Ever have trouble adjusting to a new home? Please share your stories...

[OakEmber]

We bought our "dream home" almost 3 years ago and the while the home is still awesome, it's the town that we haven't fallen in love with. Has it ever taken anyone this long to adjust to a new lifestyle or location? Or have you moved and not liked it and moved back to your previous location?

I'd love to hear others experiences. BTW- I just want to add that the rest of my family is quite settled here, I'm the only one who seems to miss our old life.

[lifeguard]

Well, I've never actually lived anywhere that long but the house we're in now - it's been 9 months feels like a hotel to me. I hate it.

[Pinoikoi]

we bought our house in Jan. Not our dream home, but finally a home that is OURS.. plenty of rooms and bathrooms... pretty green.. but we miss our old YARD.. Plus, the nonalcoholic club behind us gets pretty loud on the weekends.. since they are NONALCOHOLIC we didn't think they would get quite as rowdy as they do.. but..

Also, the new school is further than the old school was.. and our neighborhood park isn't that great (although I am trying to fix that!)..

Ah... neighborhood watch.

Positives though- I like how this neighborhood is doing a great turnaround into an artsy district. i love that the grocery stores, movie theater, bank, library are close.. so , I don't know.. give and take..

[SAHDS]

The location of my house is what makes it my dream home more than anything. We bought our first house in a town we didn't love and hated it even though it was a beautiful house. Location is #1 for me, everything else falls behind that. We found the exact area we wanted to be in then looked for houses only in that area (down to a few mile radius).

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by SAHDS

The location of my house is what makes it my dream home more than anything. We bought our first house in a town we didn't love and hated it even though it was a beautiful house. Location is #1 for me, everything else falls behind that. We found the exact area we wanted to be in then looked for houses only in that area (down to a few mile radius).

I understand what you're saying.. but that really wouldn't have worked here except for a few specific exceptions..

The city I live in is short of land, so they are building new homes on empty lots all over town.. The result is old, run down house, next to brand new sparking home, next to mobile home, next to park, next to sparkly new house.. there really are few "true" neighborhoods in the sense of consistency.. There are a few AREAS (I mean vast large areas), that statistically are lower income, but even there the houses themselves are inconsistent.. the only exceptions I can really think of are the planned communities for like million dollar homes (there are a few of those). Sometimes here I even see 3/4 of a million dollar home that is zoned for destruction because the lot has an incredible view.. and you know their neighbors with the gorgeous home AND view are ticked off.. We are in the middle of city "rebuilds" though, so I am hoping everything improves across the board for everyone..

[WeasleyMum]

Me. DH and I moved to this city almost two years ago, and it's just not like I thought it would be. I don't hate it or anything, I'm just having a hard time making a connection to the place. I went to college in Burlington, Vermont, and just LOVED it, and this place looked so similar on paper-- same size, both college towns, both won awards for being green, outdoorsy, etc. But they're so different.

I've never really lived in "The South" before. Didn't even realize that Virginia WAS the South until we moved here. It's different. The universities are vastly different from each other. Vermont was all hippies, environmentalists, dreadlocks, birkenstocks. I may be exaggerating, of course, but I remember feeling very comfortable there because there wasn't so much emphasis on looking a certain way. I'd see mostly what I consider "natural-looking" people: brunettes that aren't dyed blonde, pale skin in winter, that kind of thing. Here it's all preppy, moneyed, and well-groomed... lots of plaid, blonde, tanned kids everywhere. Maybe because I work on the college grounds, I don't know.

There are some things I really, really like about this place, and I hope that those parts continue to grow on me. But I never had that "click" when you just love a place, you know?

[ASusan]

Yup - I really, really miss the town where I started my career. I've been here 2 years. We are in the process of building a house, and I'm really trying to like it more. I may subscribe to the local paper so I feel more connected to the place. (But I don't want excess paper in my life/apartment...)

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by WeasleyMum

brunettes that aren't dyed blonde, pale skin in winter, that kind of thing. Here it's all preppy, moneyed, and well-groomed... lots of plaid, blonde, tanned kids everywhere.

yuck yuck yuck... that would make me uncomfortable too.. One of the high schools in my town is kind of like that... I REFUSE to work there.. I can't stand elitism.. and that just sounds like it at its worst.. thankfully there are lots of other places here that aren't in that area and aren't like that!

Try hanging out at the local REI.. sounds funny, but seriously.. the one near me everyone that works there has dreads I think.. maybe it is on the application?

[MonkeyPrincess]

Well, I don't have my dream home, but I can relate to not liking where you live...

I don't care for the town I live in. Majority of people are total keeping up with the jonses, two income, big toys/cars/electronics/vacations, I have more stuff than you type churchianity people - perhaps its just the crowd I run into, I don't know.

There is some cool stuff, though. Nice local enviromentally friendly restaurants, especially the bakery and coffee shop. Great local CSA, lots of parks, community pool, awesome boys and girls club that my kids really take advantage of (skate park, video games, talent shows, dress up days, ice cream socials, sleep overs, etc.), ymca, responsible pet store we like to visit...

[SAHDS]

Originally Posted by alaskanteach

yuck yuck yuck... that would make me uncomfortable too.. One of the high schools in my town is kind of like that... I REFUSE to work there.. I can't stand elitism.. and that just sounds like it at its worst.. thankfully there are lots of other places here that aren't in that area and aren't like that!

Hey, some people look like that because they like to... : People who co-slept, breastfed, shop thrift, grow an organic garden...