Where you live: a raw poll

[IamLoved]

Hi

I thought it might be fun to have a poll about where we live, and what we like and dislike about it and how it pertains to our raw journey.

I'll start.

I live in Maine.

I love the scenery here. I love that we have four seasons. I love the smell of crisp fall air. I love that from my front door I can not see another house anywhere and that while driving to and from town we often see deer. I love the fact that I can get delicious fresh starwberries in June, wild Maine blueberries in July, blackberries in August, and crispy fresh apples in September and October. That makes eating raw so easy and yummy.

I don't like the long cold winter. Or mud season. I hate mud season. I hate how cold it gets here, and dry. And cold. I hate that we have crazy high taxes, and super low incomes.

I would love to visit Hawaii (Hi Starfire!). Seems like it would be easy to get lots of fresh fruits all the time there.

Anyone else?

[Rawmommie]

I live in St. James, Missouri (population 3007)

I LOVE the trees, the space, the nature all around me. I love the small town feel, walking to the grocery store & library, the way everyone waves at each other. No crowds & no lines. I love seeing all the wildlife we are surrounded by, we see deer all the time too!

I can't stand the conservative, old fashioned ideas. I don't like that I can't get good produce at the stores, that people treat their pets and children in *old fashioned* harsh ways. I can't stand that there are no stores other than walmart. :rolleyes: No Trader Joes, one tiny healthfood store...

[tanishamarshall]

I live in Bloomington Illinois.

I love that it is a small town!
I love the people
I love that traffic is not like Chicago's traffic

BUT

We do need a whole foods, we really need it. I have to visit several different stores in town to get all organic products, which takes a lot of time. I thought about just traveling to Chicago once a month to shop.

I can't say I love cold weather, so I wish our winter was less then a week long but that is a dream that will never come true.

[IamLoved]

docsharp,

I am so with you on the cold thing. I always say that I love the snow in December, during Christmas. But once the tree is down I want all the snow to go away and not come back again until the following December! Hehe. It just doesn't happen that way though! :)

[greenday]

San Francisco Bay Area..........I moved here from across the country and think it's just about the BEST place on earth! I LOVE the natural beauty...proximity to ocean and mountains, and the people are diverse and friendly (for the most part). I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. The drawback is that it's super-expensive and it took me a lot of years of digging my heels in to find my niche. I think commuting is a big deal for folks, I'm lucky at the moment and have a 5 minute drive to work, so can't complain.

The only other place I want to live is Hawaii. It's my 2nd favorite place to be....and I hope with digging in my heels some more and positive visualization one day I'll be able to live there part time and here part time. That's my dream. :)

PS: Bay Area for raw foodists is a great place!

[beppa66]

We live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
It's nice to be able to grow citrus, pineapples, coconut, bananas, avacados, etc. in your yard. And that great produce is available all year long. We have a great organic produce market right on the beach in Hollywood. The beach is great and people are active all year long. Winters are divine!

Downfalls: Everyone eats out here all the time and there aren't any raw options like in CA. Traffic, ick. Hurricanes, ick. Humidity, ick. (things take forever to dehydrate & items spoil very quickly here) Christmas doesn't "feel" like Christmas...no snow!

[EZ rider]

I live in the Pacific Northwest (US). Its beautiful here but it rains ALOT. The rain is a mixed blessing. Obviously, excessive rain gets tiring after awhile but the rain cleans the air so that when I take a deep breath of the just washed, rain freshened, ionized, clean air it feels good. Also its very green here which is nice if you like to live in a garden environment. I guess the rain ain't so bad after all. :)

[IamLoved]

Thanks for responding guys!

This is fun!

[solongng00dnite]

I live on the east end of long island, new york. It is not terrible but I am sick of it and hope to move to California in a few years. We have a good amount of local produce, apples, strawberries, peaches, pumpkins, spinach, corn, tomatoes but now with the winter months, no bueno.

There are health food stores but they dont seem like the ones I read about. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are few and far between but more are being built.

I want to go to seminars and raw groups but I cant find any that are local.

We have a lot of discount grocery stores like Best Yet and Compare Foods that carry a lot of the harder to find produce like jicama, aloe, yucca, and a bunch that I've never even heard of.

All in all it's pretty cool here but since loosing weight I lost my body heat and the winters are just too cold!!!! haha

[soulstar]

I live in Northern,NY and sometimes in Western Massachusetts.

Northern Ny is wide open, spacious, rural, laid back, and slower-aced than my home in Western Mass. No traffic:D

It gets outrageously cold and has been snowing every day recently,and temperatures have been in the teens during the day. All of this makes it extremely hard to stay raw, especially since I often work outside and get very cold and want something warm when I come in. I am trying though!!;)
There are no health food stores, only a Walmart superstore, and a regular grocery store. When I am in NY I actually travel 100 miles every now and then to Burlington VT to visit the Food Coop there, etc.
This area is also extremely conservative and it is hard to find a decent salad when going out. I have stopped trying. I eat at home 95% of the time, unless traveling.

There is one amazing thing about this Northern Ny area, though. in the summer, there are Amish and Mennonite farm stands about 20 miles away (which beats 100 miles) that offer organic foods at incredibly affordable prices.
Once October comes, though, it is back to walmart ,etc.

Western Mass has Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's, Food Coops, and a more healthy culture in general, so it is easier to find yummy organic foods, and amazing salads in restaurants. :p

Both of these locations have too long a winter for me, and my dream is to live in a warmer climate, like Florida, California, or Hawaii (my dream place to live).

All the best,

Soulstar

[Lady Green Jeans]

What a fun thread! Live in the Inland Empire area of Southern California. Weather is pretty mild year-round and nice produce is a great plus. Cost of housing is pretty high (not like San Francisco, though). Would be open to moving to the Pacific Northwest (so green and beautiful) and it is milder than Ohio weather, where I grew up.

[rawkchicster]

we live in Atlanta, Georgia (downtown Buckhead, the financial epicenter).

PROS:

1) Dekalb Farmers Market. . . Still, the best deal for young coconuts ever (8.50 for 9!!!) as well as amazing deals on lots and lots of produce (much of it organic).

2) It's nice to be able to walk to work (2 miles each way).


CONS:

1) We both (dh and I) miss the outdoors sooo much, not being able to trail-run, and rockclimbing in a gym rather than on real rock.

2) Human interaction... it seems like the bigger the city, the less connected you are to others. I really feel like I'm in a bubble, isolated much of the time.

3) Only one raw food restaurant, and it's on the other side of the city.

[Radiantly Raw]

Great idea Alisha! :D I'm in northern Florida.

What I like: The beaches are nice. The winters don't last very long & aren't too cold. There's a raw food restaurant 45 minutes away. We have 2 local natural foods stores & 2 Fresh Markets.

What I don't like: It gets so stinkin hot during the summer and it's so humid. We don't really have 4 seasons, and fall is my favorite. I think it lasts less than 2 weeks here. It's warm on Christmas day more than half the time, and never snows. I live in a big city, and it feels like your disconnected from everyone else even though your crammed together. And you would think we'd have access to farm fresh produce here but we really don't unless you drive to a farm an hour and a half away.

Where I would love to be: Somewhere that has 4 seasons, but winter isn't too harsh & neither is summer. Basically where the weather is mild most of the time. Also where I can see more nature than just the beach, and I can have enough land for a garden. Where folks aren't uber conservative but isn't slammed packed with people like a big city. Where it feels spacious & close to nature but not like your all alone. Does this place exist?!

[Missvanilla]

I live in Venice, Italy.
Well, I like here because Venice is beautiful and unique, I love that we have no cars and the city is probably pretty much the same since 500 b.c., I love Venice by night and I love the lagoon and the islands around Venice.
I do not love the weather, it is sooo humid and foggy, and in general I don't like Italy because we are not open minded people. Well, except of me :D obviously!

