Finding One's Home

[liveonearth]

I read a quote recently that was given as the epitomy of a Western way of being. It went like this:
Find your place. Dig in. Defend it.

I have long been looking for my place, and I have known since I arrived here in Arizona that this is not it. I want to be near water. The dryness of this places unnerves me, and the fires are terrifying.

So I have long thought about what I want in the place that I will call my home....hopefully for the rest of my life.....after I finish this round of schooling. I have a fun email conversation going with a former professor of mine, who recently relocated to Gig Harbor, Washington from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Here are the criteria he listed for finding his home (shared with a wife):
1. major airport nearby
2. major city nearby (plays, art, culture, hospital)
3. temperate climate (no sticky humidity)
4. tolerant citizenry
5. diverse population
6. strong educational system
7. appreciation for the good things that government can do

What are your criteria?

Comments

[marijkab.livejournal.com]

1. wide open spaces
2. loads of wildlife I can see from the house
3. trees
4. discernable seasons, but no serious winters
5. a place to shop no more than 30 miles away
6. good hiking, climbing, and biking in the area
7. not more than 30 miles from work
8. work that ties in to the land

[liveonearth.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the response. Considering where you are, your priority list is a description of what you don't have there. In a few years, when you are living in a place that satisfies most of all of your current criteria, I'll ask again and see if your wish list has solidified or changed!

I'm still working on my list. Here's tonight's brainstorm:

1. running fresh water at the top of a drainage
2. a viable agrarian community surrounding a centrally located town
3. outside the farms, a wilderness complete with game and a diverse ecosystem
4. clean air
5. seasons including snow and a long enough growing season for me to grow tomatoes
6. at least 100 miles or substantial geographical barriers between home and the nearest metropolitan area
7. public transport to that metro area
8. an active local government
9. an aware populace