelings" for Tempe and we have considered maybe spending a few weeks in AZ a year when we are no longer working. I would not move there, though. We fell in love with Carefree/Cave Creek on our trip last month, as they are still the way AZ was when I first moved there. I would not be able to live in Tempe or Scottsdale again. Too crowded, too many malls, and no place to ride with a stop light every mile or less.

[jordanpattern]

I actually escaped from Edmonton in 2008 (I'm now living in San Francisco), and while I don't miss it terribly, it, like Calgary, is one of those places that you can really love once you get to know. Actually, I've spent plenty of time in both cities, and I prefer Edmonton (sorry, OP), but I've grown to love both.

I think the keys are digging a bit below the surface and also just getting out into your new city rather than sticking close to home. Whereas in a place like Vancouver, there are always lots of things happening, and the weather is nicer, so it's easier to get outside, and it's easier to hear of interesting things happening, in places like Calgary and Edmonton, you need to keep your ear a bit closer to the ground. It's also easier to want to go out in a 9 degree Vancouver winter than it is in a -35 Alberta one, but once you just force yourself to get out of the house, even though it's cold, it feels great.

Oh, and the other thing is be sure to check out your local libraries, coffee shops, music stores, book shops, and bike shops. All those places can be community hubs, and nothing makes you feel more at home like finding friends and a sense of community. Also, read the free weekly papers - there are always listing of things going on, which are useful, but you also can get a feel for the issues people are concerned about in town, which I always find makes me feel more engaged with my surroundings.

I don't know how new either of you are to Calgary and Edmonton, but if either of you is interested, I'd be happy to post some of the good places I know there if that would be helpful!

All in all, Alberta is a weird place, and I can imagine it's the kind of place that takes a while to "get," but it can also be a wonderful place to live that people become very, very attached to, so I hope you both come to love it!

[bmccasland]

Born and raised in the military, and still haven't settled down. I have trouble with the question about "hometown." Where are you from? That's usually the last place I lived.

I loved New Orleans, but then there's the politics, poor public schools, hurricanes, crime rate. But when they play "Do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans" on the radio - YES! The thick soft air, ferns on the ancient oaks, Spanish moss, music, where being called "Baby" isn't a bad thing.

And now I'm in the PNW, where I'm having trouble breaking into the click of the office groups, missing my friends. Not quite knowing how to fit in.

I keep looking for a reason to stay, somewhere.

[kaybee]

[QUOTE=bmccasland;565821]I loved New Orleans, but then there's the politics, poor public schools, hurricanes, crime rate. But when they play "Do you know what it means, to miss New Orleans" on the radio - YES! The thick soft air, ferns on the ancient oaks, Spanish moss, music, where being called "Baby" isn't a bad thing./QUOTE]

Amen to that! And crawfish boils in the spring, blue crabs in the summer, fresh shrimp delivered to your back door by the guy that caught them, the sound of a fiddle and an accordian, sugar cane harvesting, being called "Chere" by people you don't even know... I could go on and on. I know many, many people would disagree, but South Louisiana is a place unlike any other, and it's where my heart will always be!

KB

[GLC1968]

Born and raised in the military, and still haven't settled down. I have trouble with the question about "hometown." Where are you from? That's usually the last place I lived.

Me too, except that I wasn't military - just had a Dad (and a family) that went where the oportunity took us. I've never lived in one place longer than 3 years, even as an adult on my own. I'm a gypsy at heart.



I keep looking for a reason to stay, somewhere.

Again, me too...until we moved here. I LOVE it here. I was worried that I wouldn't, but I do. I can't explain it except that moving here felt like moving 'home' even though I'd never been here before. Oddest thing I've experienced in all my years of relocations.

[SheFly]

Me too, except that I wasn't military - just had a Dad (and a family) that went where the oportunity took us. I've never lived in one place longer than 3 years, even as an adult on my own. I'm a gypsy at heart.

Me too! Longest I ever lived in one place, until AFTER college, was 3 years. I have moved over 30 times, and went to 14 schools between kindergarten and the beginning of high school, including stints in BOTH Calgary and Edmonton. I've lived in our current house for 15 years :eek: Maybe it's time to move ;).