[hunny99]

Hey,

I'm in North Georgia, Hall County. I've lived here since July after living in Richmond, VA for 8 years and growing up in Little Rock, AR.

The town I live in is a one street town that is in the process of building a Target/Kohls shopping center. Only the Kohls is open now and the parking lot looks like a night club every day.

I didn't think I would like the small town atmosphere but now I am starting to feel like it is an easier way of life. If I want to venture out to the city (ATL) it's only about 45 minutes away. If I want to stay suburban, the next county over (Gwinett) has all I need. Whole Foods is about 20 minutes away, not too bad. The scenery is beautiful and it is quiet.

Hunny

[IamLoved]

Hunny,

I have been through that area and you are right, it is very pretty!

Thanks to everyone for posting.

I always like to know what it is like living in different areas, and what the pros/cons are for living raw in different places.

[maui_butterfly]

as you might have guessed, i live on the island of MAUI, in Hawaii. i am very grateful to be here. i moved to the island from Colorado 8 years ago on a whim (i was just going to take a year sabatical from my stressful corporate job) and it looks like i'm going to be here for a while (i hate to say forever, because one never knows... but i have no plans to leave, let's just say that...)

the wonderful things are what you might expect: near-perfect weather year round, mountains-ocean-sand-beauty everywhere, a real melting pot of cultures, a shocking lack of consumerism, luscious tropical fruits and mac nuts and coconuts and the most delicious little bananas you ever had ("apple-bananas"). i love how my daughter is growing up OUTSIDE (and kinda wild) and the ocean is her playground. and "aloha" is a pretty special concept, and people seem more conscious of it here than anywhere i have ever been.

the challenges are what you might not expect: people who move to the islands often find it hard to make it here, isolated from family and friends back home, and the things they are used to. you make friends and they move away (people tend to come and go here...). the cost of living is quite high. people (especially parents of families) work LOTS to make ends meet, combined with substandard public schools creates a problematic social environment, blah blah blah. (i don't like to complain much about a place i truly consider paradise, so i'll stop now.)

food in general is EXPENSIVE on the islands, but its just something you get used to. after a while, it is what it is and you don't know any different. (i always FREAK OUT in the grocery store on my once-a-year trips back to the mainland to visit family.) i do most of my shopping at the local farmers markets and can do so year round, which i love. i feel like my carbon footprint is very small eating and shopping the way i do, that makes me feel happy. there are 4 small health food stores on the island, and whole foods is coming next year, so very excited about that of course.

no raw community that i have found yet, although i am sure they are out there, maui is a pretty progressive place in a lot of ways. i imagine they are out there living in the jungle, naked, hanging out with woody harrelson and eating fruit off the trees and living in yurts or something! i have a more "conventional" life in the resort area on the sunny south coast, so i don't get to run naked in the jungle too often. :)

[StarFire]

What a fun thread!!

okay... ya'll know I live on the Big Island of Hawaii...
I live in an area that is semi~country along the Hamakua Coast (east side of the island towards the top) very close to Waipio Valley if you want to google it! we have about 4,000 people in our little town, lots of farmers growing organic veggies and fruit... lots of natural fruit growing around us... papayas, coconuts, applebananas, macadamia nuts, mangos, rambutan, lychee....

there's also a lot of range fed organic cattle roaming free... well - until ... you know...

What I loove about Hawaii... gosh ... theres so much! Its my home, where my native language is spoken, where ancient customs are still practiced... yet -- I can still drive an hour to Kona if I want to see the 'night life'... or go shopping.

the lifestyle here is very easy, relaxed... lots and LOTS of green!! beautiful waterfalls... ocean swimming, surfing, hiking where you can pick fruit as you go...

what I don't like about Hawaii... now that's even harder... but like beppa - we do have a lot of moisture here -- so we have 'mold' issues that can develop in certain areas on the island... we do have mice and rats (we are very 'country' after all...but they are so cute! the mice and rats don't really bother me so much!) but I think the thing I dislike the most... the ROACHES.... yep ... roaches the size of B57 Bombers... they fly and they are hideoous! Kinda like flying medjool dates minus the legs!! aaacckkkk :eek: !!

oh ... and we do have 'cane spiders' that can grow to the size of a large mans hand... they have given me fright or two... but they really are very gentle - and they kill the roaches! so they are a good thing.

oh -- I KNow!! I know!!! CENTIPEDES.... I hate centipedes... I got stung once and it was like pure fire for 16 hours....

other than that... HAWAII IS A PERFECT PLACE TO BE A RAW FOODIE!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/dagurl.gifokay... okay... gotta say it... MAUI NO KA OI??? (cough...cough....) ummm... nooooo BIG ISLAND NO KA OI!!! FOR THOSE THAT DON'T SPEAK HAWAIIAN.... :D no ka oi means ... 'the best'... so between Maui Butterfly and I --- we got a bit of Island competition goin here!!! LOL!!! NAWWWWW...... JES KIDDING!!! JES KIDDING!!! ;) Seriously - Each island is so different and the people on each island are so very different also.Here on the Big Island, we don't have a lot of people moving or leaving... we have generations of the same families living in the same little town... I think Big Island is probably the most 'country of the Islands'... the most rural (other than maybe Molokai - very limited visitors or Niihaue where only Hawaiians are permitted to live). EVERY HAWAIIAN ISLAND NO KA OI!! right Maui Butterfly!!!

[beppa66]

Roaches. Yes, I forgot to mention the roaches. Blech. (shivers)

[eachpeachpearplum]

We are in Seattle, Eastside. We chose to move here from the UK (to be nearer ailing parents) because at the time the housing prices were good and they are progressive in reguards to alternative therapies and I love cooler wet climates. Oddly though I have found it very conservative so there is not a big raw community here - although Rawkinlocks & Cinnamon ARE here among a few others!

We do have one raw restaurant but it's a bit earthy for my taste as I like to eat simply or high gourmet!

I was not raw at the time of moving here and had I been we may have chosen a more raw friendly location. I second EZ riders post although as I said I do like the wet. It's a great place for outdoor activities and has a great selection of high end health food stores. I LOVE the mountain views they are spectacular too.

I was born in Pasadena, Ca. so year round ripe fruits & veg are in my blood and I STILL have a hard time getting used to seasonal & $$$$ food because of that.

I lived in England for many years, consider it home, and would move back in a second if not for current economics and to be honest being raw there will be super expensive compared to here. Although the UK I found to be super progressive to alternative food & medical chioces - at least in and around London.

IamLoved: What a great idea for a thread!:p

Cheers,

EPPP

[mountaintop]

I live at the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains,in the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Area. I LOVE IT HERE! There is something to do for everyone. There are tons of National Park trails and waterfalls for the hikers & walkers. The views continue to "wow" me everyday. There are lots of theaters & shows. We get 12 MILLION visitors a year! That's more than FIVE TIMES the amount Yellowstone National Park gets a year. PLUS we are the only FREE National Park according to the Park Ranger Service.(brag) I think you could live here 25 years and never run out of new things to do. Parts of the town look like Las Vegas at night and the edges of town look like God's country during the day.
Only downsides: Sometimes traffic gets backed up (locals know the backroads) and although there is a great little organic grocery called "Rabbit Food" that carries a variety of stuff & Knoxville is 20 minutes away and has a Whole Foods, we don't have a Raw Food Restaurant. This would be a great place for one, Alissa! There are certainly enough people annually to keep it busy!

