Where Would You Live?

Where would you live if you got to pick?

I was visiting Amy's Humble Musings blog recently and she was talking about her south Florida weather. That got a lot of comments from around the country and Canada, each commentor bemoaning or praising the weather conditions in their area. Many could not live without snow in the winter. I said that I thought Missouri was just about perfect despite the mosquitos and humidity.

We all day-dream about a lush tropical paradise with cool ocean breezes, but even that would get old after a while. I truly enjoy the distinctness of each season and the unique activities to be enjoyed with each, such as: the beautiful blossoms and flowering trees of the spring; outdoor swimming for 3 months of the summer; hiking in the woods bursting with color in the fall; and the sparkling snow that twinkles in the streetlights of a dark winter evening.

Have you ever inspected a snowflake that landed on your frozen mitten and saw all the intricies of the pattern? Have you ever felt like you were in a winter wonderland were each individual flake glittered in the sunlight on the banks of snows and weighted tree limbs that surrounded you? Have you ever dug tunnels and rooms into large mounds of snow only to shed your coat because of the warmth on the inside? Ever "ice skated" on your boots down a frozen creek or had a snow ball fight? If not, you're missing out. And I feel the same way about all the seasons. In fact, the fall is my absolute favorite time of year.

If I where to choose a place to live, it would have to be in a climate where I could experience all four seasons, and for more than a couple of weeks. So Missouri pretty much fits that bill. But, I also long to live in the mountains. My mother's family was from the Tennesee/North Carolina border area and we often returned there for family reunions when I was a child. There's just something about the hills that speak to my soul. The abundant wildlife, forests and cold mountain streams are too much to resist. As an adult I have come to love the open waters and roar of the ocean as well. So for me, the perfect place would be in the mountains, less than a day's drive from the ocean, in a place with magnificient fall colors and long summers. I guess I'd probably end up in Virginia somewhere, or maybe West Virginia. And just think of all the history in that area too!

So if you could pick up and go anywhere to live, even take your family along if you wanted, where would it be and why?