Feeling less bad about leaving RI

UNITED STATES: "Statewatch: Rhose Island: Little Rhody in the red; America's smallest state has mammoth economic problems," The Economist, 2 May 2009.

I do hate living in Indiana. The main reason is the intense pollen and fairly polluted air, the latter being the big surprise.

But I also hate the flatness, the mediocre food that seems to be the standard, and the lack of things to do.

When we lived in Rhode Island--actually on Aquidneck Island--the air was so much better (almost always a stiff breeze), the local organic farms were fabulous, and because we were close to Providence, Boston, the Cape, New England above Mass, Connecticut, upstate NY, and NYC itself, there was always something to do.

Frankly, I was happy enough just being able to go to the beach every afternoon around five, when the tourists were gone. I miss being in the waves. I miss that fear of feeling myself trapped in the crash zone. I just miss the smell and sand and the sand pipers.

I've never missed Rhode Islanders themselves. We had a lot more friends there, but they were almost always newcomers (meaning not born there). Our best friends were always Navy (we were mostly treated by the locals as the equivalent of Navy, so tolerated but not really befriended) or recent immigrants from places like Portugal or Russia. Hell, we were told that Jerry wasn't really an islander because he was born in Providence and not in Newport Hospital. The true locals really weren't that friendly and were damn proud of it. Insular to the point of sheer rudeness, you simply ignored them because the scenery was just so fabulous.

Would I move back?

Yes, but only under solid money conditions. I came to Indy on a wing and a prayer (starting my own consultancy and living on speeches, my entire income was insecure and I had the temerity to build a new house!), and I won't do that again.

So Enterra has to work for me, otherwise I never leave here, meaning I am a very incentivized business developer (which, fortunately, is going great guns right now).

But I am glad we left RI before the bottom fell out. We sold at the high-water mark, and that made the house-build possible here (and I do truly love this house--it's the one thing I will miss about Indy; that and perhaps the local city pool, King's Dominion, driving to Packer games, and Cedar Point). But the Economist article makes it sound just plain painful right now there.

So the dream remains Maine--round Portland.

Believe me, my wife is planning like a maniac. She is always planning. I worry about the world's evolution; Vonne handles everything close in. In that way, we are amazingly similar--always thinking ahead and preferring a life of great anticipation (a truly odd life skill).

Comments

[CAM]

An Inspirational Individual, you are... I value your insite on world affairs, but truely enjoy your personal posts about you and your family. They bring you back to earth... Thanks,

[Jon Anderson]

Tom - Good call about settling in/around Portland, ME. That's my hometown area and maybe someday we'll be neighbors!

[Ted O'Connor]

I notice you did not mention D.C. as a possibility. Some aversion there? I would like to recommend San Diego. Yes, housing is expensive, but you have the Pacific Ocean, the mountains, the desert, all in a day's drive. Food is getting better here every year. We have had two fires that scared the daylights out of us, but it still beats Chicago winters. We have a 30' sailboat we keep down in the harbor and we use it as our summer home when it gets hot up in the North end of the county. You already know about the defense industry out this way. And...we have the Chargers. Temporarily anyway.

[zenpundit]

Spent a day in Portland a few years ago, seemed like an amazingly livable and pleasant city to be in ( at least in July, winters might be a bear).