[Lucky Lady]

Hi,
I live in the little town of Orangeburg, South Carolina. South Carolina is a great compact state. From my house is can travel 72 miles southeast and go to the beach or drive 2 1/2 hours northwest and be in the mountains. The weather is very changeable. The joke is "IF you do not like the weather, wait a day or two and it will change." Our summers are hot and our winters are mild. It snows in the mountains but not at the beach. Lots of fresh vegetables in summer but not much organic. Whole Foods and Fresh market are 45 miles away in Columbia:-( People are frendly to each other and the pace is slow. They are very conservative and not open to anything new. They think they might still win the Civil War. There are no Raw Resteraunts. If you asked someone on the street about raw food, they would send you to a grocery store and smile behind your back.
I would love to live where people are friendly, open to new ideas, have mild weather and raw food resterants.

Lucky Lady

[maui_butterfly]

Kinda like flying medjool dates minus the legs!!

oh my god, i can't stop laughing. that's EXACTLY what they look like. they even kind of squish like a pre-soaked date if you step on them. eww.

confession: while i front as a green, raw, natural, chemical free girl --i LOVE my exterminator. if he wasn't married, i would marry him in a heartbeat. i'm never so happy to see anyone as that man! i never realized how ON EDGE i was about the freakin' roaches (especially walking around at night) until i had my house treated for the suckas, and then suddenly i was so RELAXED.

better life with chemicals! lol. i gotta be 100% raw just to break even.

and i certainly didn't mean to dis' my Big Island sistah... RESPECT!

some day i will retire to a little farmhouse on Molokai... Kaluakoi side.

[StarFire]

oh my god, i can't stop laughing. that's EXACTLY what they look like. they even kind of squish like a pre-soaked date if you step on them. eww. http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Pointing.gif
.



http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/laugh.gif... OMG... OMG!!!! AHAHAHHAHAHAAAA!!! http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_zzrofl1.gif ...... OMG!!! SERIOUS!!! Thats why I have so much trouble eating dates!!! I just can't do it unless it's in a recipe!!! ahahahhahaha.... GIRL YOU ARE TOOO FUNNY!!!!

[RollinRaw]

I live in Novato, Ca. What was once a small town on Highway 101 has transformed into a bustling larger town. Back some 30 years the highway went right through town. I was born and raised in San Francisco. Yet always felt I was a country girl at heart. When I moved to Clearlake I wasn't real happy at first but it grew on me as did the people. I sure slowed down a lot. I also had access to fresh grown veggies year round, and fresh pears and walnuts. I miss country living.

Pro's for living here:

I think one of my loves is having country drives at my back door. I can go about a mile and I am on a main road that leads out to the coast. We are not far from the Redwoods. Mt Tam isn't that far away, there is plenty of open space to hike, bike ride, walk your dog. It is beautiful here once you get past the towns. But many of them are quaint places that need to be explored. I have two Whole Foods to choose from, one in San Rafael and another in Petaluma. Lots of choices for new age stuff in this area (not that I go as far as some do, but it is available.) Incredible amounts of history here too! I am always surprised at new places I haven't been. you never know what you will come upon.

Cons:

The cost of living is frightening, decent wages are scarce, home prices are a joke, there are WAYYYY to many people... we don't have four seasons here. Everything is expensive, gas prices are reminiscent of highway robbery, food prices are really starting to rise. When I go to Whole foods I could burn up a tank of gas waiting for parking. Most folks are terribly rude ..... I made mention of an experience at WF ... and that seems to be the norm for most folks here. Most seem to ride some high horses, and drive expensive cars, which I would cheerfully knock them off of if given a chance. (I will mention that most of these snoots migrated here from other states and countries and feel entitled to look down upon people who don't look like they are Uppa Crust!)

You asked for both. To be honest there is alot positive about living here. But my personal preference is country living, four seasons, a garden, a lawn and my nearest neighbor a mile away! HEAVEN!!!:D

[blix]

I live in Norfolk England. I cannot grow veg in my garden as it is weeny and we share with our neighbour. (rubbish bins, wood shed etc.,) We have a farmers market near here on Wednesday morning and a good gren grocer, but all the supermarkets are miles away.

The downside is that, although fox hunting has been banned here in England, the landowners still have guns and you can hear them at night shooting the foxes. We are so remote that the police prescence to enforce the law is not there. Then there is the shooting season which has already started and all those beautiful pheasants are killed.

BEPPA I AM SO ENVIOUS THAT YOU CAN GROW ALL THAT FRUIT. HOW LUCKY YOU ARE. :)

[Courtney]

Hi y'all.

I just HAVE to jump in. I live in Siberia (Novosibirsk). I love the stimulation of speaking Russian 24/7. I have dreams in Russian and actually wrote a poem in Russian. People are generally friendly and interested in me, especially when they hear I'm American. They have this funny conception that all Americans are obese. (I'm not). Cute little babushki ("grandmothers") sit out on the sidewalk all day and early evening selling their homegrown, organic produce, which is pretty cheap. Fruits and veggies that are rather rare in the States are plentiful here: persimmons, figs, pomegranates.

There are NO MacDonalds, Burger Kings, Arby's, Dunkin' Doughnuts, and Kentucky Fried Chickens here. Hallelujah! So it's a great place to be if you want to lose weight. In grocery stores and street markets, meat is unrefrigerated - bloody red slabs of cow flesh oozing on the shelves. In the summer flies swarm around them. Yum! You'll become a vegetarian in no time.

There are very few (Western) foreigners here, which is totally cool. I am NEVER bored. I'm learning so many things that are not published in any book, and the book I'm writing - my second one - is truly going to be unique. After that I plan to write a mystery novel that takes place in Siberia.

The men are very gallant. They kiss your hand, hold the door, carry your bags.

The downside?

There's no raw food community here. People still think meat and FAT is good for you. Skim milk actually costs less because it has "less" fat. Isn't that a riot?

Um....hey if any of you feel self-conscious about your body, this is the place to be 'cuz you live in your bulky coat for at least 7 months at a stretch. You'll never have to show any skin! If you're a runner, like me, stay away from here, because for two or three months straight there's such solid, slippery ice that you would surely break your neck if you tried to run on it. I have to run up and down stairs for aerobic exercise. Tim Van Orden, the raw runner that Revvell interviewed on her web site radio, calls this "tower racing."

There's very little daylight, and even less sunlight, in the winter time: 11 am to 4:30 pm. (But look on the bright side: in the summer, there's sunshine and/or daylight right up to 11pm!)

You can't drink water out of the tap. It gushes out brown (rust from underground pipes probably built in Tsar Alexander I's time.). The authorities shut off all hot water for two weeks straight every June, allegedly to "conserve" hot water for the winter.

Everyone smokes, even doctors and surgeons. There's no such thing as a "smoke free" building--even the hospitals. No one even asks you if you mind if they light up right under your nose in a windowless room.

And then the alcoholism. Vodka! Beer! It's available 24/7 and very cheap. Guys and sometimes younger women stroll down the street holding beer bottles. Then they toss the empty bottles on the ground. There are very few public garbage receptacles, and of course, no one recycles. Russians are the exact opposite of the Germans.

Russian drivers. Ohmigawd. You think a green light means it's safe to cross the street? Wrooong. That's precisely when cars whip around the corner for righthand turns. They think they have the right-of-way, racing up within INCHES of your body. Obviously, you can't cross the street when the light's red, either.

Finally, your pets might not like it here. Homeless dogs and cats roam the street, shivering in the snow. There's no "humane society." Russian veterinary medicine is, shall we say, more direct. I took my 6-month-old kitty Nikita Sergeevitch to a vet last week to get castrated. I thought they would just inject something with a needle like they do in the States. Instead they literally chopped his balls off (under general anaesthesia, mercifully). He looks like a girl now.

Courtney

[Courtney]

Hey Lucky Lady!

