I agree with GH on small towns ..
Picking the right small town is the key.

I lived in Texas and Chicago for a while (both high density areas) and never felt really safe (often violated) so I can relate.

Here I've had so many small town experiences it restored my faith in mankind.

You don't want the snow we have here, obviously, but I wouldn't trade being in a 'good' small town for anything.

When I came home from a vacation a few years back and my CO2 detector was beeping, I called the fire department. They showed up within 10 minutes, checked the house, said everything tested fine and loaned me a new detector until I had time to replace it .. bring it back when I could (no charge).
If I was in Chicago I'd still be waiting for them to show up 15 years later.

Many many experiences like this involving myself and my kids made me realize how important it is to select the 'right' small town.
I wish you good luck with this, since it is such an important decision.
I may be facing the same decision some day soon.
I can handle the snow but the cold gets annoying. More so every year.



I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!