I'm missing the South.

Kind of totally off-topic post, but oh well. I've been in a funk for weeks now. I'm 32, lived in California since I was 23, grew up in rural TN, and for some reason I'm kind of homesick. In some ways I've never really been able to fit in with the kinds of folks out here as well. When you go out to the sticks here, folks are pretty laid back like they are back home.Most friends I've made here live hours away. But I live in the city and there's lots of "smart" people who for the most part are decent. I can't put my finger on it, but I seldom meet anyone out here who's at all similar. Seems like most of them are stuck on making money or being social butterflies at events I don't give a shit about- like art gallery openings, food festivals and so on.

I miss Waffle House, Cracker Barrel, freeways that aren't clogged up, and yes- even hot summer weather and loud insects. Lastly- its expensive as hell out here. I'm kind of over it really. Could also be because my Grandmother is sick and she half-raised me.

Sorry for the rant.

 

if ya get a chance ever..................move back man!!! honestly...........i could never leave the south.......been here almost 30 years....dont wanna go anywhere else. sorry to hear about your grandma too man.

 

If anything, you get to do just about anything legally in the South- like letting off firecrackers and stuff like that. Seems like it has changed a lot though. Every time I visit its like- hey lookie there, its a whole new chunk of town that didn't exist last time. That and they're building the hell out of Mcmansions on every cow field. Its like that at least where my folks live.

 

Sorry to hear about your Grandmother. Just out of curiosity, why are you out in Cali now? If you don't have to be, like Will said, move back if you can. There is no replacement for small town living.

 

It's like that in alot of places....including where I live.

 

yeah...its sad to say......but places around here are growing,trying to reach "big city" status. i live in town here for the moment....but the wife and i are looking for property/house/garage out in the woods.............................i cant get used to living in the city man. but i still think its safe to say.........we have a long way to go before we'll be as "built up" as some places in cali.................and i hope it stays that way. i never get tired of riding thru the country................no houses, only woods for miles!

 

Well, all I can say is that my folks bought their property ( 13 acres) 20 miles outside of Knoxville, TN back in the mid 70's. The "street" they lived on was gravel until I was around 4-5 years old. There was NOTHING around it.

Fast-forward to now and you can just about walk to the closest stupidly named Mcmansion development. Retarded names like " River Walk", or "Flowering Lanes"... some other bullshit. That and the houses are all ENORMOUS and the same, complete with vanilla plastic siding. Locals don't buy em'. They're typically people from NJ or OH or some other state, which I suppose is fine.

Thus my folks are now thinking of moving. Its sad to see how the area is turning out. Its like there's a damned wal-mart, home depot, Mcdonalds, and whatever at every exit now.

 

like i said...we are rapidly growing(which i dont really like...but gotta deal with i reckon)......but it aint as big as cali yet. i hate seeing all the housing developments come in and all the woods disappear..................its a shame.

 

Sounds like you will never be totally happy out west. You're still young enough to move back where you're comfortable and make a new life. I'd move back if I were you.

 

Well, here's the thing. There are a lot of people in Cali, but surprisingly, a lot of the cities are less congested than you'd think. Its like that because there are lots of anti-development clauses, which makes it look nice, but it also makes housing ridiculously expensive and impossible to aquire unless you want a hellacious commute.

I feel that what I'm seeing back home is unrestrained growth where they build anything anywhere, which looks sprawly. So if we someday come back, I'd want to find somewhere that is maybe a lot older and already established so there might not be as much new urban sprawl. Either that or move as far from civilization as possible. Time will tell.

 

i don't blame ya for being homesick. i dont think i could ever live outside the south (except for Alaska or Montana, i'd move to either of those places in a heartbeat

 

I miss the south too. I hated living in the left part of the country. At least I'm in the Mid-Atlantic.....

 

Come on, be honest.....what you really miss is a little of this action....

 

I tried living is San Diego. I moved back to the midwest.. Something was eating at me to come back. Yeah the people are ok. But I know what ya mean about the the whole tied onto money thing and the general snobbery of SoCal. Not that everybody is like that but I was always asked so "where ya live"? Oh not La Jolla?? Too bad WTF?
I can go hunting, fishing pretty much whenever and wherever. Lots of free space, watch the grass grow, listen to the crickets and hummingbirds in the summer. Go ahead, move.. Cali is bankrupt anyway, you won't be getting a tax return from that state anytime soon.

 

that's an easy date right there...

 

'Course you gotta realize that we Crackers consider anyone from north of the Suwannee one of them there damn Yankees.

But it's gettin' just too danged busy down here in Paradise with all the turistas we get this time of year. We are introducing a new slogan for them that's comin' to visit:

If you're comin', bring water.
If you're leavin', take a friend.

 

I feel your pain dude... I moved from Texas to Minnesota back in March and I miss it every day! I have every intension of moving back to Texas in a few years, but I have other places I want to live first. Colorado is next on my list!

 

Why CO? I'd give my left nut to move back to Houston.... but alas... my industry is not present there.

 

Want to live in some really scenic parts of the country...

But Houston?? I grew up about 90 miles from there and I can't stand that place! The only place I want to live in Texas is Austin.

Hook 'em!

 

I hear you loud and clear, sir.

Simplify. Slow down. Scale down. Get back to the one part of this wonderful country that still embodies what we came to know as children as "Americana." For even the deep south won't be able to protect it's ideals much longer.

People laugh at my accent and make fun of me all the time b/c I'm southern...but if you're southern, you know who's really laughing.

Just remember that people who have never really lived outside of the great state of California have no earthly idea what they are missing or what it truly means to be "free." But you do. Get it back while you still can.