Wow. Small world. I used to teach at Clemson University. Rural, conservative people indeed. Church on every corner. But the weather's nice.

Courtney


Hi,
I live in the little town of Orangeburg, South Carolina. South Carolina is a great compact state. From my house is can travel 72 miles southeast and go to the beach or drive 2 1/2 hours northwest and be in the mountains. The weather is very changeable. The joke is "IF you do not like the weather, wait a day or two and it will change." Our summers are hot and our winters are mild. It snows in the mountains but not at the beach. Lots of fresh vegetables in summer but not much organic. Whole Foods and Fresh market are 45 miles away in Columbia:-( People are frendly to each other and the pace is slow. They are very conservative and not open to anything new. They think they might still win the Civil War. There are no Raw Resteraunts. If you asked someone on the street about raw food, they would send you to a grocery store and smile behind your back.
I would love to live where people are friendly, open to new ideas, have mild weather and raw food resterants.

Lucky Lady

[Zaphirah]

I live in a small hilltown in WMASS. We just moved here from the 5 college area. it's really pretty out here and has much more of the Norman Rockwellesq feel than my old hometown. The hard part is finding high quality food. The nearest WF is nearly an hour away. Oh and it's about 7-10 degrees colder here on the mountain. That makes for a nice summer, but brutal winters.

I love our house. It was built in 1815 and is in pretty good shape. Just the otehr day ds#2's friend came over for the first time. He walked in and said "WOW! This house is SICK!" and I was feeling all good about myself. Then as he followed ds up the stair to his bedroom I heard him mutter "Uh..this house is ....crooked!"

LOL!!!!

I love living here. It's SO peaceful.

[halikatak]

I live in the far west suburbs of Chicago.
I recently learned that I can no longer just say "Chicago" as it offends the people who actually live in the city of Chicago. :rolleyes:

I love living here. I grew up in the Chicago area. I love having 4 seasons, the autumn leaves, the newly fallen snow, the smell of freshly cut grass, and the first sight of spring bulbs. Seriously - this excites me :)
I love having to make the transition from tank top to jacket to sweater to coat and mittens!!!

I love the area I live in - it is near the highway to get to my friends and family (because they consider me in the Boonies!)- but it also surrounded by farms. It's nice to take a drive and explore in the summer and it's near a skydiving place!!!

Eating raw here isn't really a problem. I wish that there were some raw stores around me so that I could buy pre-made things rather than having to cook all the time. At least I can get raw nuts easily!!!


=^..^=
Kat

[halikatak]

oh -- I KNow!! I know!!! CENTIPEDES.... I hate centipedes... I got stung once and it was like pure fire for 16 hours....



When my dh and I were hiking at the volcano we saw a GINORMOUS centipede! I almost didn't believe it was real. It looked like something out of a cartoon or something! It moved so fast because someone almost stepped on it - so I didn't get a picture.

Next time I'm on the Big Island I'm going to send you a message and we can meet! It might not be for a few years though :(

Here is a pic of dh - at how close we got to the lava! The was the end of the "cliff". Lava flowing into the ocean on the right.

http://images115.fotki.com/v686/photos/2/247343/3772380/WeddingHoneymoon224-vi.jpg

[Malina]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for sharing your stories about where you live. This is a really fun thread to read! I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I was born and grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and I lived in England for three years before moving to Calgary earlier this year. I love it here!

Advantages:
- I'm close to the Rocky Mountains, and I try to get out at least twice a month for a day-long hike or snowshoe - the air in the mountains is incredibly fresh and clean
- the summers are warm and sunny - Calgary is one of the sunniest places in Canada
- during the summer we get AMAZING organic produce from our lovely next door neighbour: British Columbia - I feasted this summer on incredible B.C. peaches, cherries, melons, plums, pears, apples, grapes
- in the winter we get a pretty good selection of imported produce
- the city has incredible recreation trails - it's easy to get out and be active
- the people are much more friendly than in Toronto!

Disadvantages
- none


Okay, growing up in Canada, I must admit that for a long time I hated winter. I hated having to wear 50 layers to go out, and I missed doing lots of outdoor activities. A few years ago, I was going through an intense phase of self-improvement, and one of the things I learned is that I'm not comfortable feeling "hate." I decided to examine the things I hated and see if I could re-work my thinking on those issues. I worked on winter, and in the end changed my view to one of enjoying the nice things about winter, making the best of it, and getting out and staying active no matter what the temperature by walking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Now, I love winter and look forward to a chance to get out my snowshoes.

For me, I don't think where I live plays a huge part in my raw journey. I think the desire and motivation to be raw are there within me, and I will do whatever I can to bring them out wherever I live.

So, greetings from a -20C (-4F) Calgary! (photo taken less than an hour ago!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v510/library_lass/cold.jpg

[Courtney]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for sharing your stories about where you live. This is a really fun thread to read! I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I was born and grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and I lived in England for three years before moving to Calgary earlier this year. I love it here!

Advantages:
- I'm close to the Rocky Mountains, and I try to get out at least twice a month for a day-long hike or snowshoe - the air in the mountains is incredibly fresh and clean
- the summers are warm and sunny - Calgary is one of the sunniest places in Canada
- during the summer we get AMAZING organic produce from our lovely next door neighbour: British Columbia - I feasted this summer on incredible B.C. peaches, cherries, melons, plums, pears, apples, grapes
- in the winter we get a pretty good selection of imported produce
- the city has incredible recreation trails - it's easy to get out and be active
- the people are much more friendly than in Toronto!

Disadvantages
- none


Okay, growing up in Canada, I must admit that for a long time I hated winter. I hated having to wear 50 layers to go out, and I missed doing lots of outdoor activities. A few years ago, I was going through an intense phase of self-improvement, and one of the things I learned is that I'm not comfortable feeling "hate." I decided to examine the things I hated and see if I could re-work my thinking on those issues. I worked on winter, and in the end changed my view to one of enjoying the nice things about winter, making the best of it, and getting out and staying active no matter what the temperature by walking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Now, I love winter and look forward to a chance to get out my snowshoes.

For me, I don't think where I live plays a huge part in my raw journey. I think the desire and motivation to be raw are there within me, and I will do whatever I can to bring them out wherever I live.

So, greetings from a -20C (-4F) Calgary! (photo taken less than an hour ago!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v510/library_lass/cold.jpg

You are SO right, Malina. I'm learning how to just accept - and then ENJOY - winter. It's all in our attitude. Hey! I did a journalism internship at Fort Saskatchewan, outside Alberta in January. Talk about cold! Everyone had to run their car motors for like 30-45 minutes just to warm them up enough to drive to work. It was actually colder than Moscow in January.

Courtney

[SuziS]

I live in Michigan. About an hour north of Detroit. I used to complain about winter and hate the cold, but I am getting over it! Like some others here I am trying to embrace it. Like my son said the other day, "That's just the way the Earth works Mom!" I want to get a pair of snowshoes and try that out this winter.
I love the changing seasons. There is something wonderful about each one and the transitions between each. I never used to notice all of that, but now I am kind of obsessed with it!
I don't really like the town we live in. There are really no health food stores and very little organic. However, my boys go to school about 45 min away and it is in the woods on a back road. The Whole Foods and Trader Joes are only about 15 min away. It is great! Best of both worlds. We hope to move in that area in the next year or so.
Oh, and I love going to northern michigan in the summer. The water is just so blue and the weather is gorgeous!

[jaydee]

I live in Lee's Summit Missouri (a surburb of Kansas City, Missouri) but I'm originally from Chicago, IL. which is about 8 hours away. I was transferred here via my job.

