location, location, location

[aliantha]

It's no secret that I'm casting about for a place to settle after I retire (in about five years, the gods willing...). I've got a couple of candidates (Colorado, New Mexico) but I'm open to other suggestions. Maybe.

Anyway, here's your chance to be the local chamber of commerce. Tell me why the place where you live is so awesome that I'd be an idiot not to move there.

Alternately, if you're dying to get out of Dodge yourself, tell me about the place where you wish you lived.

Annnnd...go.

[Morning]

Peru.

[lorin]

as you and I are on the same mission here are some other places on my list

Bend, Oregon, actually most of Oregon interests me. Cost of living low compared to what you and I are used to. Real estate reasonable. Nice political mixture. Closer to the water than NM or Colorado. Beautiful forests. And not near my family.

San Miguel De Allende in Mexico. Basically a community that sprung up from the GI Bill $$$. Good medical, lots of artists and writers. Beautiful area. And not near my family.

Williamsburg, Mass. Lots of artists and writers, beautiful area but real estate is pricy due to Smith College being in the area. And not near my family.

Coast of Maine cause I love the coast of Maine. And not near my family.

[rdhopeca]

Do not come to California. Cost of living is through the roof. Find somewhere else. Oregon, the few times I have been there, is beautiful.

[aliantha]

Lorin, I'm sensing a theme with your responses. You've mentioned San Miguel de Allende before. I suppose I shouldn't take Latin American countries off the table. Hmm.

Morning -- why Peru? Other than that's where Paddington Bear came from.

[sgt.null]

well New Hampshire is expensive but the greatest place on earth.

Houston has lots of fantastic art. amazing restaurants. lots of diverse culture.

[Ananda]

Move somewhere in scandinavia. We always rank high or highest on the happiness ratings.

[Morning]

Lorin, I'm sensing a theme with your responses. You've mentioned San Miguel de Allende before. I suppose I shouldn't take Latin American countries off the table. Hmm.

Morning -- why Peru? Other than that's where Paddington Bear came from.

Peaceful, cheapEST, fair weather, human sample skewed towards the kind and easy-going... safe too, so far, unlike Bolivia where you can find that a law has been enacted banning all non-shamanist garments or Venezuela with the spectre of Chavez appearing to people in the very hitchcockian guise of birds in chapel balconies

[michaelm]

well New Hampshire is expensive but the greatest place on earth.

I miss living there, but my wife will definitely not go back...

[Orlion]

Lorin, I'm sensing a theme with your responses. You've mentioned San Miguel de Allende before. I suppose I shouldn't take Latin American countries off the table. Hmm.

Morning -- why Peru? Other than that's where Paddington Bear came from.

Peaceful, cheapEST, fair weather, human sample skewed towards the kind and easy-going... safe too, so far, unlike Bolivia where you can find that a law has been enacted banning all non-shamanist garments or Venezuela with the spectre of Chavez appearing to people in the very hitchcockian guise of birds in chapel balconies

Isn't the Shining Path located in Peru?

[Morning]

What, the Sendero? No idea if they are still active. If so then so much the better. Target range included. What more can anyone ask for?

[Orlion]

What, the Sendero? No idea if they are still active. If so then so much the better. Target range included. What more can anyone ask for?

Not nearly as much as they were... mainly for the reason you just mentioned: farmers pretty much were given training, guns, and permission to riddle those suckers with bullets if they ever came on their land.

To which el Sendero cried out, "Waaah! You're violating our human rights!"

[Morning]

I wish there was a button for immediate cross-thread posting this

[aliantha]

Peru's got mountains, too. That's where Patagonia is, right? No, wait, that's Chile. Anyhow, I speak Spanish, kinda sorta. Hmm...

(googling) Aha! I *thought* I'd been to Bend, Oregon! I took the kids to the High Desert Museum there. And we camped overnight in a tipi at the state park nearby.

[MsMary]

Florida is nice - in the winter, anyway. But it'll be underwater in 20 years, so...

[aliantha]

Plus Florida has cockroaches the size of chihuahuas.

[MsMary]

True story.

[aliantha]

Ananda, I'll be honest -- Scandinavia is intriguing. But what about the dark days/light days ratio? I've gotten kind of used to sunlight year-round. It freaked me out a little when the sun never set while I was in Alaska....

[Ananda]

Ananda, I'll be honest -- Scandinavia is intriguing. But what about the dark days/light days ratio? I've gotten kind of used to sunlight year-round. It freaked me out a little when the sun never set while I was in Alaska....

Just don't live in the woods and mountains far north and this isn't an issue. Here is a nice coast city in the mid southern area near where we live for weather, sun times and so.
Link doesn't work, so you have to paste it in I guess
www.smhi.se/#ort=2723287,Båstad,Båstad, ... /12.833333
The boards doesn't like letters such as å it seems.
The site goes in english, too, but with less information, I think.

We have long days in sommar and shorter in vinter, but not like you are thinking.

[aliantha]

Chrome translated the page for me, more or less.

Hmm. I may have to plan a visit.... I need to start working on my B-level destination list anyhow, since the only thing left on my A-level list is Ireland. I've been thinking about Iceland -- Iceland Air has direct flights from DC. But just to visit -- not to retire.