Why do you live where you do ?

[ackvil]

I grew up on the sunny west-side beaches of central Italy. Moved to the US for opportunity reasons and settled in Boston because some family members were already here. The toughest part for me to get used to is the weather... From sunny and warm weather to the very distinguished 4-season weather in Boston. I won't tell you how much I love the snow (sarcasm)! However, if I stayed in Italy I would have never had the opportunity that I had in the States. No joke... I wasn't admitted in Pharmacy School in Italy because people that had politicians' "recommendations" (see "bribed") jumped ahead of me to get into Pharmacy School for unexplained reasons. I didn't have any political connection there. When I came to the States, I was relieved to know that you could become anything you wanted to become with some discipline and hard work.

While I will always love and consider Italy one of the most beautiful countries in the world, I consider the United States the ultimate land of opportunity for those who want to succeed and prosper. This is why I currently live in Boston.

Great to hear, Marco. Yes many of us take the opportunities offered to us for granted.

 

[Eeyore]

Great to hear, Marco. Yes many of us take the opportunities offered to us for granted.

Still I personally would not want to live in a society as competitive as the USA. Northern Europe is a great middle ground for me. But a lot depends on where and how you were raised, of course.

(Note that "competitive" is not meant in a *bad* way!)

 

[ackvil]

Still I personally would not want to live in a society as competitive as the USA. Northern Europe is a great middle ground for me. But a lot depends on where and how you were raised, of course.

(Note that "competitive" is not meant in a *bad* way!)

Yes it all depends on what your personality, wants, and needs are. My father immigrated to this country at the age of 18. He arrived with little formal education or money. He worked hard and became very successful. To the day he died he praised the opportunities the U.S. gave him. But he was an entrepreneur who would rather work endless hours to become a success. He always preached to my sister and me that the U.S. was the land of opportunity where even a person such as he - with no formal education, family connections, and few funds - could succeed financially. His brother, on the other hand, remained in his native country until he was 40 and was happy. When he arrived in the U.S. he was surprised that the folks here worked so hard and for so many hours. He ended up staying in the U.S. and brought his family over, too since he wanted to be reunited with his brother. However, he would have been just as happy if he had remained in Italy. As we often say on this forum, YMMV.

 

[Major Guns]

I think one has to reach a breaking point to really want it. I grew up in extreme poverty with no handouts. With my dad out of the picture, my mother tried very hard to raise 3 children by herself. She was too proud to ask for help. We were all supportive and understanding of our situation. I decided I wanted to break out of that type of situation and make something out of my life. I vowed that my future children should never go through what we went through. Although I tried very hard, I couldn't get a break while I was in Italy. I remember submitting about 300 resumes throughout Italy to get any job I could. The only company that answered my call at the time was AlpiTour as an activity staff member for the equivalent of $200/month.

America turned my life around, gave me opportunities nobody had previously given me. I didn't want handouts... Never asked for one. I just wanted to work and make something out of myself. It took me A LOT of student loans (for which I'm still in the middle of paying after 13 years) to get there, but I'm living the dream that I wasn't allowed to live in Italy. For that, I'm very appreciative.

 

[gibsonod]

I live where I do since the job moves me here/there. Was stationed in NY for 4 years, left active duty and stayed another 6. That feels like home now. Great place for hiking, climbing, backpacking, biking, and enjoying life. To clarify I am referring to upstate a bit. Gunks, Catskills, Daks, etc.

 

[Rushman2112]

I live where the job is - in 1995 I was offered redundancy in UK or a job in Jakarta, so I went to Jakarta. Came home at the end of the 2 year contract. In 1999 got the chance to go back, stayed another 2 years, a new job appeared in Bangkok, went there for 3 years. Then got sent here to Singapore in 2004 and been here ever since in a series of jobs.

 

[Utter Lie]

Lived in chicago most of my life. Moved to fl which i often asked myself why I stay lol florida is def not the state for me. ended up moving to cali and i wait for the day I end up right back in sweet home chicago as I know it will happen soon. I think we all stay where we are because its what we call home. My home for me is Chicago. Its what I know like the back of my hand. But you only live once and its good to experience different things. Just dont make the mistake of staying somewhere to long if you dont like it. Just move on to something new and check it out.

