Well I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio...and I
am still here. I live in Cleveland Heights...which
is a 'suburb' of Cleveland.

Never lived anywhere else!!! LOL

Linda

I'm from Kansas (betcha would have never guessed that one! HA!) I was born & raised in western KS but am now in NE Kansas.

I'm from eastern NC. Have lived about in the state, but settled here on the family farm a few years ago. I married (at 41) in 2001 and spent a year reworking a family house. We need to do a bit more work, but we were sooo tired from all that renovating, rewiring and replumbing, that we haven't got back to it.
We need to replace some carpet, so we're going to replace with wood floors.
Kimmy

Originally from Massachusetts, and later lived in: North Carolina, France, Sudan, Michigan, Bangladesh, Somalia, India, and now The Netherlands. Will be relocating again this summer.
I try to make the most of each place, focussing on the positive aspects.

I was born in Dallas, TX and have lived in South Carolina, Georgia, Germany (Ludwigsburg & Heilbronn), Colorado & Missouri. I've been back in the Dallas area since '94. I enjoyed Europe (1989-91), but it wasn't home. My interests back then were totally different then than they are now & I regret that more of my interests didn't overlap (like gardening).

Barbara, where are you headed to next?
I would love to visit India some day but not sure I could take the heat.
I have always lived in Ontario and was born by a lake that now has multi-million dollar houses on it....why oh why did my parents have to sell it when it was dirt cheap? LOL
Love living in a large metropolitan city (Toronto)which never sleeps and is filled with people from all over the globe.
Everyone thinks their home is the best and I am no different.
Only wish I could visit all of your wonderful home towns!
ann

Annsb, we're going to Eritrea, in East Africa. Don't think they have any thrift shops there, so I'm stocking up on raw materials for mosaics as much as possible while I'm here.

Never been to Toronto but have heard wonderful things about it.

Hey barbara...I have to say the first thing that came to me when I read your post....I bet you have tried some great food in all those places!!! imagine all that different culture - WOW
I still want to go everwhere..my plan was to move every two years so I could see the country and hopefully travel worldwide also. I love meeting and learning about people. However, I met my DH at the beginning of my two year contract here - he is from here so...now I am a lifer.

To all you world travelers,
I'm so jealous.
I enjoy meeting/learning new cultures, too...
I've been to Quebec and Montreal, Annsb...but not Toronto.
I've been up and down the east coast of US.
I've been to Caribbean...
I've been to England...
I've been as far west in US as Texas...

I would dearly love to spend time in France and Italy.

But, if I were to go anyplace else in NC to live, it would be Wilmington.
College Town. Old, historic town. Thriving with new growth. And absolutely gorgeous beaches...in a great growing zone...
More art and culture than the average in NC...

Kimmy

Barbara, I just googled Eritrea and learned that it used to belong to Ethiopia...that there was a 30 year struggle for independence ending in 1991 with the rebels defeating the goverment forces. In 1993 independence was overwhelmingly approved.
There is a UN peace keeping operation that monitors a 25 km security zone along the border of Ethiopia.

Is it considered fairly stable now? You really have to let us see it through your eyes!
You are a brave soul!
ann

Sandi -- I can definitely relate to that "it isn't home" feeling!
Ohiomom -- You must find lots of that great Ohio pottery in the TS's there, yes?
KSMosaicNut -- Never been to the home of Dorothy and Aunt Em... what's it like?
Kimmy -- Wilmington sounds cool... kinda like Chapel Hill with a beach!
Stxmona -- the VI's would be a lovely place to be "stuck" !!
Annsb -- yes, everthing you said about Eritrea is right-on. But it is now said to be the safest, friendliest, cleanest place in Africa! Also full of interesting architecture w/Italian and Turkish influences, and one of the worlds most unspoiled coral reefs off the coast. I'll be packing my snorkel mask!

Barbara,
"...one of the world's most unspoiled coral reefs off the coast," how wonderful!!!1
I'd pack snorkel mask, too. Diving would be awesome.
Cool Beans!
And yes, Wilmington is a cool place. Very pretty, really hip. It is an old port town, too, with lovely historic properties. And beautiful beaches...and a river, with tourist paddleboats...

Where in NC did you live?
Kimmy

Kimmy, I lived in Chapel Hill while attending college there for four years, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Also have friends and relatives in Raleigh. Remind me what town you're in?

Barbara,
I live out in the country near Snow Hill (which is a very small town - in between Goldsboro, Wilson, Kinston and Greenville.
The phrase, 'you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl' truly applies to me.
Went to school in G-ville, lived in Raleigh for a while, another small town and could not wait to get back 'home', to open space.

