I was store manager of a branch of a major chain store in Manchester, in the early seventies, but we lived in a "free" company house and we wanted to buy our own. The company didn't allow that. So I applied for and was accepted as the manager of a Manchester departmental store, so I gave notice and we bought our home. The process was quite painless. I worked for them for 26 years, until I took early retirement
We knew way back that we would move away from the UK had a property in Spain and lived there from time to time but traveled mostly around France and that would suit us fine se believed and ok at first was a culture shock..winter what no central heating just log burners and electric heaters everywhere....we changed and all worked out fine for us....here is our place on the map with the end showing our new plot we are just buying also any day it will be finalised.... 1598 and 1008
I have only lived in the USA and love my country. Places I have visited and feel certain I could spend a lifetime in would be, Ireland, Scotland, Holmfirth, UK. Life is too quickly passed to live in all the countries I would love.
I came to the New England area for graduate school and wound up staying. I'd met my future husband in college & I persuaded him to join me in New England. We've been here ever since. I've thought I'd like to move to Canada but they won't have me now!
It was enjoyable reading how people wound up where they now live. I was born and raised in a small town on the Mississippi River in Western Illinois. That was where learned to love gardening. Farming was a big part of my family life. Education and military service took me many places - Louisiana, Texas, Upstate New York, Turkey, back to Illinois a few times, Indiana, Oregon, Chicago, Washington State. I wasn't happy in rural Illinois but returned to be closer to my parents and help them. For most of the past 35 years I've lived in the Pacific Northwest, which is where I felt at home from the first day I arrived. It's becoming more congested than I like but I'm sure I'll stay the rest of my life. I live on two acres in semi-rural Battle Ground, Washington about 45 miles north of Portland, OR.
Daniel, I have a nephew living in Auburn, WA. The state has always fascinated me. Alas, I never visited WA.
Our son lived in Auburn while doing an internship. He loved the hiking in WA state & hopes to return to the Seattle area eventually.
Cayuga, a nephew of mine sent photos of him and his pals hiking up a WA mountain. I have forgotten which mountain. It was snow covered.
WA and OR have excellent gardening climates, but it's a different kind of gardening from the midwest and northeast. It takes a while to get used to is. Also, between the mountains and the ocean it's almost a Mediterranean climate but with wetter winter. East of the mountains it's high desert, completely different and more extreme.
Yes. Washington state has very distinct climactic zones. We visited the Hoh Rain Forest on the western part of Olympic National Park. It was incredible. The hanging mosses & vast growth of huge trees was amazing. I'd love to go back.
I see photos a friend shoots in the Seattle area. It looks heavenly. Of course Michigan also has great beauty, mostly northern MI and the UP.
Both my wife and I grew up in Northwest Iowa. For work we eventually moved to the Jackson, MS area for about 4 years. Then another work opportunity presented itself and we moved to Tampa, Florida…. My wife loved it there but I couldn’t handle all the people—- I need some space. Wee ended up moving back up north, about 4 hrs drive from where we both grew up and close to our grandchildren. We both really like it here and has allowed us to have my father move in with us after Mom died about two years ago, and we are close to the kids and like I already said— the grandkids. we are fortunate in that my wife’s work allows her to work from basically anywhere,
