A couple days ago I was thinking about gratitude, today I've been thinking about it again, along with choices.
There was an argument in a comment section on a tik tok video yesterday when someone said "It's sad, and I'm sorry they lost their house, but that's the risk they took buying real estate in Florida."
That comment probably should have remained a private thought of the commenter, as it helps no one in that moment...but there is truth in it.
In fact it's one of the reasons we chose to move from our adorable cottage on the Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda ten years ago. We found out it was almost impossible to get flood insurance, and even if you found a company willing to do it, there was a very high likelihood they would go bankrupt and disappear in the event that something catastrophic like Ian happened.
My husband was also never comfortable with how easily the peninsula could be cut off from the rest of the country. Only one main highway to get you in and out, so unless you have a sturdy, sea faring boat handy, if they shut it down, you are trapped.
I have my complaints about NY state- mainly ridiculously high taxes and way more statutes and arbitrary rules than necessary, but along with being a beautiful region- unless you live in the big city or certain areas of the smaller ones- it is also a safe place to live.
It's very unlikely to experience hurricanes, tornadoes, or forest fires; almost no poisonous insects or reptiles to speak of; few large predators; and an abundance of fresh water, wild game, and fertile farmland. Upstate NY, particularly if you were raised here, is actually one of the more ideal places to live in the US.
We do have some extreme winter weather, but we're also well prepared for it. In the event of a blizzard, the plows come out as soon as the snow slows. If there's a power outage, most houses have an alternate heating source, and if they don't, their neighbor does. And we're just south enough not to get constantly dumped on, usually only dealing with two or three big storms a year.
And the day after one of them, usually the worst thing about it is having to shovel the walkway or borrow a snowblower. The aftermath generally consists of snowball fights, snowmen, snow forts and most especially sledding... followed by hot chocolate.
It's funny that I'm writing a piece that could be titled The Many Reasons to be in NY, when I'm constantly wishing to be elsewhere. But it's not a matter of the grass being greener- our grass is pretty lush most of the year and I'm aware of it- it's just the wish to be experiencing something new. The desire to get out of my comfort zone. The need of a change of scenery.
It's just a serious case of itchy feet, really.
I've done a lot of traveling, at least inside the US, and I can honestly say I'm never happier to be alive than when I'm on the road. And I'm not just talking about the destination, it's also the journey. There's something fantastic about watching the landscape change. Especially when you give yourself enough time that you can avoid major highways and take the scenic route.
I prefer sights that are off the beaten path. Not touristy. Though there are a few places where it's unavoidable, like the Grand Canyon, no matter how incredible they are they never end up being my favorite destination.
When we did visit the Grand Canyon for example, it was after basically stumbling on a little known place called Castle Rock in New Mexico. Perhaps if the canyon hadn't been so commercialized and full of people I would have thought it was the most spectacular view of the cross country trip, but as it stands Castle Rock definitely won that title.
It's all about the locals. Saying we "stumbled" on Castle Rock isn't quite accurate. We asked at a gas station if there was anywhere around the locals recommended and were given directions. Ever since then I've been thinking about a travel based channel along the lines of Ask the Locals. Then thought, why not start here?
I would love to hear suggestions of places to visit in anyone's home state/city/town/area that have not become mainstream to put on my list of places to see, so if you know of something like that, tell me all about it in the comments!
Anyone who is planning a trip to the upstate NY region, be sure to reach out to me so I can do the same for you:)