UPSIDE: I've joined a wonderful RAW potluck group, live in a great community with wonderful neighbors, and I'm 7 minutes from work so I never deal with traffic and coming from Chicago, that's a blessing!

DOWNSIDE: None really. I miss my brother who lives in California (only sibling).

[StarFire]

This is such an interesting thread!!! I love reading about all the differences in the areas where we live... from all over the mainland USA, to all over the world!!!

Courtney... so interesting to read about your adventure in Russia MY GAWD!!! ... your experiences there are so different!

and halikatak ... when were you on big island??? and yes - you did get very close to mama pele flowing there!!! great photo! You will have to call me the next time you are on Island!!

and oh my goodness Malina!!! that photo is hilarious! here in Hawaii - we are wearing shorts, tank tops, flip flops, no sweater!!! sunglasses and a visor! :D this is such a great thread!!! I love reading about all the different places we all live!

THANKS FOR STARTING THIS THREAD IAMLOVED http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_loveshower.gif !!!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_huggrouphuggle.gif

[IamLoved]

This is great!

I love all of your descriptions about where you live.

Courtney - You cracked me up talking about living in Russia. I read your post out loud to my husband, and he cracked up too. Your poor little kitty! :eek: My hubby was wincing in sympathy.

[cakens1]

Hello,

I live in Cumming, GA, and I absolutely love it here. I moved from Johns Creek (formerly a part of Duluth, GA) in July.

Nice to meet everyone.

Carolyn:D

[StarFire]

Aloha and WElcome http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/hidot.gif cakens1!!!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/AN_DANCE.gif

[northernstars]

We have lived here since 1983 after moving back from Williamsburg, Virginia where we had lived for 5 years. I originally moved to Alaska in 1959 from Benton Harbor, Michigan. Alaska gets busy during the summer when it seems as though the world descends in their quest to fish for the salmon that swim through our area (5 types).

I love the fulltime daylight of summer but the darkness of winter is sometimes hard to handle. I really don't like the cold but at least it is far milder than the interior. I remember how cold it was once when the tires froze and were flattend on the bottom. We had to drive several miles before the friction warmed the rubber enough for them to round out again! The coldest that I have seen in this area is -50 degrees F! That time in the interior it was -65 F.

Summers are fantastic and so beautiful! I really love watching the wildlife from the squirrels, foxes, wolves, moose, caribou, bears; grizzly, black, or polar bears in Barrow. The birds are fantastic to watch: eagles, bald more than golden; ptarmigan, grouse, swans, ducks, geese, lots and lots of birds.

There are no health food stores within 160 miles, so I occasionally shop at one when we drive to Anchorage. Fortunately, Fred Meyers store here has a decent selection of organic produce.

During the summer we usually have a small garden to grow some cool weather crops like beets, potatoes, carrots, summer squash, and peas. Berries; raspberries, strawberries, and wild blueberries grow here, too. Fruit trees don't do well here unfortunately. Most of our food must be imported.

Winter usually begins in October and lasts until the mid to late April. Sometimes it is still winter in May! There is limited daylight this time of year. By Dec. 22 we will be down to 5 hours 19 minutes of daylight. Fortunately, there is usually snow to reflect the light, but not this year.

Sounds like many of us live in nice and fairly quiet places.

[Colorawdo girl]

I livie in Connecticut.....it is good here for raw foodists.....we have meetup groups and events all the while...we just went on the train into NYC to eat at several rawfood restauruants.Amazing food and fun.We have potluck and other events such as Victoria Boutenko(Green For life author) coming in a couple weeks.
We are 30 min from Whole Foods...and close to Trader Joes as well as another large health food store that has organic juices and smoothies and wheatgrass. Wonderful produce at great prices too.
I think every place has its good and bad...but it is all in perception.We sometimes think that we need togo somewhere else to be happy....but like the New York song says...."if I can make it here,Ill make it anywhere,its up to you"......love where you are and rawk on!

[sfdreams]

Great thread, Alisha!

Jaydee, I've actually thought of moving to Lee's Summitt--I was there in September for a music conference at Unity Village. Did not know there was a raw community!!

I am in Bloomington, Indiana. I was born and raised here, although I spent 12 years in San Francisco. (And I miss the SF Bay Area terribly!! Would be there in a flash if I could afford it!)

Bloomington is a very diverse city of approx. 50,000 (may be higher now--that is probably an old statistic.) It is progressive and liberal. Mostly due to being the home of Indiana University's main campus.

The cost of living here is higher than rural areas of Indiana, but WAAY lower than your big cities. Houses are affordable, especially if you purchase out in the country, not in the city. It has been voted best place to live a couple of times by magazines (not sure which ones)

There are definitely four seasons here---BRRRR! I am a winter-hater, so I may not be the best person to ask! But winters here are milder than up north or on the East coast. Bloomington is in the south-central area of Indiana, which is lots of rolling hills and gorgeous scenery.

There are two good health food stores here: Sahara Mart and Bloomingfoods. But no raw restaurants, darn it!:( The closest is a vegan cooked restaurant, Roots. Roots and one other place, Greens, also have fresh juices.

I've heard that there are raw people here, but have only met one. There is a good Farmer's Market during the summer. But not during the winter. In the summer it can get pretty hot and humid. My favorite time is spring--April to June, when the temperature is 60s plus. (The temperature is the same in September/October, but winter is approaching, and I am SAD.)

There are bugs here, but not giant cockroaches and giant spiders! Thank God! :D Mosquitoes and West Nile are a concern. When the 17 yr cicadas are back, it is kinda fun--albeit somewhat NOISY.

The movie, Breaking Away was filmed in Bloomington, although that was in 1978 when I was still in college, so things have changed a bit. But, the limestone quarries are still here, and there are many houses and buildings made of limestone.

I've often thought of moving somewhere more temperate in climate, where a progressive liberal could live, near a Unity or Religious Science church, and where I could have an affordable home with some land. Any suggestions?? Can't be Florida--too hot for my partner.

[lori ann]

Hello,
As everyone says this is a fun thread and interesting. Well, I live in Sandusky, Ohio, which sits on lake erie. There are a few islands that you can take a boat over that have different resturants, activities to do for something fun. Some people have summer homes over there and some even live there. Also there are like three restorts/hotels that have big water parks in them here in town. Then we also have Cedar Point here, which is full of roller coasters. I have the bay at the end of my street that you can Cedar Point across the way. I like living here it is fun. I could do without the cold temps in the winter.

As for food I like the produce and shop at Meijers. We have a health food store that I am a regualr at and it is small, but it works. I travel at times to Trader Joes that is about 45 minutes away in Westlake, Ohio. The summer I love for the great farmer's markets. That is my area in a nutshell :)

[RawHeaven]

I live in Sacramento, Ca. But I was born in Jersey and grew up in San Francisco. I just recently moved to Sacramento and am experiencing a bit of culture shock and I do miss The City and the Bay Area, yet I'm still close enough to travel there when I feel the need.

Sacramento is nice and people are very friendly in my neighborhood. I'm close enough to midtown which in many ways reminds me of the Bay Area so it's all good. :D Midtown is a progressive, trendy area of Sac with a lot of free thought is what I'm noticing without knowing too much about it yet.

I love the trees in Sac, the area that I live in feels like a forest and I just love this cause I'm an earth girl. There is a natural food co-op so that's cool and it supports my lifestyle. We also have whole foods and trader joe's and many farmer's market stands. Being in Northern Calif in general is such a blessing because we have the ocean, the mountains, the snow, the sun, anything and everything you can imagine just a couple of hours drive away. It's a beautiful place to live, especially if you love nature and are active.

The downside to living in Sac is the smog and level of pollution; I lived 3 blocks from the pacific ocean when I lived in SF so I got very used to the clear air and the ocean vibes. Traffic is very bad here, like most of California, but it seems particularly knarly in Sac for some reason.

