Do you live close to your hometown?

[brewer12345]

Same metro area, about an hour from where I grew up. DW, OTOH, followed me here after college, so she is about 1800 miles from where she grew up.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

Yup, born and raised in Calgary and still here (except for the 2 years that I lived in Tulsa, OK). Brought my American husband back with me from Tulsa and he loves it here...Calgary is home.

Reasons for staying: great economy, family and friends, lots to do recreationally, close to the Rocky mountains, friendly people, big city (1 million +) but without a lot of crime. DH jokes about returning to the States one day but then we realize how good we have it here.

 

[Coach]

No, I went from Missouri to Colorado for college and have been here ever since.

Coach

 

[Caoineag]

Nope, Michigan is one of those states where your parents and grandparents raise you with the knowledge that you need to move away to find a job. I moved the day after I graduated with a BS to Colorado which had 1/2 the unemployment rate and had a job within the week. I like visiting certain parts of the state but no interest in going back. Denver is perfect for me.

 

[bpp3]

Nope, 6500 miles away. Grew up in a small town that made Moemg's Frackville look like the big city. Great place to grow up, or maybe to discover later in life, but in between there's a big wide world out there.

 

[bright eyed]

same darn house, kids going to schools i went to...it's a little surreal but comforting (easy?)

mostly to be close to family and good schools ...parents moved to next town when i graduated high school but kept the house...i got lucky since we wouldn't be able to afford this area otherwise.

 

[ajs56]

Still within 20 miles of where I grew up. Small rural university town. Decent place to raise a family. Planned to move on after graduation, but got a great job offerwhile in college, and now I hope to FIRE within a couple of years, hopefully by age 53 or so.

I have visited numerous other places I could love to live in, but with family ties and great parks and lakes, I enjoy living here and visiting other places.

Now my son is nearing graduation, but the economic climate is such that he is prepared to move out of the state if need be. Then we'll have another place to visit!

 

[Rivrider]

Nope. My dad's jobs kept us moving every ten years or so. Got to live in some pretty nice places. My sister moved back to St. Louis though. Nice to visit and see relatives, but no desire to move back.

 

[Payin-the-Toll]

My hometown is 80 miles from Indianapolis (where I've lived for the last 40 years). Hometown population in 1930--5000 / 1940--5000 / 1950--5000 / 1960--5000 / 1970--5000 / 1980--5000 / 1990--5000 / 2000--5000 / 2005--5000. Hometown was glass-based industry town with no growth. Graduated from Butler in Indianapolis in 1972. Wife got mega-corp job in Indianapolis in 1970 with super benefits so that's where we stayed. Wife has 2 sisters still living in hometown and we go back to visit quite often, but after 8-10 hours it becomes very confining. Would not consider moving back because everytime you need to do extensive shopping you're driving 50 miles roundtrip, plus all our doctors, dentists, bankers, and stores we frequent are less than 10 miles from where we live.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

just got off the phone with this guy (i'm on the right). i actually just found these pictures last night and emailed them to my friend.

moved at age 16 with parents to st. croix usvi from where i grew up in bergen county nj. the ol'man had taken a hess refinery job, building docks for the supertankers which were new at that time. still have lots of friends from hometown, some living in the same houses they grew up in but most scattered from new york to california. many of us still talk a few times a month and i've others who i'm friendly with but i only see every so often.

i was last in my hometown this past september where i stayed at a friends house which was his mother's house. we used to practice guitar in his garage. walking through town i noticed my old house up for sale. asking price $650k. here is picture of it back then:

 

[lucija]

No, hometown is some 6000 mi away; never really meant to leave for good, but never regretted the decision. Strangely enough, where I am now feels like "home" -- like no other place ever did...

 

[Midpack]

Over 2100 miles from where I was born, never been back. But I'm another Military Brat who lived all over the world and have relocated with my career four times. What's a "hometown?"

Strictly a personal choice, but I feel sorry for folks who live in the same place all their lives. It's a big, fascinating world out there.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

"Strictly a personal choice, but I feel sorry for folks who live in the same place all their lives. It's a big, fascinating world out there."

I agree with that. We plan on meandering around at retirement. Im sure eventually we will find a spot to settle down.

