*I received compensation for this post.*
Well, where would it be?
There are a lot of places in the world that I’d like to visit: England, France, Australia, Seattle (hey, I’ve never been there!). There’s a lot of places I’ve visited that I’d love to go back to: Key West, Hawaii, Italy.
But to settle down and stay? To be honest, I’m pretty darn happy in Surprise, Arizona! Here is my checklist for the things I would want in my dream town:
- Safe neighborhoods with good schools
- Plenty of shops and restaurants, both chains and unique places
- Not too big, not too small- the suburb of a larger city but which is a town all to itself
- Parks and places to walk and go running
- Culture not too far away- museums, theatres, etc.
- A little bit of a nightlife- places open after 9pm
- To be near family
- Good weather
Surprise literally checks everything off that list. I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Maine, but I do not want to live through any more New England winters. I love the beaches of the Carolinas, but the summers are too sticky for my liking. California beaches are tempting, but the traffic and cost of living keeps us away.
Did you know that 15% of the US population moves each year? Reference Site
I never would have guessed that I would end up in Arizona, but life is pretty good here in the Valley of the Sun. It is one of the sunniest places on Earth, which does a lot to improve one’s mood. And when it does rain, it’s thrilling because it is so rare! Snow? Get out the camera to document it, because it’s only happened twice (in Tucson) since I moved out here 8 years ago.
If I could improve Surprise, I would definitely wish that summer was just a bit shorter and there was more of fall and spring. I’d add an Old Navy and hey why not a whole mall?! I would put a playground close to our house that we could walk to. And while I’m dreaming, I would relocate Pizza by Alex from Biddeford, Maine, and the Tastykakes factory from Philadelphia.
But ultimately, I’m happy here. This was the right move for us. And in the future if we decide it’s time to move on, then it’ll just be another adventure!
Are you moving any time soon? Check out these articles for tips for moving:
33 Moving Tips
Checklists for Moving
Where is your ideal “settle down” place?
4 comments
We just moved to NH from MA and it just feels more like home. More like Maine does. I don’t love the winters of New England though…blech
Hey mama … so I may have some news coming in the next couple weeks that could make us neighbors! How cool would that be? Ssshh…don’t tell anyone!
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(¸¤ Lanaya | xoxo
Raising-Reagan.com
I would move back to NYC, but of course money would have to not be an object. Just stopping by to welcome you to the Social Fabric Community!
Now that the kids r getting older and will b starting school we r struggling to decide where we want to live!