Why do you live in ND? (Fargo, Bismarck: tornadoes, wages, living in)

[thomjoe]

I lived in ND because I was born there. But why do you live in ND?

[Skytripper]

Used to live there.....for almost a year.
WAY too cold in the winter.....way too hot and humid in the summer!
WIND ALWAYS BLOWS!
NO SCENERY at all, IMO! Pretty sunsets now and then, I 'spose.
Only thing exciting was when some badass thunderstorms blew through and there were opportunities to look for tornadoes, but that's about it.
I suppose there were a FEW, mildly scenic spots along the Missouri River and Lake Sacacajewa too.
Bismarck was a bit nicer than Fargo too, IMO.......just more amenities available in Fargo.
ND residents consume more beer than ANY other state and I can see why!
Wasn't born there......wouldn't go back.
Weather extremes there make it hard for man or beast to deal with!

[MikeyToo]

Originally Posted by thomjoe

I lived in ND because I was born there. But why do you live in ND?

Well, I don't live in ND now, but wife and I will be moving back this summer(after being away for 42 yrs). Fortunately or Unfortunaley ND isn't for everyone. I've lived in the big cities. Minneapolis 31 years and now 12 years on the west coast. For some of us, we miss the wide open spaces, for others its the friendliness of a small town. Others its the laid back pace. Wife and I miss the slower pace and are looking forward to it. We've lived in cities where you have all the finest restaurants, the sports, opera, etc... We can still go and visit and see them things, but would rather live a slower pace. away from that. I guess thats what I didn't like about Minneapolis or living in California. Everything is happening so fast, nobody knows whats even happening??? Kinda nuts!! Just my opinion, mind ya.

[apple betty]

It helps to be a spiritual person. Loneliness, isolation, feelings of regret over choosing such landscape tugs at the psyche. I don't mean one needs to be a church person although human yearning for fellowship pushes most people to seek church eventually. Dakotas are scary for most people. But there are many areas in the country that provide the same fright only rapped in a different package.

I knew a woman who was a Dakota transplant and did not find the plain scary. She grew up isolated and poor in Maine. She met and married a WWII sailor and moved to Western Dakota as a new bride. She lived on the plain the rest of her life, til age 85. She's now dead. She preferred the open to the closed woods of Maine. "The prairie view makes you feel like you're always going somewhere even if you're not and everyday but a few you're not. But the openness is believable, its honest, it keeps everyone equal, nobody and nothing hides or lurks. I never regretted coming out here," she told me.

She was lucky to adapt and have money and life purpose enough to sustain her livelihood. Low wages, cold and folks suspicious of why you're in their town crawls ugly on most people.

Before moving to Dakota, I would give it long clear thought.

[TravisW]

I live about 500 yards from North Dakota, so I didn't move terribly far. I'm about 200 miles SE of where I grew up, but I still like ND. I've finally gotten to the point where the landscape of the Red River Valley doesn't bother me--actually, when I go home, it seems hilly now! I like all the space and I like the people. I like the tendency for people to be "regular", and not try to pretend that they're something that they're not. A lot of folks make living in North Dakota sound like a Jack London novel. Winter isn't really that bad--especially if you don't have a bunch of winter chores to do. 2 hours of feeding cattle when it's -30 sucks (especially when you're not the guy in the tractor) but it doesn't kill you.