 

[freebird5825]

same state, 250 miles away.

i outgrew my home town when i was a kid. LOL
i go visit every 10 yrs or so just for the fun of it.

 

[Dreamer]

Different state, but only 20 some miles from where I grew up.

 

[martyb]

I grew up in a small town in Montana. I love to go back and visit family and old friends. I would have stayed in the area if there had been more opportunity to earn a good income. Even today, $15/hour is a decent wage there. So I guess you could say I left for the $$$$$$$. Now live 400 miles away.

Heck, back in my hometown of Rockingham, NC, a whole lot of folks would be very happy to get a $15 an hour job. Back there, it's more like $8-$9 IF you can find a job. I left home in 1977 when I enlisted in the Air Force. Sort of....I spent my whole 4 1/2 years enlistment sationed in my home state! Good old Seymour Johnson AFB in Goldsboro, NC. Nice town though. After the Air Force, I landed a government job in Austin, Texas where I spent the next 15 years. Then, the base I worked at got closed by the BRAC and I moved here to Lousiana. My main motivator for moving away from my home town/state was economic. Lack of oportunity. Not much going on there at the time besides textile mills. Nowadays, that's not even going very well. Mostly shipped overseas. Jobs are tough to find in my hometown.

 

[Dawg52]

Same city. Didn't plan it that way. In fact I did move away after college but a better job was offered to me so I moved back home.

I'm not closing the door on a move one day though. After my mother and aunt are gone, I really won't have anything holding me here. I might stay as I have a lot of friends here, but trying something different might be in order. Who knows.

 

[Moemg]

"Strictly a personal choice, but I feel sorry for folks who live in the same place all their lives. It's a big, fascinating world out there."

I kind of envy them because they usually have a lot of family and long time friends in the area .

 

[Notmuchlonger]

I kind of envy them because they usually have a lot of family and long time friends in the area .

I guess if you get along with your family thats a great thing. Anyways I love mine and figure we can do both with traveling and visiting.

 

[Meadbh]

I live almost 4000 miles from my hometown. I like to visit, but would not like to live there again. But I might consider the countryside around it, which is very beautiful. Problem is, it's also very expensive. As a compromise, I am planning to have my ashes scattered in the sea off my favourite piece of coastline. I'll let my executors work out the details of that. Give 'em something to do to earn their fee!

 

[GoodSense]

No. Grew up half a world away (Eastern Asia). Moved to the US as a teenager and never looked back. We might go back to visit or travel through Asia when we reach FI, but MN is home for now.

 

[Fireup2020]

Hmmm - Grew up in No Cal...I am the only one of all my cousins and assorted relatives that live no further East than Reno! Left for the USN in 1988 - never moved back! Moved to NJ from MI in 2001...I am "home" now Someone has to love this place!

 

[Moemg]

I live almost 4000 miles from my hometown. I like to visit, but would not like to live there again. But I might consider the countryside around it, which is very beautiful. Problem is, it's also very expensive. As a compromise, I am planning to have my ashes scattered in the sea off my favourite piece of coastline. I'll let my executors work out the details of that. Give 'em something to do to earn their fee!

That is a beautiful area ! Is it Ireland ?

 

[hankster]

Yes, I live 3.13 miles from the house I grew up in. Stayed here close to family, friends and work.

3.13 miles? Looks like somebody got a GPS for Christmas

 

[jambo101]

Born south of London England (Carshulton),Dad liked to move so we moved every year till i was 10 then emigrated to Canada to wonderful place called Chibougamou Quebec,that lasted a year when dad decides to move to Toronto but the car broke down in Montreal so we spent the next 8yrs moving around the Montreal area actually stopping for 3yrs in the suburb Chateauguay(3 different houses),then for my 18 birthday Dad says we are immigrating to Florida By this time i had developed some friends and had a social life so with a bit of encouragement from the looming mandatory draft and the prospect of an all expense paid vacation in Viet Nam i finally got off Dads express train at the Chateauguay station and been calling it home for the last 40yrs
Mom and Dad are in their early 80's now and only moving every 2 or 3 years.
A couple of positive aspects of all this moving is they have unintentionally made a ton of money on their continual buy and sell a house lifestyle,and when i go to Florida i have a place to stay Rant over.