One thing that’s new about where we live now is that we seem to have a lot of impromptu gatherings with people. They don’t happen every day. But enough for me to notice. Our friend who lives across the street, the family with two small kids who live a few miles away, our friends who live in the next town over, our new next-door neighbor, my in-laws, etc. - we hardly ever plan anything much in advance, but we tend to see each other quite a bit.
We used to live in a small town in Northern California. I worked there for over 26 years in the police department. The last ten I was Chief of Police. It was a wonderful place to raise our son. I knew everyone. It was intimate and you felt a part of the community. But it could also be a bit Peyton Place. Local gossip, etc. After retirement, we moved to a much larger community in southern Nevada, just 25 minutes outside Las Vegas. We have a few friends who moved here from California before us, and after us. We like the lower cost of living, no state income tax, access to a million amenities. And we enjoy a much greater degree of anonymity. Perhaps I needed that more, after a very public life. I think home is where you make it, and every community brings different pros and cons. Sounds like you've found a nice balance!
We used to live in a small town in Northern California. I worked there for over 26 years in the police department. The last ten I was Chief of Police. It was a wonderful place to raise our son. I knew everyone. It was intimate and you felt a part of the community. But it could also be a bit Peyton Place. Local gossip, etc. After retirement, we moved to a much larger community in southern Nevada, just 25 minutes outside Las Vegas. We have a few friends who moved here from California before us, and after us. We like the lower cost of living, no state income tax, access to a million amenities. And we enjoy a much greater degree of anonymity. Perhaps I needed that more, after a very public life. I think home is where you make it, and every community brings different pros and cons. Sounds like you've found a nice balance!