It sounds as if you have a very interesting life. What adventures you must have.
I hope your 'new' place will be safe for you.

Stxmona--Pipestone--and if you know where Whitehall is, you know where Pipestone is...how long have you been gone?? How did you get where you are today?? you know our winters--last week minus 20*--week before--8 inches of snow--and today--53*--Montana--"ya gotta love it"

Hi Shabby...vaguely remembered Pipestone being only ranch area..talk to mom and she remembers going to the hot springs around there when she was a kid. Is it just ranches now?? Did you go to school in Whitehall?
I have been in St. Croix since March 1989 but left MT in 1986 to move to New Hampshire. See that was my two year plan thing to move and live everywhere until I was old and tired LOL met DH here and that was it became a lifer. Do I miss MT winters - NO WAY!! when I start thinking I do...we go to MT for Xmas (about every 4 years) and after two weeks of wearing *real* clothes...I can't wait to take off the long underwear, boots, heavy other coats and get back to my bare feet and shorts!! We always snowmobile, ski and play in the snow sooo..a couple of weeks is enough. We get up there at least every 18 months to see my mom, sibs and friends. We would love to eventually do the summers in MT (all two months of it LOL) and the balance of the year in STX...we'll see.

Mona, you have the right attitude about winter. Pop in and enjoy all the fun stuff and then pop back to the warm weather again.
I love winter but it is far too long. For me it is not so much the cold or the snow but the lack of sunshine. If it is a sunny winter I love it but if it is overcast....forget it!

Barbara, I just realized that we have at least one Eritrea restaurant here...I'll have to put it on our list.
ann

Stxmona-yes, lots of ranches still, but thats not what we do..the Hot Springs are still right down the road, but sadly, they have not been in operation for a long,long,long time--all the buildings are there, the cabins and..the steam fron the hot water..always think if some one of great wealth would come in and re-vamp, what a neat place it could be again.I have seen pictures of it when it was a "hot" place (no pun intended) no school here for me--origionally we are from Cincinnati, Ohio...32 years ago-spent some years in Idaho, and then to the Big Hole--Wisdon and Jackson..beautiful area...the winters really aren't what they use to be--all weather is strange any more it seems,but one thing here-after the snow it is sunny with blue skies--and so bright you keep the sunglasses close by!! so, if you get back this way, let me know !! so interesting to read everyone's stories...we all have one...love seeing the pictures and if i could figure the pic thing out i would send one!! until then, picture me sitting here scratching my head...:o(

I am from Vancouver Island, British Columbia. I've been here a year and a half, and made the decision to come to what I consider to be one of the most beautiful and temperate places in Canada. It is all I hoped for. I love this new home of mine.When my dh and I moved here we wanted to really enjoy the out doors more all year and we have. Went sea kayaking last year, a bit of camping n the beach, whale watching etc. Nature just makes me feel good. Cindy

Florida, I'm Australian and lost count of the countries, working on the States of the Union now..39 and counting.

Barbara, I lived in Leidschendam for a short time, loved NL. I do not envy your move one bit but that part of the world is a hot-bed of the most beautiful mosaics! Enjoy!

Yvonne,
Leidschendam??? That's just up the street from me! I'm in Voorschoten and ride my bike there all the time.
Annsb, I'd love to hear about your Eritrean culinary experience. I understand that one of their specialties is a spicy meat stew.
Small world...
Barbara

Very small Barbara! We stayed with our friends many times, their place overlooked de Drie Molen. I think we would often go by you, is there a flower market near/in Voorschoten?

Hi, Ya'll....born in the little town of Allen's Landing, now known as Houston, Texas. Lived in Abilene, Texas while going to school and then on to the FLAT plains of Hereford, Texas. Now I live in a house on a hill in Southwestern Kansas where you can see the thunderheads build in Colorado and New Mexico and Oklahoma and Texas, when it does finally rain, of course. I have a small lake cabin at Conchas Dam, New Mexico where the sky's are unbelivable at night and the sunsets are to die for over the mesas. Pretty romantic picture for a dry, desolate unpopulated piece of the planet, huh? Good to be visiting with all of you.

I'm a "big apple" gal; was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I've lived in Lafayette, Indiana for 2 1/2 years (when I went to Purdue) and Israel for 4 years. I now live in Bellevue, Washington which is right outside of Seattle. It's beautiful and temperate here. I'll stay!!