B
ecause of our nomadic lifestyle, hubby and I have had the luxury and privilege of living in both cities and the country. We spent 4 years in Richmond, Virginia—not huge, but still a decent sized city—and 12 years in a neighboring county with 13,000 people in the county. We lived just outside New York City and then moved to live in Appleton, Wisconsin, where 10 minutes would get you to the airport and about ten steps separated you from the baggage claim, loading gate, and car rental desk. We moved to the heart of San Francisco, across from City Hall and the ballet, and then moved to Greenwood, SC, where ten cars constituted a traffic jam. Our last move was from the urban Tidewater area (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Hampton and Newport News) to a tiny town in Idaho. I can honestly say I enjoyed each and every place we lived.
In San Francisco, we went to the ballet, numerous plays and museums and 
visited the Wharf weekly. The restaurants are deservedly legendary. In Richmond, too, we had season tickets to the theater. New York offered Radio City Music Hall and a city throbbing with energy, and Tidewater, where I’d lived for nine years growing up, was home in a way. None of those things were true in the small towns/country where we lived. In our Virginia county, we were 35 miles from the nearest city, and 50 miles into Richmond, so shopping had to be planned. As I said, the airport in Appleton was close but everything else was pretty limited. Still, the people were amazingly friendly, and the town was fun to explore. I loved living in rural South Carolina! Anytime was a good time for a ride in the country and all kinds of interesting things presented themselves for exploration.
Cities have things to do and a variety of places to eat. Country/small towns have peace, the ability to get around easily, and a more relaxed lifestyle. I love them both.
Which lifestyle do you prefer?
Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.
Dee
Burning Bridges by Anne Krist: old letters put the lie to Sara’s life. Now, mending her past mistakes while crossing burning bridges will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.
I suppose if you knew that I’d been a long-distance trucker it wouldn’t surprise you to know that I’d rather drive then fly whenever I can. Flying used to be fun—back when there were fewer travelers, when I was in college and could still dash from one gate to another, and when a size 10 still fit the seats. Need I say that none of those things work for me anymore?
to be relaxed in the west of the U.S. than in the crowded east, but even there I just like having some control over my life with my hands on the wheel. I try not to let people push me. I find a comfortable speed and hang in there. If someone wants to go faster, there’s usually a way to pass. Mores the pity, though, because I’m watching the signs, wondering where the people in all the cars are going, and who lives in that pretty blue house on the right side of the road. Life is good. Oh yeah, and I might spend a passing moment following the contrails of a jet overhead.
I might be one of those few people who really things the great outdoors is overrated. I don’t particularly enjoy being in the bright sunshine (I have to worry about a lady’s fair complexion), I’ve never been one for sports or strenuous activities, picnics only attract insects, and sitting out in the late evening with a cup (or glass) of an adult beverage has me swatting mosquitoes and wishing I were inside on my recliner. In other words, having an extra hour of afternoon sunlight has never been important to me.
Or one that doesn’t backup, only changes by going forward and you have to go through a whole day’s worth of hours in order to get it set properly. One year I forgot how to change the time on my car’s clock and had to keep the correct time in my head by mentally adjusting it back until I was relieved by the fall’s change. Such a pain!
aren’t so many changes marked by editors now. Impatient Passion was the first time I’d ever been edited, excluding school where “editing” meant being graded. I didn’t view it as a fun experience then. Since then I’ve come to accept that it’s a part of the writing process—a good part!
