Gearing down

I don't know the area, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

I love the country. Hate the city. The only downside for me is distance to stores and doctors. The older I get, the closer I need to be to medical services and stores. If I were younger, I'd be happy as long as there was Internet.

A slower pace is nice, imo. If you like that sort of thing. Some people hate it. Perhaps you could take an extended vacation and try it out?

Everything being relative of course...

My wife and I visited Courtenay a few weeks back, and I had commented while I like the city well enough, it would be hard to get used to the heavy traffic. Of course, I live near the blank edge of the map, so take as weighted.

The one thing I would mention for your consideration is the heavy bias of services BC has centralized in Vancouver. Courtenay is closer than I am, but if you have to go by ground transport for any reason, it still makes for a bit of travel.

It's a nice town though, in my experience. If I were to move to VI, it would be on the top of my list.

Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Haven't been to Courtney. But having been stuck in the traffic heading for the Richmond tunnel, I feel your pain about Vancouver BC traffic.

Ambrosia has a big point. Medical and stores. Take a look at what's available.

Also, you probably won't need this considering VI's height, but it is much hard to evacuate an island than it is to evacuate mainland.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

I've lived in the city, and I've lived in the country...

The quiet, little suburb where we currently reside is a great alternative.

Not too close to the traffic, noise and crowds, and not so rural, where you don't see any neighbors, and have to deal with deer running into your vehicles

Just a 15-minute drive to shopping, restaurants, hospitals, etc.

Dennis E. Taylor said:

Honestly, I'm not even sure where I'm going with this post--maybe just a chance to vent forth a curmudgeonly rant.

I live in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver BC environs). Recently we went to visit a friend who lives in Courtenay on Vancouver Island. To say that the pace is slower would be a massive understatement. The main street in Courtenay still uses four-way stops! Try to imagine how that would work out in any busy municipality.

Anyway, traffic was especially bad in Coquitlam today. Not just the normal Saturday crap, but also helped along by city crews closing down one of two lanes on a bridge that's a choke-point between Coquitlam and Port Moody. By the time I got home from running errands, I was ready to chew furniture and spit nails. I know, I know, I should just stay home on weekends. Uh huh.

So now I'm looking at Courtenay and thinking, "hmmm...." Of course there are pros and cons in moving from an urban center to what pretty much amounts to "the country." Except I'm not sure the cons are all that con-ish. For instance, no night life. Oh, no, I won't be able to go to bars and night-clubs. Waaah! And it's a long way to go to get to other people's homes. Yeah, and a long way for them to come to mine.

On the upside, living on an island will make it hard for the zombies to reach us when the apocalypse hits, so that's a plus.

Dunno. Has anyone moved to a slower lifestyle and regretted it? Are there pitfalls I won't see until too late? Coz right now, I'm damn tempted.

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In 12 years, I've lived in 4 countries (including two 3 year stints in different major cities within one of those countries), on two continents. Living in a new place is NEVER what you expect it will be. You can never predict the surprises, delights, and pitfalls prior to the start of life in your new home.

But life is short and you will be dead soon, so I say go for it. Good or bad, new experience is exhilarating. Don't be a sitter-at-homer.

My parents built their retirement home out in the woods. Fifteen miles (each way) from the closest grocery store. My mother loved it, Dad, not so much. After 8 years (and my Dad inherited a small house, in a small town) they toggled back and forth. It worked for them for over 20 years. I could live full time in the mountain house, the desert house, not so much.

MM

Right now my house is about 20 minutes (on a good day) from the training center that I am the administrator for. Any class coming through there, I teach.

I am in a similar boat myself because I want to move - the question is one of: do I move literally next door to the facility, or 20 miles further away? Either will increase my quality of life measurably, but the yardsticks are different:

On the one hand (close to the training center) - I can walk to work, and be there in ten minutes in even the most horrific snow storm. I can come home at lunch and tend to the pups (no more doggy day care! $$$ savings!!!) More time to read, relax, and write!) And I can get screaming fast internet! I'll also be able to get a bagel, schnitzel, pizza, or sushi at pretty much any time of day. The downside is that the city urban noise will continue to assault my senses, and I will likely end up spending more time at work rather than less - after all, it's right there!

