We've Got Our Reasons

When we tell our friends here in Salem that we're moving back to Pendleton this summer, we get mixed reactions.  Part surprise, part understanding, part flat refusal to believe us.  But once we explain our reasons for moving, everyone seems to understand why we made the decision we did - even if they are sad to see us go.

As I mentioned before, we have some really good reasons for moving.  I will list them here (I love a good list).

1. Proximity to our parents.  We want our kids to grow up around their grandparents.  This will not only be a benefit to us and our kids, but we are hoping to be a benefit to our parents as well.  We'll do yard work for them, take them to doctor's appointments, help them with projects.  We'll even clean their bathrooms.  Seriously.

Grandpa Jim makes stuffed animals talk.  This entertains my children for hours on end.  This is a very valuable thing.

2. The community.  Pendleton really is a great little town, especially if you choose to be there.  You can make it what you want it to be.  And there are tons of cultural and entertainment opportunities, especially considering the size of the town.  Like the Arts Center, which has free classes for kids and grownups every week.  How cool is that?

The Pendleton Aquatic Center.  No joke.

It's easy to see how you can have a positive impact on other people in a town like Pendleton.  Not that there's anything wrong with Salem or that we couldn't impact people here - we just feel like we could have a greater impact in a smaller town.  Plus, we're way more comfortable with small towns than cities.  Cities make us uncomfortable.  Too many people, too much going on.  That may qualify us as hicks, but I'm really okay with that.


3. The housing market.  Property values in Pendleton are way lower than in Salem.  It will probably take us a few years to sell our house in Salem and buy another one in Pendleton, but we'll have property values working for us when the time comes.

My dream house in Pendleton.  Waaaaay out of our price range, but I still love it.

4. The climate.  I remember being dazzled the first spring we lived in the Willamette Valley.  Everything was so green and lush!  Every plant was covered in flowers!

The State Capitol grounds in Salem.  All those pretty flowers come at a cost.

And then when autumn came, and winter after it, I understood why it was so green and pretty.  It rains here.  A lot.  For weeks on end.  Sunshine is not to be found.  Seasonal depression abounds.  And all those spring blossoms create another problem: allergies.  Not for me, but poor Peter.  Every spring he has to medicate himself like an addict just in order to breathe.  No thanks.  Give us the dry, high desert climate of Eastern Oregon.  We can handle 100-degree summers and snowy winters.  At least you can see the sun.

Aaaahhhh.....much more like it.

5. The people.  I don't know why, but small-town people tend to be friendly to strangers and neighbors.  City people tend to be wary.  I know that's a stereotype and I know it's not always the case, but people just act nicer to each other when there are fewer of them around.

6. Our own childhoods.  I would be lying if I said nostalgia wasn't playing a part in our decision to move back to our hometown.  Peter and I both had great childhoods, and now that we have our own kids, we want them to experience the same type of happiness we did.  We both felt so free when we were kids, and I don't think I could give my kids that same freedom in a big city.

Don't keep us cooped up indoors, Mommy!