Some background: my family moved to Louisville while I was in college; Marty grew up just outside of Louisville; Marty and I have been transferred twice to Louisville; except for about 4 years in Louisville and Baltimore we have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1977.
After a visit home we feel unsettled. Should we move back? Where is the best place for us to grow old, or truthfully older?
When we go back to Louisville I get house envy. My brother and his wife live in a gorgeous Victorian that is 6000 square feet. They paid about what we paid for 1400 square feet. We drive through Louisville and see the lush yards that are huge to go with the large beautiful homes. We visit friends and their homes inside and out are examples of gracious Southern living. Here there aren't big yards: little water and crowded subdivisions.
Then I think, they have to heat and cool those big homes. I rarely have to use the AC and the furnace is used mainly for a couple of hours in the morning and three or four hours at night. Our climate is very gentle compared to Kentucky. Cutting grass, been there done that. Not a favorite activity.
We have close friends and family in Louisville. We miss them greatly between visits. In California we have friends that have become our family. Plus our son and his wife live 15 minutes from us.
Medical coveragae at our age is a huge issue. We have Kaiser, the bench mark for health care in America. How could we give up that?
There are other issues to think about re Kentucky. Marty building a client base in Kentucky, no farmer's market in winter, having to buy winter clothes, would memories and vacations be true to what daily life would be? Lots more things to consider. We do this every trip back. I am pretty sure once again we will make the same decision, California remains home.
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