I loved living in SF because of it's progressiveness and the many cultures of people and diversity of thought. There is also a wealth of support in the raw community there. Not to mention the wonderful raw restaurants (Cafe Gratitude & Alive!) and Rainbow Grocery (my favorite co-op ever!). :D It sure was nice having them available when I didn't feel like preparing food or if I just wanted to experience something delectable.

Overall, I love where I am and try to blossom where I am as much as possible. I feel blessed and I'm grateful to be able to take care of myself, be in great health and to be living the raw lifestyle.

Maui_butterfly and Starfire, one of my aspirations is to move to the big island or maui actually. I travel to the islands every other year to swim with the dolphins and visit some buddies there. But I don't do roaches :eek: and you guys have scared the beejeezus out of me!!!! That would be the only reason I may not be able to move to Hawaii. I mean I have a serious phobia with those creatures and fortunately I never encountered one on my visits - so maybe I'll be fortunate when I do move. From the stories I hear from my friends and your experiences with them, I don't know how long my luck with last with them though if I was there year round. I guess I'd better learn to deal with it. :rolleyes:

Peace!
Crystal

[jaydee]

Small world! I used to live in Indianapolis!! Our RAW potluck group has a monthly potluck at Unity Village!!! In fact, we have one tomorrow (Sat.) at Unity Village on the Plaza. On November 17th we had one at Unity Village in Lee's Summit. Let me know when you're comin back this way!!!;)

[Courtney]

Aloha and WElcome http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/hidot.gif cakens1!!!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/AN_DANCE.gif

Hey, Starfire girl! How about posting here a gorgeous view of the sunny Big Island for those of us suffering from SAD (seasonal affective disorder)? I'll make it my screen saver!

Courtney

[oceanee]

Such a fun thread ~

I have been living on the edge of the Everglades yet away from the crowded city of Naples in SW Florida. I do head over to the "rock" , Marco Island to my business but I know in 20-25 minutes I am soon surrounded by protected land, can look out my window and see jumping fish, manatee and even a passing alligator. The winter birds are phenomenal. Have you ever been on a swamp walk in the Everglades? Oh, this is truly an area of quiet unspoken beauty. It is important to me to know that I am close to the sea. As I am on a canal that goes out to a river that goes out to the Gulf of Mexico I can have that daily inner vision whenever I need it. I worked as a First Mate on a small nature tour boat for a few years that went out 1/4 mile from where I live and 6 miles out to the Gulf, and that was heavenly. Some days we'd be out in the Gulf and spot a huge flock of white pelicans on a nearby tiny Key. Oh is that a site !

I moved here from NH, a plan to be where the sun shown for my sun light deprivation condition ! I would have loved to have been on a far away Island yet this works for now.

What I loved about NH is what I miss here. Clean well water, rich soil , the beauty of newly emerging perennials in the spring, lilacs, hydrangeas and a once a year huge snowstorm to view with a nice fire in the fireplace.

I don't miss long months of gray days,depression from lack of sunlight, wearing turtle necks and so many layers of clothes .

I love the tropical plants, learning what is native , all the wonderful tropical fruits you can grow, the extremely different environment yet it is a very weird state and the tragic state of the environment , the everglades with the impact of continual building and over consumption is crazy. There should have been a moratorium placed on building in this area ( and many areas in Fl.) yet
destruction continues. Some small strides have been made but so much must be done quickly.

Will I be here forever, I doubt it. It will get more crowded and I hope to find a place farther away, more tropical that I can call home.

Oceanee

[ReneeH]

I LOVE this thread!!!!! I'm from the Big 'Ole State of Texas!!! Here we say "Yau'll and "YEEEEE HAAAAAA!!!!!" I actually live in a cute little town named Katy...it's right outside of Houston. Here we got your country...got your city... whatever fits your fancy!!!!

[StarFire]

Hey, Starfire girl! How about posting here a gorgeous view of the sunny Big Island for those of us suffering from SAD (seasonal affective disorder)? I'll make it my screen saver!

Courtney

heres a couple to get you started....


here's Waipio Valley ... just up the road from our little town of Honoka'a! Great surfing there! ....


http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/001_1.jpg
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*

... KONA at sunset... awesome...
*

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/cd8d.jpg
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*
*

and... THIS is the waterfall on our land ... so amazing... we are so blessed! This swimming hole is about 1,000 feet around, 40' deep with a flat bottom and the waterfall is about 15 to 20' feet high depending on the water level in the swimming hole!! We have 6 acres 16 miles north of Hilo!! Some day rawbies... there will be raw food workshops on this land!! RAWK ON!
*
*

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Hawaii/Waterfallfrombacktrail.jpg
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*
... a little hawaiian sunshine for those snowy days!! this is a 'typical day' in hawaii!! rawk on rawbies!!
*

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Hawaii/untitled.jpg

ALWAYS GLAD TO SHARE SOME ALOHA WITH MY RAWBIE FAMILY!!

[StarFire]

I LOVE this thread!!!!! I'm from the Big 'Ole State of Texas!!! Here we say "Yau'll and "YEEEEE HAAAAAA!!!!!" I actually live in a cute little town named Katy...it's right outside of Houston. Here we got your country...got your city... whatever fits your fancy!!!!

hey there ReneeH... lil miss texan!! please cruise on over to the newbie section ..."who are you'... theres a brand new lil rawbie there looking for anyone in the Houston area... can you check in on her plueeeeze!!

yer such a doll!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/tha857f08c.gif

[Courtney]

heres a couple to get you started....


here's Waipio Valley ... just up the road from our little town of Honoka'a! Great surfing there! ....


http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/001_1.jpg
*
*
*

... KONA at sunset... awesome...
*

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/cd8d.jpg
*
*
*

and... THIS is the waterfall on our land ... so amazing... we are so blessed! This swimming hole is about 1,000 feet around, 40' deep with a flat bottom and the waterfall is about 15 to 20' feet high depending on the water level in the swimming hole!! We have 6 acres 16 miles north of Hilo!! Some day rawbies... there will be raw food workshops on this land!! RAWK ON!
*
*

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Hawaii/Waterfallfrombacktrail.jpg
*
*
*
... a little hawaiian sunshine for those snowy days!! this is a 'typical day' in hawaii!! rawk on rawbies!!
*

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Hawaii/untitled.jpg

ALWAYS GLAD TO SHARE SOME ALOHA WITH MY RAWBIE FAMILY!!

Thanks a million, Starfire Girl ! These shots are all so calming and gorgeous. I can't choose....So I saved them all !

Thank you - and God -for these great scenes to start off my morning meditation.

Courtney

[ReneeH]

hey there ReneeH... lil miss texan!! please cruise on over to the newbie section ..."who are you'... theres a brand new lil rawbie there looking for anyone in the Houston area... can you check in on her plueeeeze!!

yer such a doll!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/tha857f08c.gif

Sure!!! Thanks for the Heads up!!!! You know, I'm soooo jealous that you get to meet Alissa in person! Give her a (((( BIG HUGGGG )))) FOR ME!!!!

[StarFire]

Thanks a million, Starfire Girl ! These shots are all so calming and gorgeous. I can't choose....So I saved them all !

Thank you - and God -for these great scenes to start off my morning meditation.

Courtney

Rawk on Courtney!! any time! I would also be interested in seeing some pics of Russia... so fascinating that you are there!

and ReneeH -- I will definitely give Alissa a great big squeeze from you! :D

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/hahahahuggy.gif ... hmmm maybe I should be a little calmer when I see her? http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Snicker.gif hehheee!!

