Choosing a place to live is one of the most important decisions any individual, couple, or family will make in their lifetime. Choosing where to live may decide who ones spouse might or may choose which educational opportunities are available. Choosing where to live will dictate so many parts of ones life it is almost overwhelming. Here are some guidelines to help decide the perfect place for any wandering heart.
The first thing one must decide is big or small town. Both come with there benefits and costs. In a big city there are more jobs. Jobs are critical to choosing where to live. Outside of the city there are fewer jobs and usually those jobs do not pay very much. In the big city there are things to do for entertainment. Rock concerts tour large cities. Professional and college sports are often preformed in big cities. Fine arts are part of larger cities usually. Shopping centers and theme parks are closer to or are part of large cities. On the other side, small towns have a very cozy homey feel to them. Neighbors know each other and the community usually concerns much more. The pace is slower and the world does not always seem so fast moving. Property is a little cheaper and the standard of living is not as expensive.
The second thing one must debate between what kind of weather one wants to enjoy and suffer through. In Gilbert Arizona the winters are perfect. They are cool, comfortable and almost energizing. The summers are terrifyingly hot. The summers bake everything into a hot pulp. Granted there is air conditioning but there is little sitting on the back porch and enjoying the outdoors. In Salt Lake City Utah, just one state north, the summers are beautiful. They are cool at night and just right during the day. In the winter, they often have inversions that can last weeks blocking out the sun and causing some to have depression.
Next, each state is rated different for its education. Education is huge especially when it comes to those with families and have children that are going to be attending the public school system. Doing research on schools is pretty easy given technology and the internet.
Each location offers its own form of recreation. Gilbert Arizona has quick access to a huge dessert ideal for off-roading and four wheeling. Utah has a ton of reservoirs that are ideal for water skiing. California has coast line. These are all stereo types but the physical geography of each location plays a large role in what kind of freedom one might have access to.
Do not forget politics. In east Texas, any neighbor can talk to the next neighbor about hunting, fishing, guns, camping, conservatism, patriotism, and any other sort of rough and rugged redneck ideal. In Eugene, Oregon, that same patriot would not be so appreciated and find that the local politics do not seem to be too tolerant of their beliefs. Sometimes the local politics get discounted but in America, different regions have vastly different policies and can cause a sense of comfort or a sense of grief.