Grew up on a farm in Lancaster PA, tossing hay bales and milking cows. Moved off the farm to Raleigh, then to Chicago, San Francisco, then Brussels, Paris, and Swindon, England.

Then lived on a boat for ten years in Key Largo.

Never missed the farm -- too much work. And yeah, Lixie, I was one of the people getting on the train to Philadelphia.

Now I'm in the frozen northest -- there are two seasons here: winter, and the Fourth of July.

I agree with jseal -- I miss the big cities, the cultural diversity, the fantastic restaurants, good mass transit (Chicago, San Francisco, and Europe), and a plethora of diverse activities.

I miss living on the boat. Didn't have to mow the grass and had a great water view.

But then, when the warmer weather comes here, packing a canoe and going to this desolate place I know, sleeping under the stars, smelling the woodsy dampness, listening to the whipoorwills and the halleujah chorus of night sounds, and watching a foraging moose wander across my field of view, I can only think back to my days waiting in traffic at the Bay Bridge toll plaza and somehow, my little Pond in the wilderness has a way of equalizing all of the other things that have gone by.

I like the in between viewpoint -- I'm only an hour from Boston, so when I want big city, it's there. When I want my quiet Pond, it's only 20 minutes away.

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If I came here to talk, I would have worn underwear.