Home has different connotations for me, because of all of the relocation growing up. I was born in Mississauga, ON, and that's where I lived before moving to the US. It's not "home" though. When I talk about home, it's the tri-cities area (Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge) where I spent the most number of years growing up (although not in any one house...).

But MY home is where I've been living for the past 15 years. We have invested a lot of time, $$ and effort into making this our home. Home is where I am, where my DH and kitties are, and where I am happy and comfortable.

The funny thing is when my mom and dad ask when I am coming home to visit. They live in a town that I have NEVER lived in ;)

I think "home" is complicated...

SheFly

[Jolt]

Me too, except that I wasn't military - just had a Dad (and a family) that went where the oportunity took us. I've never lived in one place longer than 3 years, even as an adult on my own. I'm a gypsy at heart.


I did my share of moving around growing up as well...my dad's job was with a construction company that had to go wherever the job was (now he's at the home office of his company, so he and my mom won't be having to do that anymore). Born in CA (Bay Area), then lived in VA for a few years, then in MA where we were lucky enough to be able to stay (because the construction project in question was the Big Dig) until I started college. Actually, the toughest move was the one where we moved from one town to the one next to it due to the lease on our rental house being up--I was going into 6th grade and the middle school in the new town started with grade 5 so all the other kids had already had a year to get to know each other...starting at that school was awful and I never really did fit in socially there or at the high school. I am getting ready to move soon for a new job and hope things work out really well so I can settle in and stick around. Hopefully if/when I have kids I won't have to put them through moving around and changing schools...it can really be the pits especially if a kid isn't all that outgoing to begin with.

[channlluv]

Here's how I knew I'd come to think of San Diego as home. True story:

I remember walking through the Orlando airport one time, going to our departing flight for San Diego, and I was feeling edgy, although I didn't really know why. The people around me seemed nice enough -- lots of families doing the Disney thing, t-shirts and stuffed Mickeys and all. All very normal, blonde-haired, blue-eyed people. Lots and lots of them. I thought maybe they were a family reunion or something. And they were getting on my flight. The more they chattered around me, the edgier I got, only I didn't recognize it at the time.

We get on the plane and take our seats, the blonde family gets on behind my daughter and me -- all of them, and I hear them talking about getting home to Houston, our layover. So they're Texans. Okay. And then behind them, in this sea of blondeness, a young Filipino woman gets on board. She's alone, and as soon as I see her face, I relax. One word flashes in my mind: Home.

She looked like home. All those white people who looked mostly like me were making me nervous with their chatter and just the vibe they put out, but this young Filipino woman calmed me down.

I should point out that I live in an area of San Diego called, sometimes derisively, Manilla Mesa. I love my neighborhood. It's a nice place to live. We've been in this house for over fifteen years and it's the longest I've ever lived anywhere.

Roxy

[Jolt]

Me too! Longest I ever lived in one place, until AFTER college, was 3 years. I have moved over 30 times, and went to 14 schools between kindergarten and the beginning of high school, including stints in BOTH Calgary and Edmonton. I've lived in our current house for 15 years :eek: Maybe it's time to move ;).

SheFly

YIKES to the number of schools you went to and the number of times you've moved! :eek: It's also interesting that of those of us who moved around growing up, some enjoy moving around and others (like me) want to avoid it if at all possible because of bad experiences. Maybe the ones who liked it are more social?

[lph]

The funny thing is when my mom and dad ask when I am coming home to visit. They live in a town that I have NEVER lived in ;)


That is funny. I go visit my mother where I actually did live for over 10 years, several as an adult, but it's not "home", it's her place. Home to me is where I live, with my own family. But I know many adults who will call visiting their parents going "home", even if they lived there maybe ten years, and have since lived somewhere else for thirty years.

I've wondered if it has to do with local identity, if you come from a small place. But your story suggests it has something to do with family connection and identity instead.

