Random Musings

Didn't Even Realize

Yesterday, a friend asked me, "If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?" It was a good question, one I hadn't ever thought about like that.

Until yesterday, I when I thought along those lines, I always focused upon how I would live if I could choose to do so, not where. I dreamed of having a bigger, finer house in a better neighborhood, or maybe not in a neighborhood at all, but somehwere out in the country. I've thought about what my life would be like if I made more money, had chosen a different career path, or had married someone else; things like that, but I hadn't ever had it put to me WHERE in the world I would choose to live.

You know, after I thought about it, I realized that I am where I want to be. Despite our problems, I love living in the USA, and I love living in the state of Georgia.

The weather down here is conducive to my spirit and to my creativity. No matter the time of year, there is going to be some greenery. For me, that's important. Naked trees and bushes, brown lawns, and bitter cold are depressing and equivalent to death to me.

Springtime is heaven. All manner of flowering trees, bushes, and perennials come back to glorious life filling the air with thier assorted fragrances. Pine pollen coats everything it touches and makes people like me sneeze and cry, but I consider that a small price to pay for the world of good the rest of it does for my disposition.

In the summer, from June to early August, the heat can be nearly unbearable, so we resort to turning on the air conditioner, which, as opposed to fresh air and cool natural breezes, I loathe. But that balances out with the abundance of lakes, parks, and beaches to be found here, as well as all the interesting places in driving distance to which we can travel for diversion.

Winters in Georgia, compared to what I'm used to as a native Michigander, are a joke.It doesn't snow much here, and when it does, we don't get a lot. Since it rarely gets freezing cold, that little bit of snow melts quickly. None of that nasty gray ice and slush gets left behind.

The overall atmosphere, for the most part is laid back and friendly. For the most part, I feel safe in my home and in my neighborhood. The only exception to that is on the freeways, where all of what I just said changes completely. The term 'defensive driving' takes on a whole new meaning in Georgia. You can almost hear the collective, "Yee Haw!" as soon as you turn onto the entrance ramp. It is truly every car for itself.

I love the state, I love the house we chose, and I am fond of the location. If I could change anything about where I live now, I'd have more land around me- some acres so that I could walk around on what's mine and not have to be bothered with other people's dogs crapping on my lawn, their unruly kids cutting my corner lot, overhearing their conversations or their arguments, or even seeing anyone if I didn't choose to do so. Not that it's a big deal now. It's pretty quiet here in the subdivision aside from that one disfunctional household behind me who cause most the aforementioned problems, but even they can be tuned out.

I didn't realize that I was where I want to be until I was made to think about it. I didn't realize I had arrived.