islandwoman120

OK, here is a new thread for the positive ones amongst us on this Forum. It is for positive thinkers only, so the negative (realists) can please find their own place to moan and whine. Thank you.

I have lived in the USA for almost 24 years, have survived at least 2 depressions, have cleaned toilets and hauled trash at Mc Donalds restaurant as my first 'job' for the sum of $3.50 per hour, and still lived to tell the tale. I have moved from the south to the north of this country, and have made many side trips to view places of beauty and history. I have been privileged to have lived at one time in the country amongst the tall spruce trees, in a tiny cottage with wild animals for company and wildflowers for decoration, and little human company. I have had the company of black bear, coyote, fox, prairie dog, squirrels, and so many birds that I could not possible remember the names of them all. In short, my time here in the USA has been wonderful. I have lived a simple life, with a small paycheck and a huge appreciation for the wonders of this country. I have never traveled west of Kansas City, Kansas so have become a Midwesterner in my outlook.

I am willing to exchange all of that for a series of short stories about my American experiences, a wetter climate, less snow than an average Minnesota winter, the cutest historic villages and towns in the world bar none (somewhat biased), a room in someone's house costing the same as my cottage, a decent Cornish pasty, real bacon, NHS when I qualify, a double-decker red bus, an English park with flowers in a real spring, Easter with flowers and bees, and seagulls crying overhead in a tiny seaside village.

robin1234

OK, to confine myself to the positive, one of the things I like about where I live (Northern New York) is the wildlife. Coyotes - they wake me up most nights with their howls & yips.. I don't know how many there are out there, but is sounds like a hundred of them. Fortunately I'm a good sleeper so I listen for a minute then drift back to sleep.. Hummingbirds - I like it when they fight (or are they playing?) I swear I'd have to fill the feeders up twice as often, if they didn't chase each other away as soon as they start feeding. Right now they are enjoying our geraniums & hostas, too. Butterflies - mourning cloaks, swallowtails, sulphurs, monarchs, viceroys (among others.) We frequently get swallowtail caterpillars on our dill, carrots & parsley in the garden but they are welcome to their share..

sallysimmons

Where I live is beautiful. It's a small town, but within 40 minutes, I can be in Grand Central station. My house is old and needs work, but it's also a house I fell in love with the minute I saw it, warts and all, and I still do love it.

But what I miss is my family and friends. I'm not a particularly outgoing person and neither is my husband, but we have held on to all our dear friends back home. If we go home, it will mainly be to reconnect with people we left behind. They come over when they can, but it's not the same. The thought that I could have my friends over for dinner any time, or go see my best friend's plays (he's a writer) or go to a gig with my music-mad friend ... those things just seem too good to be true. If we actually did move back home, I think I would constantly be pinching myself.

My husband loves where we are - but doesn't share my feelings about going home, although he's willing to consider it. So for now, I am trying to enjoy all the stuff I have and not "wish my life away" while we're going through the decision process.

islandwoman120

I understand the wanting to go home feeling. It has never left me - well, maybe for the odd day or two at a time, but basically I came here to the USA to join my extended family, never liked Florida where they lived, moved on north and found a bit of paradise in the countryside of northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota. But found it hard to make friends as most in the north where I have lived have been here generationally and do not have much time for newcomers until they have proven themselves (!). They are a stoic lot, the weather determines a lot of daily living. So the homesickness remains, mixed with the joys of the American wilderness. I WILL miss space, such as the Great Plains when I return, and will have to go in search of someplace similar in due course. But my grandkids and good friends in the UK come first, as do English parks and flowers, and real Cadburys Milk Chocolate bars. Oh, and the gulls...

robin1234

But we have seagulls in the supermarket parking lot, and we're 350 miles from the sea..? I thought gulls lived everywhere.

islandwoman120

They sure do - even on the landfills! But it is the call that gets to me and transports me to little English seaside towns. I can 'time travel' even from the depths of a Floridian expressway near to my mothers' Nursing Home.

Mummy in the foothills

We call those Lot gulls and the ones at the local landfill we call Dump gulls, we are at least a 4 hour drive from the Ocean and the gulls live here too
Do we want something positive about where we are living now?
Here we have had a perfect weather day (for me) in the 70's blue skies with fluffy white clouds and a breeze, very unusual for this time of year, next week will probably be hot and near 100.
I live on top of a hill, on a clear day I can see Mount Diablo all the way in the bay area Contra Costa county, it looks lovely, and I like my house, I would love to pick it up and plop it down back home just need better insulation and some of those nice uPVC double glazed windows and I'd be set.

islandwoman120

Today has been a beautiful day in the northland too. Lovely and warm, sunny, with clear skies. Up here on Lake Superior we often get foggy days, which are exquisite, but difficult to drive in. However, not today! I am staying with friends while I finish my packing and clearing to leave, and there are five cats, one dog, and one Kimono Dragon lizard in the house. It is lovely here, very friendly place to be, and I have constant companions. Of course, everything I do/sort gets inspected and sat upon, so I doubtless will have little cat hairs in my luggage to the UK! Hopefully a link will appear here showing a foggy Lake day! Enjoy! Rosie
http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/...an/1322685615/

islandwoman120

The link does not work - I will have a look for the original photo and post it tomorrow. Rosie

islandwoman120

Could not get the photo to upload, so I added it as my Avatar next to my name.

dunroving

I spent 23 years in the States and its positivity is one of the main reasons why I loved living there. It's interesting that so far all the PP's (Positive Posters) are people living in the States ...

dunroving

Here is the link you were trying to provide (you had one too many http's): http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandwoman/1322685615/

sallysimmons

Yup. But we're on a mission to bring it back to the UK with us!

Mummy in the foothills

Me too, I hope I can keep it up!
Islandwoman120, you love the fog?
You should try the central Valley here in winter, fog fog and more fog. The days I like it are the ones where it's very low lying and my house is sitting in the sunshine just above it and all I can see out the window is a white blanket below us, it's strange to see and beautiful. We are above the fog and below the snow. Perfect elevation

islandwoman120

Thanks for finding "the missing link (!)" - I did not notice the extras until it was mentioned. Too late, too tired, too lax - thats my excuse for the day, and my ONLY negative thoughts! I do love the fog, unless I have to drive in it, then it gets dicey. Otherwise it is like living in a fantasy movie - you expect little Hobbits to appear at any moment! Mummy - you sound as tough you live in an exquisite location. And sallysimmons - yes. let's all bring back some of the US positivity when we leave here. I do remember the downers being a reason for not liking some places, so I will have to be the 'crass American' in my corner of the world...not really, but the negative attitude is very catching, so I will have to be on guard, as will we all. Good mornig to you all from sunny Duluth, Minesota!