[Crankin]

I always said, "I am going to see my parents." They moved to San Diego in 1979. I have never lived there, though, but have spent a lot of time there, especially as a young mom, when I lived in AZ. So, I feel a connection to San Diego, but it's not home. I also feel like my home has always been where I am living. I've lived in a lot of houses/apts., too, in addition to the 3 states I've lived in.
We moved when our kids were young enough that it wasn't overly traumatic for them. The youngest was entering public school. The other one was going into second grade, had a little bit of a hard time, but nothing like I had when I moved in 10th grade... really, that was just about the worst thing that has happened to me, in terms of how much it screwed me up. We made another move to another close by town when my kids were 11 and 13. They were well prepared and already had acquaintances/friends in the new town from religious school. And all of our friends were in the new place, too. But, I still remember my oldest son saying he thought he was going to throw up the first day I drove him to his new school! They did very well, though.

[Karma007]

I never lived anywhere for very long. I was torn between wanting stability, and enjoying a slightly nomadic existence. Now my husband and I just bought the house we plan to retire in, and admittedly, it's a little unnerving. I can't imagine ever wanting to leave, but at the same time.....

[Biciclista]

Here's how I knew I'd come to think of San Diego as home. True story:

I remember walking through the Orlando airport one time, going to our departing flight for San Diego, and I was feeling edgy, although I didn't really know why. The people around me seemed nice enough -- lots of families doing the Disney thing, t-shirts and stuffed Mickeys and all. All very normal, blonde-haired, blue-eyed people. Lots and lots of them. I thought maybe they were a family reunion or something. And they were getting on my flight. The more they chattered around me, the edgier I got, only I didn't recognize it at the time.

We get on the plane and take our seats, the blonde family gets on behind my daughter and me -- all of them, and I hear them talking about getting home to Houston, our layover. So they're Texans. Okay. And then behind them, in this sea of blondeness, a young Filipino woman gets on board. She's alone, and as soon as I see her face, I relax. One word flashes in my mind: Home.

She looked like home. All those white people who looked mostly like me were making me nervous with their chatter and just the vibe they put out, but this young Filipino woman calmed me down.

I should point out that I live in an area of San Diego called, sometimes derisively, Manilla Mesa. I love my neighborhood. It's a nice place to live. We've been in this house for over fifteen years and it's the longest I've ever lived anywhere.

Roxy
Roxy, I grew up in Newark, NJ and adjoining towns there (we moved a lot)
I left NJ when I was 18 and moved to Idaho, where I had horses, goats, chickens, got to run around in the mountains in an old VW, but never ever fit in to that vanilla population.

We moved to Seattle in hopes of getting great jobs and saving money, then we were going to move back to Idaho... It never happened. We put down roots in Seattle. Living in the multi-colored community is where I feel comfortable, just like you in Manilla Mesa.

Where I live used to be called Garlic Gulch, because it was populated by Italians. Sadly, they are all gone, but in their place we have an incredible amount of diversity and culture. on my own little 1 block dead end we have people from every corner of the globe. My good neighbors.

[shootingstar]

"Home" is how completely one embraces time and place into your being and outlook at times.

My parents immigrated to Canada in their 20's. They are now 82 and 77. They have never been back to China since that time. I am certain during the first decade in Canada they wanted to return but there was no money and plane flights back in the 1950's and early 1960's used to be very expensive.

We offered as gift to buy my parents plane tickets to visit China. They have/continue to have no interest. They have not gone back to visit. China as they knew it best was BEFORE Mao /Communism took root in China. So much has changed. I know they didn't want to go back, because so much has changed it would be unrecognizable and would make them sad.

"Home" is Canada. It is where they have placed their roots for life, where all their children were born and were raised, as well as all their grandchildren. I respect people who come from culturally different countries into a new country and adopt their new home country in a way that it seeps into their being and outlook.

Because I have lived Kitchener-Waterloo, London (Ontario), Toronto, Vancouver and now Calgary, which are in geographically contrasting areas of Canada...I actually feel MORE Canadian as a result. Cycling as a tourist in Eastern Maritime provinces, Quebec and visiting the Arctic (for a short time), complements how I feel, appreciate and understand my home country.

Compared to 20 years ago, I feel as if I have a broader, more diverse understanding of Canada's identity, and key historic-cultural regional differences, as well as climatic differences which I took very much for granted. :)

My thoughts of Calgary now probably reflects my adjustment. I've been here only past 5 months. I sense the city overall as struggling to break free from its prairie paraochial conservatism and the grip of the oil-energy economic influences. It will never break free of the latter since the provinces economy depends on it (and it is Canada's energy producing engine like Texas is).