 

[surrealtrip]

I'm an Irish born Canadian. My family moved here before I even went to school, and my father knocked it into me and my brothers that Canada would always be our home.
I love Ireland and while I may have my duel citizenship I will always be first and foremost Canadian. It's a hell of a country and it's treated me as well as I could hope for.
My son will grow up knowing his roots and understanding where his past is, but he'll know he's Canadian. I still don't plan on learning to skate or teaching him how to skate, that crap still seems faintly ridiculous to me.

 

[Prairie Ninja]

I'm an Irish born Canadian. My family moved here before I even went to school, and my father knocked it into me and my brothers that Canada would always be our home.
I love Ireland and while I may have my duel citizenship I will always be first and foremost Canadian. It's a hell of a country and it's treated me as well as I could hope for.
My son will grow up knowing his roots and understanding where his past is, but he'll know he's Canadian. I still don't plan on learning to skate or teaching him how to skate, that crap still seems faintly ridiculous to me.

Very nice. I was born in Red Deer but I don't understand the whole skating thing either.

 

[Eeyore]

Very nice. I was born in Red Deer but I don't understand the whole skating thing either.

IMHO every boy should learn how to skate. Unfortunately it's been ages since we had a real winter here ... many natural ice skaters go to the Scandinavian lakes nowadays.

 

[Gytis]

Why? that is simple - I just cant live without my language, and there is no other place in the world where people speak lithuanian. I have been in army abroad for 2 years, and the language was what I totally missed, so I know I can not live without it. Unfortunately

 

[Lesmore]

IMHO every boy should learn how to skate. Unfortunately it's been ages since we had a real winter here ... many natural ice skaters go to the Scandinavian lakes nowadays.

Come over to western Canada. We have about 5 1/2 months of outdoor skating weather in the area I live. Snow drifts right now, 1/2 way up the side of the house. But winters are cold....this winter alone we generally have been around -20 to -38 C since early December. Finally it's starting to warm up.

Summers are very hot...usually have highs around 32 to sometimes 40C.....mostly highs around 30 to 33C.

I'm used to weather like this, born here and experienced 60 odd winters, but I sometimes wonder how new immigrants cope with it.

 

[Roderick]

IMHO every boy should learn how to skate. Unfortunately it's been ages since we had a real winter here ... many natural ice skaters go to the Scandinavian lakes nowadays.

+2

 

[Roderick]

Come over to western Canada. We have about 5 1/2 months of outdoor skating weather in the area I live. Snow drifts right now, 1/2 way up the side of the house. But winters are cold....this winter alone we generally have been around -20 to -38 C since early December. Finally it's starting to warm up.

Summers are very hot...usually have highs around 32 to sometimes 40C.....mostly highs around 30 to 33C.

I'm used to weather like this, born here and experienced 60 odd winters, but I sometimes wonder how new immigrants cope with it.

+1

 

[aperna]

I live on Grand Island in the middle of the Niagara River just a couple of miles upstream from Niagara Falls. Beautiful place

 

[Blooze]

We, like pejay66, live in Amarillo. My wife and I were both born and raised in SW and central KS in very small towns of less than 1000 people. Went to college in NE KS and moved back to SW KS for the job. 10 years ago we transferred to Amarillo for the same company. Unlike pejay66, we would move from this town in a heartbeat due to the major right wing cowboy attitude. I'm a hunter by nature and a conservationist. As long as you drive a monster pickup or SUV, run your water all year around for your nice green lawn (it's the desert here, BTW), and don't argue with any Republican ideas you'll fit right in. I could care less about the idiots on capital hill as they will always be there in one form or another, it's the environment here we don't like. I've given up nearly all my hobbies, including hunting and cycling, because of this location. No landscape, unless flat and dry is a landscape and windy ALL the time. Completely uninspiring. Soon as the youngest is out of HS it's time to leave.

 

[abragus]

Born and raised in Southern California, moved to Northern Cal for college and then the Coast Guard had me venture out to Virginia where my in-laws think I hunt and gather all our food. Although it was a big change from being in a gigantic city, the wife and I have come to really appreciate the quiet and the friendly (most of the time) people where we are. We'll see where the adventure takes us next, but if we stayed here, it wouldn't be so bad.

 

[Eeyore]

The reason for living in the Netherlands where I do, is that it is close to the airport, and to many local customers. I'd love to live in the eastern part, right against the German border, where I also was born. However, the increase in daily travel time would make that a bad deal.

 

[FlatFork]

Born and raised in the south, I love the people and small town living.

 

[andyr]

Moved to San Diego in 2002 for a job. The weather is perfect, the girls are pretty, and the people are pleasant. The traffic is only bad during rush hour.
See no reason to move.