About 300,000 people move out of Illinois every year, for a net loss of 116,000. We are moving out of Illinois.
About 226, 000 people move to Tennessee every year. The net gain is 43,000. We are moving to Tennessee.
I have a few people to “blame” for this:
My cousin has lived in Orlando for several years. She is considering moving back to Missouri to have some people around who can lend a hand if needed for a health crisis. Most of her friends in the area are older and have their own health issues. It was something I hadn’t thought of before, but it had a big impact on our future decisions.
Our daughter-in-law bought nine, unrestricted, and mostly undeveloped acres in Tennessee near Cumberland Gap. Our granddaughter and family already have moved there, and our son and daughter-in-law are moving next Spring.
Our daughter-in-law’s boss lives in Cumberland Gap and owes a B&B there. She and our daughter-in-law work from home and frequently meet in Tennessee. She immediately fell in love with the beauty of the land and the friendliness of the people.
We too love the mountains and the kind people who live there.
Our daughter and family live in St. Paul, Minnesota, a lovely city, but we are not neither city dwellers or lovers of snow.
We have lived in this area, a far north Chicago bedroom town, for 34 years and have been in this house for 27 years. We like it here. The area along Lake Michigan is truly beautiful. Our nearest city, Kenosha, Wisconsin is a manufacturing city that has re-invented itself as warehouses, logistics, tech, and tourist hub. The Lake Michigan waterfront is home to lighthouses, museums, outdoor markets, streetcars, and a host of festivals. It is beautiful.
Our neighbors are great, though the area is turning over as people reach their retirement years. My immediate neighbors have moved to Kenosha, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Yet, there are two things we do not have here, a mild climate and low taxes.
We have been to Florida many times but could not find what we were looking for. It is getting very crowded, has lots of traffic, and walled subdivisions. It is simply too expensive to live close to the water. Of course, it gets pummeled by hurricanes, too.
We have always been drawn to the coast and the mountains. It looks like the mountains will win out. There is a nearby lake in Tennessee with the clearest water in the nation.
It’s a huge step, but we have had enough time to systematically plan for it by getting our house ready to list and checking out the new area. We almost bought a house there a few weeks ago. But now we are back to our original plan of listing our home in the spring.
It’s a big step for senior citizens. I talk to Patty about it as “one last adventure.” We seem to be ready for it, even with all the work and uncertainties involved.
I have read how baby boomers who moved to Florida are now moving to Appalachia. We are looking forward to being with family and beginning a new chapter.
It is a great feeling to like where we are yet being ready for something new. It’s great to be on the same page with Patty. We are ready to make new friends and see new sights.
I have been thinking about “home.”
It is more about the people around you than the structure that surrounds you.
It is more of an attitude than an address.
But sometimes it is just the right time to make a move.
