OMG. What an amazing post. It’s def one I’ll save and revisit. Congratulations and Good luck I guess. I don’t know what Alabama BBQ is (Carolina - Lexington style is my weakness) but I love to try it. All the best wishes!! 💜
I am from a small city in south Louisiana. I left for 10 years, including 3 in NYC and 4 in Europe before returning.
I sympathize with all this - the hopes and worries, and the feeling of inexorable loneliness and alienation from the culture whence you come and have returned. Bless you.
Welcome back to Alabama! I think you'll find there are some pockets of progressivism and sex positivity here.
Plus, where best to fight conservative policies than in the belly of the beast? This state will never get any better if all our best and brightest don't stay and fight for a better future.
Good luck on this new adventure. I'm both sad that you felt you needed to leave a place you obviously love, but happy that you will be able to live a more comfortable life -albeit with less access to the comforts of California.
Loved reading this. Finding myself moving (back) to LA after 10 years living in SF; I'm excited and sad. I resonate so much with your commentary about San Francisco, it feels like someone's read my mind and articulated the messy results.
San Francisco's loss and Alabama's gain. I look forward to hearing your perspective on things there. I have been exploring my rural conservative roots more lately as well, but I own a home here already so don't have the added incentive that you have.
I wish you well Cathy. I have made some life changing moves over the years. Your concept of self changes in every new city, but the essence of self does not. New opportunities to grow for sure. You will have real life southern observations to expand your writing. I can't wait to read about it😍
What a brilliant post. I will be keeping you in my thoughts as you make the move (and most other times). You'll get through the culture shock and start adjusting your surroundings to you. ♥️
When I tell people that San Francisco is more racist than North Carolina I get expressions of disbelief. When I tell them that White people in San Francisco pull their children out of integrated and actually very good public schools and either move to Orinda or put them in overwhelmingly White schools I get pinched bitter faced responses. San Francisco is the most segregated and anti-Black city I have ever lived in. It's my main beef with it.
What part of Wyoming? I have lived in Kemmerer, Casper, Sheridan, Story and Douglas. I lived in a trailer in a campground just outside of Riverton for a month but that hardly counts.
I was a kid and enjoyed hunting and fishing. The terrain is some of the beautiful in the world. People are generally quite nice but also quite often kind of eccentric as your relatives are. Lots of interesting characters.
The conservatism would probably bother me today, though I hear they have become much less anti-gay then when I lived there in the 70s and 80s. Cheyenne and Laramie are definitely the most cosmopolitan parts of the state. If you want to be near Fort Collins you should check out Laramie as well, though at 7000 feet it has terribly cold winters. I remember delivering newspapers in 28 below weather once and that was in Sheridan!
OMG. What an amazing post. It’s def one I’ll save and revisit. Congratulations and Good luck I guess. I don’t know what Alabama BBQ is (Carolina - Lexington style is my weakness) but I love to try it. All the best wishes!! 💜
I am from a small city in south Louisiana. I left for 10 years, including 3 in NYC and 4 in Europe before returning.
I sympathize with all this - the hopes and worries, and the feeling of inexorable loneliness and alienation from the culture whence you come and have returned. Bless you.
Wow, we were both gone for 10 years. 14 for me out of Huntsville but ten out of Alabama. How was living in Europe?
Welcome back to Alabama! I think you'll find there are some pockets of progressivism and sex positivity here.
Plus, where best to fight conservative policies than in the belly of the beast? This state will never get any better if all our best and brightest don't stay and fight for a better future.
I am so glad you have self awareness and a strategic view for your future. You will do well.
Good luck on this new adventure. I'm both sad that you felt you needed to leave a place you obviously love, but happy that you will be able to live a more comfortable life -albeit with less access to the comforts of California.
Loved reading this. Finding myself moving (back) to LA after 10 years living in SF; I'm excited and sad. I resonate so much with your commentary about San Francisco, it feels like someone's read my mind and articulated the messy results.
Wishing you all the best on the move to Alabama!
San Francisco's loss and Alabama's gain. I look forward to hearing your perspective on things there. I have been exploring my rural conservative roots more lately as well, but I own a home here already so don't have the added incentive that you have.
Good luck Cathy! Here's hoping for the best!
I wish you well Cathy. I have made some life changing moves over the years. Your concept of self changes in every new city, but the essence of self does not. New opportunities to grow for sure. You will have real life southern observations to expand your writing. I can't wait to read about it😍
What good news! Wishing you all the very best.
What a brilliant post. I will be keeping you in my thoughts as you make the move (and most other times). You'll get through the culture shock and start adjusting your surroundings to you. ♥️
When I tell people that San Francisco is more racist than North Carolina I get expressions of disbelief. When I tell them that White people in San Francisco pull their children out of integrated and actually very good public schools and either move to Orinda or put them in overwhelmingly White schools I get pinched bitter faced responses. San Francisco is the most segregated and anti-Black city I have ever lived in. It's my main beef with it.
What part of Wyoming? I have lived in Kemmerer, Casper, Sheridan, Story and Douglas. I lived in a trailer in a campground just outside of Riverton for a month but that hardly counts.
I was a kid and enjoyed hunting and fishing. The terrain is some of the beautiful in the world. People are generally quite nice but also quite often kind of eccentric as your relatives are. Lots of interesting characters.
The conservatism would probably bother me today, though I hear they have become much less anti-gay then when I lived there in the 70s and 80s. Cheyenne and Laramie are definitely the most cosmopolitan parts of the state. If you want to be near Fort Collins you should check out Laramie as well, though at 7000 feet it has terribly cold winters. I remember delivering newspapers in 28 below weather once and that was in Sheridan!