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Born and raised in West “by God” Virginny; 100% “hillbilly” who married a “damn Yankee” and moved “up north” (the Mason-Dixon line defines these things for us :)

West Virginia! That's #1 on our list to go visit someone this year or next and see if that's our dream location. We are mountain people, without a doubt. I was raised in the desert and my husband in the country in NY, but we have camped all over the Sierras and don't feel at home without a mountain to go visit. We had to leave Corpus because the mountains were so darned far away! We have a small cabin in the Sierras and that's 'home' right now. The big house in Bakesfield is just the 'other place' we stay in because of a job.

Anyway, the pics of WV are just gorgeous. And with something like 80% of the state being forested, we figure that's the place for us. (And the very reasonable land prices). I was rather hoping the people would have that can-do spirit you were talking about. The whiny liberal attitude I get here a lot is hard to deal with.

So yes, I’m heading “home” at last. At least for me, it’s a truism that while “you can take the girl out of the hills, you can’t take *the hills* out of the girl”. At first, I tried to like it here and make friends, but I’ve never understood the, I guess you’d call it “underlying negativity” of the attitudes I encounter here. Having been raised to ask “How *can* we do it?” when encountering a problem, I just don’t *get* the “the first word out of their mouth is NO!, followed by the 47,438 reasons “why not” attitude that’s caused this area to literally die.

I like WV better already. Sound like good, solid folk like the US used to be made of.

Personally, I’m so happy about leaving that I feel like jumping up and down. I refrain because this is a hard move for my husband, as his family has been in this area since 1840. But the bottom line is that this area has been “dying” for nearly 30 years; our children have moved away and are *not* coming back; and our original “compromise” was that we would stay here for as long as he had this particular job, but “when the job goes, we go”. That time has come and while I know he’ll love it down there, I try to understand that it’s not easy for him to leave. :)

Awww. Hopefully, he'll adjust and learn to love the beauty of WV. I guess you'll have to do your snoopy dance in private until then ;)

“Anyway, the pics of WV are just gorgeous. And with something like 80% of the state being forested, we figure that’s the place for us. (And the very reasonable land prices).

Well like anywhere else, there’s good parts and not so good parts. From what you’ve said I’m thinking you might want to check out the Upshur, Randolph, Greenbriar, Pocahontas, Hardy, Pendleton county area. If you aren’t related, stay out of Logan and Mingo. (not kidding) And if you’re really adventureous, awhile back there was some land for sale in Helvetia, a beautiful spot that actually boasts a 5-star resturant, the “Hutte”. Of course, “getting there” was an experience my husband still talks about. :) Who knows though, it’s been a few years since we drove through and there might be guard rails on the drop-off side of the road by now. :)

“I was rather hoping the people would have that can-do spirit you were talking about. The whiny liberal attitude I get here a lot is hard to deal with.”

Well there’s good ones and bad ones no matter where you go, and it always takes time to become a member of the “community” We’re “lucky” in that I grew up there and still have a father and brother that live there and my father is “loved” by a great number of people. (You get back what you give out.:) However, while there’s no doubt it’s a help, it’s up to us to build our own reputation that will fully admit us to the “community”. That will take time and we understand and accept that.

As for “liberals”? Oh they’re around. ;)

“Hopefully, he’ll adjust and learn to love the beauty of WV”

Oh I know he will. It’s just that some of “our ways” are a little strange to him. ;) Like calling the vice-president of the bank “Miss Vickie”.( a term of courtesy and respect) And getting hugged alot. ;)And the amount of “freedom” in comparison to where we live now.