I personally find artisitic expression that is original in imagery lacking...beyond cowboy images and energy/oil stuff. There is no clear, dynamic artistic sensibility that one can identify..that ie. "yes, that comes from Alberta". The voices on issues of social justice are way more muted, here compared to Toronto and Vancouver. It's obvious what does not get reported in the local press or even how public consultation is conducted where certain groups of people are excluded by language, socio-economic class, etc.

It's not horrible, it's just people are focused on...earning a living, making money, etc.

Interestingly, alot of long-time Calgarians have visited Vancouver and many do enjoy the west coast. You find less people going over to visit Toronto..not just because it's just abit farther away (2 hr. extra plane flight), but psychologically many long-time folks see themselves as part of Western Canada....although Western Canada has different cultural identities. Northwest coast culture /life and politics is different than Alberta.

[GLC1968]

Me too! Longest I ever lived in one place, until AFTER college, was 3 years. I have moved over 30 times, and went to 14 schools between kindergarten and the beginning of high school, including stints in BOTH Calgary and Edmonton. I've lived in our current house for 15 years :eek: Maybe it's time to move ;).


12 schools by the time I graduated from HS for me and it only got worse when I graduated from college and was on my own. I've moved more times than I can count...truly. When I applied for security clearance at my first engineering job, they needed the last 10 years worth of addresses. I swear that was a more complicated research project than my entire master's thesis!! Since I've been married (8 years) I've been a tad more grounded. My husband and I have shared only 7 addresses together. :p

When we traveled to see my parents in FL over the holidays, I could not wait to get back home to Oregon. I love being with my parents, but FL - which as a state was home to me for almost 7 years and where I met my husband - felt completely foriegn to me. It's amazing how one's perspective can change so quickly...

[NbyNW]

My thoughts of Calgary now probably reflects my adjustment. I've been here only past 5 months. I sense the city overall as struggling to break free from its prairie paraochial conservatism and the grip of the oil-energy economic influences. It will never break free of the latter since the provinces economy depends on it (and it is Canada's energy producing engine like Texas is).

I personally find artisitic expression that is original in imagery lacking...beyond cowboy images and energy/oil stuff. There is no clear, dynamic artistic sensibility that one can identify..that ie. "yes, that comes from Alberta". The voices on issues of social justice are way more muted, here compared to Toronto and Vancouver. It's obvious what does not get reported in the local press or even how public consultation is conducted where certain groups of people are excluded by language, socio-economic class, etc.

It's not horrible, it's just people are focused on...earning a living, making money, etc.


This has been my experience in Edmonton as well. In my case, it also means that if I were to stay there I would probably have to change careers, which I'm not willing to do.

I feel like I made an honest effort to build a life there, but it's been a non-starter for the most part. So it's been a fairly easy decision to begin the process to move back to Seattle.

[shootingstar]

Interesting channelluv, how you felt on the plane.

I can't even believe I once considered living in the Arctic because I've been interviewed twice for jobs up there. :rolleyes: Like some folks here, I personally know some people face to face who have worked for several years in the Canadian Arctic. Different world..that we don't hear enough about.

[indysteel]

Interesting topic, and one I've tried not to think about in a long time. I've lived in Indiana all my life, but outside of the eight years I spent in Bloomington for undergrad and law school, I have never felt at home here. I don't feel much affinity for Indianapolis. While the city has improved in some ways during my lifetime, it's still grossly lacking in some fundamental ways.
It's a city without much soul in my opinion.

Now I live in a small town south of the city. I was born here and moved away when I was two. I don't have any friends here, and I've quite divined how to get them. The town makes Indy look positively liberal, it's so conservative. I honestly don't want to live here, but there's no other workable compromise given our respetive jobs.

I didn't want to move back here after law school, but I took the job that was offered to me, and that was that. I'm not a big risk taker, so the thought of just moving some place new was too much for me at the time. Several jobs, two homes and a husband later, here I still am.

In four years' time, I may be forced to change jobs when my boss retires. That may be the kick in the pants we need to make a change.

