When my wife retires, or at least semi-retires, next year (2017), we are planning to move back to Denver, CO/metro-south. Notice that I did say "back", because we lived in Englewood and Parker for a total of 5 1/2 years. We moved there from So Calif.. Wife had no problem leaving her family behind. Anyway, I had already been thru Denver metro and spent a week in the Springs some years before. We sold our house and moved due to I didn't want to fall again and have another rotator cuff surgery. But, even in saying that, we really miss the Eastern Slope! Yes, they get snow/cold and sometimes plenty of it, but when people are retired, they just don't go out into that weather as much as when working. Some of the things we miss about living there........lakes for boating/fishing, rodeo's, RMNP/Elk and how the entire area looks during Christmastime. Currently living in Jacksonville, FL, since Jan. '09. We thought, originally, that we'd love it here, but that feeling has changed. For one, would much rather boat/fish on freshwater lakes. There are those lakes here, but they are pretty shallow. Obviously, no elk and no big rodeo's. So, if you wanted to, financially could, what state/city would you chose to relocate at time of retirement?
Circumstances aside .... I've often thought "what if this or that" over the last few years. I am retired, and became a widow in that time frame too. So life kinda dictated my choices. I'm where I'm at and will be here until the end ... If you have future plans, I would start putting things into action as soon as you can. WE were going to move back to the SW desert where we had lived.. just waiting for the right time. The Arizona desert was our favorite place, with easy living and weather we enjoyed. Guess it wasn't to be. Time does go by too quickly.
My sister lives in Colorado and although it's a beautiful state I don't think Id want to live there. I'm not crazy about California but my daughter is here. Maybe I'd like to move to Illinois and be near my son for awhile, watch his boys grow up the way I saw my daughters boys grow up. And I do like all four seasons. The Midwest is also much cheaper than the west coast.
You do get to see the grandkids in Ill. every year or so? ... it's rough when everyone is so spread out ... I'm the opposite of you Chrissy. I live by my two youngest granddaughters .. same street actually. And I have two older ones up north of the Chicago area. Haven't seen them in about 6-7 years. Life is like musical chairs ... when the music stops, that's where you stay.
I too have two grandchildren here, and two more in Pennsylvania. I don't see the ones here because their lives are so busy. Now that the boys up north are older, I have decided it might be time to build adult relationships with them. And I'm thinking on the advisability of making an effort to get my 32 y/o granddaughter to understand that I need her and her younger brother in my life. I know they're busy, but I've always been there for them, and I helped raise them after their father's death when they were little. Now I need their family support, not their financial support. I could move north, but I've always been here.
@Bonnie Thomas, I see my son at the most twice a year and little ones change and grow up so quickly, have already missed out on so much with them but what can you do? In my perfect world we'd all live in the same town. Wow, 6-7 yrs is a long time but sometimes there's nothing you can do about it.
Oldest is 24, she was going to make a trip here last fall, but then started a new job. ..grandson is 20 now, and finding his way in the world ..... their mother and father (my son) are divorced. Their father is remarried and lives here in town. Understanding isn't something that comes easy to the younger generation. We were probably the same. They just don't see things the same. Ina, I hope you can make some ground in mending those broken relationships. I would give it all you've got.
I like the area I am in now. What little I have of family; son and 2 grandsons are here. I wouldn't relocate.
At one time I thought I wanted to move to a cheaper area where I really did not have any family but I was still working and thought it would be okay. I found out quickly that I missed my family more than I thought I would. I moved back to Maryland with my family and I see two of my grand children every day and the other two at least once a week. I am here until the music stops.
Actually, I was quite surprised when my wife told me, when we met, that she was thinking seriously about moving to Laughlin, NV. and hadn't said a thing to her family (two sisters, mom, nieces) that were living in So Calif. She was afraid to hear what they might/would say. She'd been a part of all holiday gatherings there. But, when we told them we were making plans on moving to Denver, CO, they didn't get upset at all. The knew that she loved Western stuff (clothes, dancing, rodeo's) and that's what I was all about as well. As far as my family, have never been close to any of them and visa/versa. I visited family in Indiana, but that was it. For circumstances out of my/our control, we aren't close to my daughter (previous marriage) or her son. Grandson doesn't even know us and we don't push that. Daughter and I do communicate some on Facebook, but that's it. Wife had two kids, but lost both. Son got cancer in early teen years and daughter to crib death. So, with the above being said, we could actually live anywhere, but don't want to return to So Calif. at all. This is perfectly fine with my wife.
While there is definitely some western type activities in Colorado, it's just not all about that. My niece has a horse but she rides English style in competitions not western. Colorado is a fit state though, everyone there seems in great shape and there are lots of beautiful hiking trails, etc. My sister belongs to a hiking club and once when visiting she took me on one. Needless to say I held the group back but I did it, lol. Lot of military there also.
When people, like wife and I, can wear our Wrangler jeans, lace-up Roper boots and Resistol Hats to events/nightclub, it's definitely more Western than here. Also, Colorado is divided by the Rockies. The locals, like we learned while living there, Denver is on the Eastern Slope. As far as being "Western", they have the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo that we went to each year. The purse for the rodeo is very good and to see all the livestock is great as well. I grew up around livestock and participated in pro-rodeo years ago. A drive up to RMNP and a person can see Bull and Cow Elk. The Bulls can carry a mighty big rack on their heads. We've been to Ft. Collins and the Centennial Livestock Auction, that my wife loved seeing. Went to Greeley for their 4th of July parade and rodeo. The area surrounding Greeley is farm and ranch land with Feedlots. Went down to Pueblo for a ranch rodeo and pro-rodeo. Drove up to Laramie and Cheyenne, WY for their rodeo's. Lot of military there? There is only one military base in the Denver area........Buckley Air Force Base. No Army, Navy or Marines. Now in the Springs, as locals call Colorado Springs, and Pueblo, there are more military installations. We picked the area to move to from So Calif., because we love Western stuff so much. That "Western" stuff sure isn't here in Florida, like Colorado.
I was talking about the Springs, that's where my sister lives. My one niece lives in Denver, she teaches 3rd grade there. I'm not telling you not to move there Cody, lol....just gave my impression of what I saw on my visits.
Sorry, but you didn't say "the Springs" in your reply. Remember, we lived there, not visited. Actually lived there, south of Denver, for 5 1/2 years total. We done quit a bit while living there. Most people who move to Denver metro, or south (like we did) aren't interested at all in Western stuff, but that was one of the major reasons we moved there. Two great lakes for boating/fishing, RMNP and casino's in Black Hawk were definitely a plus for us.