On the other hand (in the mountains) - I can open my windows and hear the mountain breeze. It doesn't get ungodly hot in the summer. No fire engines and ambulance sirens running up and down the street at all hours of the day! The downsides: as mentioned, I am a bit of a drive from a grocery store, medical services, or those 3am schnitzels or bagel cravings. Also, internet is woefully under speed - especially for the work from home days where I can deliver a webinar in my PJ's and slippers (I'd need an estimated 5 MB up, and the most I've seen past Morrison CO is averaging between 1-3 MB up...download speeds I don't give a whit about - which befuddles the CSR's when I call the service providers to see what kind of internet service various mountain properties have...)

Torn...

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Jason:

We always opted to be within walking distance of Mr. Siri's work (I'm a homemaker/writer/volunteer interfaith organizer). Now, his idea of "walking distance" is within 2 miles, because even now that he's slowed down, he can walk faster than some people can run. He used the time walking to decompress from his day.

If you can walk, you might be able to find a place nearer work, but away from the busier streets. That might solve the problem.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

What a wonderful idea - if only!

However, as the French would say: mais c'est trop cher!

If I could afford it, I'd buy it, but those houses are just too darn expensive!

I have lived all over the country (and spent four years outside the country as well). I've lived in huge cities of millions and small towns of less than a thousand. And I've learned that everyone is different and has different needs for where they live, different desires. Everyone enjoys something else. The bottom line, I find, that determines whether not I like a place, is the people. If I don't like the people, it doesn't matter how amazing the house is or the scenery or the commute. For me, it's people that make or break a place.

The issues I had with the small town where I lived was that everyone had known each other their whole lives and most were related. They didn't need a new friend and so I spent a lot of time alone. And frankly, for me, the small-town mentality was frustrating (I found, in this particular town, a lot of ignorance). The more isolated an area, the more they seem to become one unto themselves. Though I lived there for five years, I never became more than an unwelcome outsider.

Sometimes you don't know if you'll like a thing until you try it. Unfortunately, sometimes we get in an area we don't like and then we can't afford to move. I think you're smart to sit down and make a list of pros and cons. Then, as previously suggested, maybe take an extended vacation to the new town. Walk the streets, talk to people, find out how they act to new people, how they think. I also find you can read reviews of towns, written by people who live or have lived there online. I had considered moving to a different area when I came across an article that mentioned this particular town had a yearly KKK rally where thousands of clan members traveled to from all across the country. I instantly ruled this town out. So look online and see what you can find if you're not familiar with the area (though it sounds as though you are).

Anyway, that's my two cents. Good luck!

Jason said:

What a wonderful idea - if only!

However, as the French would say: mais c'est trop cher!

If I could afford it, I'd buy it, but those houses are just too darn expensive!

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Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Oh, well.

Would it be possible to find something in the area to rent that's not on a busy street? Sometimes, people in the nicer houses go away on sabbatical for a year and want a renter or housesitter while they're gone. And sometimes, people choose to rent, rather than sell houses. And then, there's rent to own.

Best of luck figuring out a good way to go.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

What about staying where you are but getting work closer by? (Easier said than done, I expect.)

Dennis E. Taylor said:

Dunno. Has anyone moved to a slower lifestyle and regretted it? Are there pitfalls I won't see until too late? Coz right now, I'm damn tempted.

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Not yet, but have been thinking about it. Where I live was very suburban when we first moved in, but it's getting too noisy, crowded, parking's getting to be an issue--I love LA, I really do. Took me a while, but I do love it now. Just getting harder and harder to turn it off. Never lived anywhere but in a city, NY, Balto, Houston, Pgh, and LA, but I'm tempted to give it a shot.