Actually, Tennessee has TWO cities that made Kiplinger's 10 Best Value Cities for 2011, with Nashville coming in at #3 and Knoxville at #5.
I suppose I should update my Blogger profile to reflect the fact that my family and I have moved from Santa Ana, Calif. to Knoxville, Tenn. (actually, we are living just outside the city limits in a town called Powell).
The back part of our property
Transitions are hard, but not impossible. I still sorely miss the people whom I have left behind in California. But with each day, the local becomes more familiar and I am reminded of what else remains in California, that I did not like. Californians still say, "Ah, you miss the weather." Yes, outhern California does have some of the best weather, by far. But I have to ask, how much of it is appreciated from inside a vehicle as people commute upteen hours to jobs just to make ends meet. By the way, I have rediscovered the sultriness of a summer's eve, taking it easy on the porch, as the lightning bugs entertain us. Maybe it is my New York genes, but the dreaded humidity - so feared by Californians, despite its anti-wildfire properties - has not been a problem.
What is interesting to note in Kiplinger's list is the fact that only one Western city - Colorado Springs - is listed. The South and the Midwest dominate, due primarily to cost-of-living but also having unemployment rates less than the national average. In that regard, California simply cannot compete.
I am hoping that I get visitors from California, if only to escape the congestion for awhile, but ideally certain people I would like to see move here. That is not something that will happen suddenly, but to my friends back there - keep an open mind. Don't let inertia make your life unsustainable.
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