[oceanee]

Starfire-
Gorgeous island. Let us know when you have your raw fest - who knows maybe I will be on the big Island visiting one of best friends and get to meet you as well.
Oceanee

[RawHeaven]

Starfire-
Gorgeous island. Let us know when you have your raw fest - who knows maybe I will be on the big Island visiting one of best friends and get to meet you as well.
Oceanee

Yes, please do let us know about your raw fest starfire! I plan to be on the big island next spring. woo hoo!

[RollinRaw]

Starfire those pictures are AWESOME!!! I am SOOOOOO jealous!! You also have mail!!:D

Crystal, I lived in Sacto. for a couple of years many moons ago. But I was raised in SF. I lived out in the sunset, walking distance from the beach. I will still go down for a day just to walk barefoot in the ocean. I also lived a block away from the arboretum on 8th avenue!! Talk about being in many different countries within a three hour walk:)

Certain things I do miss .........

[Courtney]

Rawk on Courtney!! any time! I would also be interested in seeing some pics of Russia... so fascinating that you are there!

and ReneeH -- I will definitely give Alissa a great big squeeze from you! :D

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/hahahahuggy.gif ... hmmm maybe I should be a little calmer when I see her? http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Snicker.gif hehheee!!


Funny you say that, Starfire. I'll be getting a new digital this week. This should be fun....

Courtney

[Birdie]

I live in Northwest Arkansas. It's really pretty, we're in the middle of the Ozark Mountains. Lot's and Lot's of horse riding trails!! One of my very favorite things to do. A very decent Natural Food grocery store just 45minutes away and another so/so one about 20 mins.

The down side is the growth around here. About five years ago it hit and is just now slowing down. Instant riches and no care for the environment. Huge very old trees slaughtered, pushed in piles and burned just to build another condo, apartment, house. We lived 3 miles out in the country up until 2 years ago. Now there's a huge addition right across the road.

No Raw Food Restaurant anywhere close that I've ever heard of. Would love to go to one though!!

[dani_b]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for sharing your stories about where you live. This is a really fun thread to read! I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I was born and grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and I lived in England for three years before moving to Calgary earlier this year. I love it here!

Advantages:
- I'm close to the Rocky Mountains, and I try to get out at least twice a month for a day-long hike or snowshoe - the air in the mountains is incredibly fresh and clean
- the summers are warm and sunny - Calgary is one of the sunniest places in Canada
- during the summer we get AMAZING organic produce from our lovely next door neighbour: British Columbia - I feasted this summer on incredible B.C. peaches, cherries, melons, plums, pears, apples, grapes
- in the winter we get a pretty good selection of imported produce
- the city has incredible recreation trails - it's easy to get out and be active
- the people are much more friendly than in Toronto!

Disadvantages
- none


Okay, growing up in Canada, I must admit that for a long time I hated winter. I hated having to wear 50 layers to go out, and I missed doing lots of outdoor activities. A few years ago, I was going through an intense phase of self-improvement, and one of the things I learned is that I'm not comfortable feeling "hate." I decided to examine the things I hated and see if I could re-work my thinking on those issues. I worked on winter, and in the end changed my view to one of enjoying the nice things about winter, making the best of it, and getting out and staying active no matter what the temperature by walking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Now, I love winter and look forward to a chance to get out my snowshoes.

For me, I don't think where I live plays a huge part in my raw journey. I think the desire and motivation to be raw are there within me, and I will do whatever I can to bring them out wherever I live.

So, greetings from a -20C (-4F) Calgary! (photo taken less than an hour ago!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v510/library_lass/cold.jpg

hey malina, I have been thinking about moving to canada (toronto, actually) so maybe you can answer some questions for me.
how long are each of the seasons where you live? & is it just winter/summer or are there all 4 seasons?
how hot do the summers get?
is it true that there really arent any bugs since its usually pretty cold?

[dani_b]

I live in Pittsburgh, PA. Personally, I find that where I live greatly impacts my mood and habits. I grew up in a suburban area that borders on being rural. I hated it. The only thing to do was go to Walmart. There were no yoga studios or even good gyms, and no health stores either. When I have traveled around this area, I noticed most rural areas seem to be like that. Pittsburgh has really been growing in the past couple years in regards to health related stuff. Most of the yoga studios and health stores are fairly new. I noticed a major difference in how I eat when I live close to places where healthy options are available. I don't drive, so being in the city is crucial to my success with eating healthy. I used to cry when I couldn't get a ride (over an hour) to the co-op for organic food. It is just so important. Now, I live right in the city in a beautiful neighborhood with tree-lined streets and historic homes. It is very noisy though, which is one reason I really like night time because it finally quiets down.

Positives:
We have a the only Whole Foods within over 100 miles in any direction, a new Trader Joes (I don't shop there though), a wonderful co-op with a few decent raw food items, and a new raw foods store! The local Giant Eagle supermarket has a lot of organic produce. Supposedly a raw restaurant is going to be opening soon. I can't wait for that! There are a few small health stores in some of the communities around here. Most of those sell personal care products, teas, and supplements but not many food items. There are a number of great yoga studios that aren't too far. Where I live, I can walk to 3 different ones and 2 more are a close drive. There are sidewalks for walking or biking too. What is funny about all of those places is that they are really clustered together. That's why I moved to this particular community-it's the best place in Pittsburgh for the health conscious. The rest of Pittsburgh isn't like that at all. Also, there is a great raw foods meetup group that holds potlucks every month. It has close to 150 members now! A lot of people even take their kids which is wonderful for them.

Negatives
For me, the major negatives are the weather and the lack of acceptance for natural health care. Naturopathic doctors are not licensed here and it costs a fortune to go to one. There are a lot of medical and nutrition programs in colleges here that are totally unaware of natural health. Since that is what I plan to go to school for, I have to find a way to move in the next few years.
As for the weather, it is waaay to hot for me. Sometimes it seems I am the only person in the world who feels this way, but I loooove winter and intensely hate summer. It totally affects my mood and my health. Ever since global warming, the summers get hotter and longer every year. We don't even have winter any more. It's summer like 9 months out of the year, then fall for a month, then spring. That's how I see it anyway. Seriously, we used to have 4 equal seasons here. There are too many bugs in the summers and I do not like the humidity either. Winter is like heaven to me. The snow is like walking on clouds. There are virtually no bugs when it's cold which is enough reason alone for me to think it's heaven lol. Plus, the Christmas season has such a lovely feeling of peacefulness and togetherness. If any of you have a suggestion on a place for me to move to, I'd like to hear it. So far, I am thinking of Toronto even though I've never been there. I'm looking for cold, dry weather with lots of snow, no bugs, short summers that don't get hot, raw foods stores and restaurants, co-ops, fun yoga studios, and natural health care as well as schools for it.

This was an excellent idea for a thread! I am really enjoying reading about all these different places!

[IamLoved]

Thanks for the pictures Starfire!

I am so jealous I could cry.

It is freezing here today. I would love to live in Hawaii. Is it super expensive? Land and food ect. I'd love to live in an area that is not touristy. Is there any such place there?

[IamLoved]

By the way, I am really glad that everyone is enjoying this thread. I love it too! Thanks to everyone who has responded!!!

[RawHeaven]

Crystal, I lived in Sacto. for a couple of years many moons ago. But I was raised in SF. I lived out in the sunset, walking distance from the beach. I will still go down for a day just to walk barefoot in the ocean. I also lived a block away from the arboretum on 8th avenue!! Talk about being in many different countries within a three hour walk:)

Certain things I do miss .........


GET OUTTA HERE!! I grew up in the outer sunset a few blocks from ocean beach. We probably bumped into each other on those barefoot walks. Wow, it's such small world. :D I graduated from high school many moons ago myself, lol, so maybe we even went to the same school. I'm gonna send you an email.