My husband and I talk of moving, but he's no more of a risk taker than me, so we can't seem to get past our own inertia. I envy those of you who have found the guts just to pack up.

[westtexas]

I spent the first 11 years of my life in California, and the last 14 here in Texas. Now I'm about to move 500 miles west (currently in central Texas) to start a life on my own, with my first "adult" job with a salary and my own health insurance and no more tuition payments twice a year. As excited as I am... I have lived in this town for 7 years and it's my home. Where I went to high school (where my parents still live) is about 90 miles from here and it's not really "home" to me. Here is where I made my transition to pseudo-adult life on my own. And it's really scary to move farther away from my folks and really "start" life and all the adult responsibilities that entails.

And where I am going... who knows if that will end up being home for me or if in a few years I will do something else?

[GLC1968]

My husband and I talk of moving, but he's no more of a risk taker than me, so we can't seem to get past our own inertia. I envy those of you who have found the guts just to pack up.


See, this I think highlights the key factor here. Personality plays such a huge role! I don't think pulling up roots and moving is any big deal. In fact, in many ways to me it feels like a fresh start - and cheating. Leave your mistakes behind and start anew! No need to worry about those friends whom you've grown apart from...no need to worry about a roof that needed replacing. You never get bored, things never get old and change comes in big sweeping occurrances that you control - not slowly over time as you sit there and watch it.

Honestly, I think moving is easier. Staying put takes way more guts from my perspective!

[indysteel]

See, this I think highlights the key factor here. Personality plays such a huge role! I don't think pulling up roots and moving is any big deal. In fact, in many ways to me it feels like a fresh start - and cheating. Leave your mistakes behind and start anew! No need to worry about those friends whom you've grown apart from...no need to worry about a roof that needed replacing. You never get bored, things never get old and change comes in big sweeping occurrances that you control - not slowly over time as you sit there and watch it.

Honestly, I think moving is easier. Staying put takes way more guts from my perspective!

That's an interesting point...and come to think of it, I sometimes which I could walk away from a few things and people myself, but the risk aversion side of me usually wins out.

I biggest hurdle has been my job. I had a stint in private practice at a large firm earlier in my career that just went miserably. I was acutely depressed during that perior. From there, I began working for the federal goverment, where I've stayed ever since. I haven't earned what I could have in private practice, but I also haven't starved either. I like my job. I like my boss. The thought of giving up that safety net for an unknown job in an unknown locale terrifies me.

While I do have greater faith in my coping skills and legal abilities, I don't relish the thought of going back into private practice, and the position I have with the feds doesn't come open all that often. Now, I may have no choice in a few years time when my boss retires, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. If I DO get to keep my job, it's entirely likely that I'll stay here until I'm able to retire. That would be the first opportunity to move without sending myself into a nervous breakdown.

If I could find a job in Bloomington or Columbus, Indiana (where DH works as an engineer), I would likely be happier. Bloomington is home to me, and Columbus is a nice city for it's size. Cummins Engine is headquartered there, and the company adds a lot to the city.

[roadie gal]

I'm another one of those 12 different schools, in 5 different states by the end of high school folks. We weren't military, just nomads. Then, for the next 10 years I moved for school, my residency, and jobs.

I've lived in my little house in the mountains for 15 years now, and had the same job for 15 years. I LOVE IT!! The thought of roaming around the country again makes me ill. I know this is "home" because of the sense of peace I get when I think about this place. My family all lives in the NY/NJ area, but this is home for me, not there.

[SheFly]

See, this I think highlights the key factor here. Personality plays such a huge role! I don't think pulling up roots and moving is any big deal. In fact, in many ways to me it feels like a fresh start - and cheating. Leave your mistakes behind and start anew! No need to worry about those friends whom you've grown apart from...no need to worry about a roof that needed replacing. You never get bored, things never get old and change comes in big sweeping occurrances that you control - not slowly over time as you sit there and watch it.

Honestly, I think moving is easier. Staying put takes way more guts from my perspective!

Fifteen years ago (ok 16, but who's counting) I was right there with you. I literally picked up stakes and left everything I knew behind - family, friends, geography, "home" (and my ex-husband which may have been a precipitating factor). I moved from Canada to the US, to a city where I literally knew NO ONE. It was scary. It was refreshing. It was liberating. Did I mention it was scary? ;) Oh - and lonely.

