Not only is there no one job I want for the rest of my life, but I’m starting to wonder if there exists any one place I want to live for the rest of my life.

Places I’ve lived: Scranton, PA; Hyde Park, NY; Asheville, NC; Portland, OR; Boston,MA;  Domdidier, Switzerland; Bethesda, MD

Is it the place or the people or the life you create for yourself?

Those of us that have family that we actually like spending time with have somewhat of a debate.  Do we stay/move back to where our family is even if it’s not a place we ourselves would necessarily choose for any other reason?  Or do we take off and try to make our own life for ourselves in a place we think we’d like more?

Is it really location, location, location as they say in real estate? Or is it something else?

There’s something about living in a town where I walk into a bar and the bartender, whom I don’t recognize, sees me looking around and says “You’re brother is over there.”  How did he know?!

There’s something about living in a town where it will cost $400 to get my piano moved into my new place, but my family knows someone who moves pianos, and my brother and my dad and a couple others jump in to help and we all make out on the deal.

But there’s something to being anonymous.  To making your own way.  Finding a job without using your father’s connections.  Finding a place to live without your parents having seen it first.  Living close enough, yet far enough away.

I don’t know the “right” answer.  I don’t think there is one.  It’s different for each person.  For a few years now I thought I’d become one of the youngest snowbirds – those people that go to Florida (or some other warm locale) for a few months every year when the winters in the northeast make my mood go south.  Can you have the best of both worlds?  I think so.  Or at least I’m going to find out….