On moving to Nebraska
21 June 2009 1 Comment
While we may be lamenting our departure from Arkansas in a number of ways, we’re looking forward to the adventure that lies ahead. We’ll be living, for the foreseeable future, with my parents in a building they are purchasing in downtown Grand Island, Nebraska. We’ve always liked the idea of living downtown over a business. There’s a good coffee shop in the same block and a renovated historical movie theater across the street. Shows are $3, although the coffee shop closes early for some inane reason so you can’t get dessert after the movie. While the entire situation may not be ideal (in the context of American culture) in that we’re moving back in with the parents in our 30s, we will have our own space (two or three rooms to ourselves) and the time will allow us a period of transition as we look to the future, trying to decide what we want to do next.
Some of the other things I’m looking forward to:
- Most cities in Nebraska are not so direly deficient in the sidewalk department as Siloam Springs! Grand Island is much more walkable in this respect than cities in Northwest Arkansas.
- Fewer allergies, or no allergies at all. Some may find this to be a bit trivial, but others with allergies will understand.
- As much as we’ll miss the flora of the Ozarks, my wife and I are eager to move back to the Plains.
- If you think looking forward to a life without allergies was trivial, you may want to skip this point. I’m looking forward to living in a city with a Kohls, and other places to find decent sales on clothing (since we can’t really buy clothes in our place of residence at all at the moment).
- Winters with snow!
- While living with the parents I should have a significant amount of studio space in the basement, which is already equipped with numerous worktables, 220 for my kiln and a vented room for sandblasting (which I may turn into the kiln room).
Downtown Grand Island isn’t quite as hopping as Siloam Springs when it comes to revivification, but it’s certainly not idle either (and, to add some perspective, is probably at least four times the size of Siloam’s downtown area). This is one of the recently remodeled buildings in downtown Grand Island.
Sounds like you have a plan! There is no shame in living with your parents at this time. It’s cool that they have a downtown building. I’d love to have one myself one of these days. Real estate is cheap enough here in GC, but I’ll have to raise a significant amount of money to pull it off.
As far as allergies go, I totally hear you. I moved from a low allergy place (for me at least) to one where I feel sick all the time. I’m off to the allergist next week.