Now, if you asked me to move out of the house I have lived in for 15 of those 16 years, I would laugh you right down the street. Too terrified to try it over again (not to mention that DH wouldn't go anywhere).

I think Jolt hit the nail on the head - having moved SO MUCH early on in my life, the thought of doing it now is foreign to me, and I am much more averse even to the suggestion. I did have an itch about 3-5 years after living in our house, but not anymore.

GLC - I know we're around the same age, but I think I was much more open to pulling up when I was younger than I am now. Instead, I'll live vicariously through you ;).

SheFly

[spokewench]

Interesting question about home?! I was born in Missouri (I think of it as Kansas, however, since it was a hospital in Missouri in Kansas City, the state line runs down the middle of town). All of my mother's family and some of my father's are from Kansas. I lived mostly growing up on Ohio. Then I had my wanderlust years when I lived in Idaho, Montana, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Florida.

I spent a little less than half of my adult life in California and a little more than half of my adult life in Arizona (mountains). My parents now live in southern Arizona as does my sister.

I'm really not sure where I find my home at. It is now in Arizona, but that could change some day. It could be southern Arizona vs. northern or somewhere completely different; I'm not sure.

My husband and I were having a conversation the other day about where we would want to be buried or scatter ashes. I literally could not come up with a good place. I don't feel like northern AZ is the place since I have no relatives here; southern Arizona is probably where my sister and parents will be interred, but other than them being there, I really don't have any connections to the place.

My husband's step father (who was German born) decided to be buried in a tiny-tiny Missouri cemetery near where his wife was born. She will be buried there as well. Hubby has said that he might want to be buried there since that is where most of his family was situated at one time or another. And, it is a very quiet, peaceful, tiny, tiny cemetery up on a hill, couple of trees and out in the middle of the green nowhere.

I've thought perhaps about being near my grandparents out in the middle of Kansas nowhere, but perhaps we'll end of in Missouri (somewhere I have never ever lived). Kind of strange.

Anyone else ever thought about where you want to rest?

[SheFly]

Anyone else ever thought about where you want to rest?

Yes. There is a cemetary in our town that we ride through on any of our MTB rides. For that reason, it has special significance to both of us, so we want to "rest" there. Guess it's ironic, since this town is now home. No relatives other than DH here though.

SheFly

[Crankin]

One the above topic, see my earlier thread...

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=40631&highlight=Weirdest+Ride

[shootingstar]

Gosh how this thread meanders its own course.. :p

Haven't a clue where my final resting place will be. I prefer to let life unfold for now.

[bmccasland]

I figure I'll be in a little urn planted in the family section of the cemetary in N. Louisiana where my grandparents were from. All the moving I've done, that town was the only constant in my life. I would spend about a month there every year when I was a kid. My grandfather owned the furniture store, aunt owned the flower shop, cousins owned the general store, another cousin owned the bank. I think I was related to about 1/4 of the white people in the town (nothing disparraging or racist, just reality).

[macski]

I was born in Scotland, moved to Adelaide in South Australia when I was 6 years old and then moved to Canberra (the capital of Australia) 23 years ago.

I love living in Canberra and it is definitely home.

My partner and I exchanged rings in a 'commitment ceremony' (just us, not a formal thing) at a small mountain that is special to us about 2 hours away from where we live and that's where we'll have our ashes scattered.

My parents ashes were scattered in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at the same latitude and longitude 10 years apart. My father was in the navy when he was young and he fell in love with the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean. One of his life ambitions was to take my mother on a cruise of the Atlantic Ocean and dance with her on the deck of the ship in the moonlight (with her wearing a white ball gown). He died before they could do that. So now they dance together on the waves.

[roadie gal]

I want to donate my carcass to a medical school for the students to learn from. If that doesn't work, I want to be cremated and to have my ashes scattered in the mountains around here.

[GLC1968]

I want to donate my carcass to a medical school for the students to learn from. If that doesn't work, I want to be cremated and to have my ashes scattered in the mountains around here.


Ditto - except I have no specific mountain in mind for my scattering. Just about any one will do! ;)