I still live in California; in the north inland mountain part of the state.
The southern and coastal freaks usually only last about 18 months or 2 years in this part of the state.
They come up here in the spring, summer, or early fall on their vacations and decide to retire up here.
They raise their alpacas or chickens during the first year; go through one winter, and lose all their chickens and alpacas to the coyotes, foxes, mountain lions, and bears, then decide not to raise any more livestock.
Then they discover that going out to supper requires a 4 hour round trip (nearest BIG city is Redding, Ca.) on roads subject to landslides and avalanches in sometimes bad winter driving conditions.
Then they find out you better not have a heart attack because it is a 2 hour transport to the nearest medical facility and you will probably be dead by the time you get there.
Then they go to the (somewhat local) beer hall and see nothing but REDNECKS, ranchers, cowhands, and farmers; they find out we really don’t have much in common with them.
They usually give up and go back to the big city south, and coastal areas after about 2 years.
Right now on the front porch it is 12 degrees F and there is about 4 feet of snow on the front yard; tomorrow I will fire up the tractor and the snow blower, and clean out the 3.8 miles of dirt road to the paved county road that they only plow when all the state roads are done.
They will probably get to the county road in about 2 or 3 days; depending on the weather.
A realtor friend told me that he gets a lot of calls from people who want to retire to north Idaho who want remote 40 acre parcels with easy road access, a creek on the property, southern exposure, mountain views, seclusion, and close to shopping, dining, and medical care. I told him if he finds any parcels like that to let me know because I’d like to retire there too!