[Evie]

I currently live in Moriarty, New Mexico. (Pinto Bean Capital of the United States.) We have lived all over the country due to my husband's job. I must admit to not caring for New Mexico at first. It hardly rains and everything is dead and dry. We live the east mountain area so it is not as bad scenic wise as some of NM. Now it has grown on me. I grew up in Mass and Maine. I was use to a whole differant way of life.

Since moving to NM, I have been introduced to Whole Foods, Wild oats, Sunflower Market and Trader Joes. I was use to having a small healthfood store only. There is a local farmers share program to get organic produce locally..I have not had the money to particpate yet. But I am saving my pennies. I have tried to raise my own garden, but my soil is so deficent of nutrients it can not grow. I have tried every method I know to raise a successful garden here. Between the bugs and the dead soil I have lost hope in this area. Moriarty has a lot of beef farmers in the community. It is not easy to go out to eat. I ate at one of the few restaurants in the area with my family last year. I ordered a salad. They only had side salads. I ordered gacamole for the top of my salad. (IT was raw.) The waiteress felt so sorry a person who does not eat meat...she added extra salad and gac. She did not charge extra. I have to drive to Albuequeque about 43 miles one way to work, shop and entertain. A drive I have learned to value as a time to destress and meditate.

[Evie]

I currently live in Moriarty, New Mexico. (Pinto Bean Capital of the United States.) We have lived all over the country due to my husband's job. I must admit to not caring for New Mexico at first. It hardly rains and everything is dead and dry. We live the east mountain area so it is not as bad scenic wise as some of NM. Now it has grown on me. I grew up in Mass and Maine. I was use to a whole differant way of life.

Since moving to NM, I have been introduced to Whole Foods, Wild oats, Sunflower Market and Trader Joes. I was use to having a small healthfood store only. There is a local farmers share program to get organic produce locally..I have not had the money to particpate yet. But I am saving my pennies. I have tried to raise my own garden, but my soil is so deficent of nutrients it can not grow. I have tried every method I know to raise a successful garden here. Between the bugs and the dead soil I have lost hope in this area. Moriarty has a lot of beef farmers in the community. It is not easy to go out to eat. I ate at one of the few restaurants in the area with my family last year. I ordered a salad. They only had side salads. I ordered gacamole for the top of my salad. (IT was raw.) The waiteress felt so sorry a person who does not eat meat...she added extra salad and gac. She did not charge extra. I have to drive to Albuequeque about 43 miles one way to work, shop and entertain. A drive I have learned to value as a time to destress and meditate.

[SharonC]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading about where everyone lives...

I live in Plano Texas, a suburb of Dallas. It is a great place for a garden - we have a very long warm weather growing season and can even grow many cool season plants in the winter. We do have 4 seasons, but spring and fall are too short, and summer lasts too long for me and our Newfoundland dog! But, in the winter, we have many days that are what I call California weather! Have to really keep up with the weather forecast to know what to wear because we can have freezing temperatures for a few days (sometimes even ice and/or snow), and then 70's the very next day. It goes back and forth pretty much all winter from about November to April. We have lots of sunny days year round!

We are so fortunate to have the Dirt Doctor, Howard Garrett who hosts the #1 radio gardening talk show in North Texas (recently expanded to many other states in the US), and I believe can listen to his show from his website - www.dirtdoctor.com He is 100% organic, and has converted so many people and even several corporate headquarters to organics. Mainly because of his talk show, the access to organic gardening products and services is fantastic. We have many garden centers that only sell natural products - no chemicals at all. Even the big Lowes stores have an organic section, and the farm/feed stores sell organic products (the one close to me sells more organic products than chemicals)! It is amazing how much better organic techniques work and is just commonsense knowledge that we have lost over the years since the introduction of those nasty chemicals.

We also have many Whole Food Markets here. There are 2 that are about 15 minutes from me. I would have a hard time not living within at least a few hours of one!

I love the open space and all the conveniences but would really enjoy more natural beauty (mountains, ocean, or even a few hills)! The Carmel, California area seems like one of the most perfect places to live without having to go all the way to Hawaii!!!! We are blessed to be able to at least visit the Carmel area a few times a year, but, the cost of living there compared to here is the exact opposite. I have a nice home that backs an 80acre nature conservancy with a huge totally private yard - plenty of room for a garden and pool but would have to pay a whole lot more to live in a shack there with no yard at all. So, will just have to remain content to live here for now!

[sugarsnap]

Great state of Texas! I just love Texas. Where I live I have access to many great things. The one thing not so hip on....bad hair days due to high humidity:mad:

Other than that......YeHaw :D

[Gwennie]

this is so much fun reading about where everyone is and Starfire we are all jealous I am sure of your beautiful place - laughing like crazy because as you were describing the cockroaches I was eating a date - YUK
I live in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada and currently we have blowing snow and it is cold - but I love our seasons - other than the black flies
we have a cottage 3 hours from here on a small lake outside of Coldwater and that is my favourite place to be. It is so peaceful. I spend my summers lake kayaking and it is like heaven on earth. So much less traffic up there and we hope to someday to live there.
There are a few raw groups around here but it is not very common - and only 1 restaurant that I know of about 1/2 hr away.
Great markets in the summer time but right now the fruits and veggies aren't so great but we have a beautiful province - northern Ontario is gorgeous.
A great day to all of you -Christmas will soon be here - Happy Holidays

[sfdreams]

Small world! I used to live in Indianapolis!! Our RAW potluck group has a monthly potluck at Unity Village!!! In fact, we have one tomorrow (Sat.) at Unity Village on the Plaza. On November 17th we had one at Unity Village in Lee's Summit. Let me know when you're comin back this way!!!;)
Well, I know for sure that I will be back next September (third week, I think) for the next music conference. Hopefully, my aging brain will remember and I can contact you then!!

[Malina]

hey malina, I have been thinking about moving to canada (toronto, actually) so maybe you can answer some questions for me.
how long are each of the seasons where you live? & is it just winter/summer or are there all 4 seasons?
how hot do the summers get?
is it true that there really arent any bugs since its usually pretty cold?

Hi Dani_b,

Sorry for the delay in responding ... I don't have Internet at home so I can only post from work. Canada rocks!! :D

Yes, we get all four seasons. Here in Calgary we get (approx.) 2 months of spring, 2 months of summer, 2 months of autumn, and 6 months of winter. :eek: In Toronto, winter is shorter and the other seasons are a bit longer.

Summers are beautiful here in Calgary. Temperatures rarely go over 30C (86F) and it's nice and dry and sunny. In Toronto, they get more rain and intense humidity and it often goes up to 35 or 40C, and when you add the humidex onto that it's can be darn hot and sticky. It's not that hot all the time, though!

Bugs ... yup, we've got bugs. Plenty, in fact. This year was quite bad here in Alberta and I got eaten alive every time I went out hiking in the mountains. Toronto's not so bad because it's a big huge city, all paved over, and there aren't the same number of places for bugs to breed, but when you get out of the cities, there are bugs. But they're Canadian bugs, so they're nice and friendly and they apologize for biting you. ;)

Hope that answers your questions! :)

[angelulu]

Hi all!
This thread is really informative and entertaining!
I feel like I understand both sides of the spectrum when it comes to living in different places. I am from Kansas and lived there for the majority of my life. There are no raw food restaurants but there is a WF, coops, and some farmers markets though not in the winter. I did not like that you HAD to have a car to get around but I enjoyed being close to my family. It is not close to mountains or ocean, but Kansas is really beautiful in its own way!
About a year and a half ago I moved to Singapore and lived there for a year. (I experienced those crazy 'date roaches' on a daily basis!) This is when I began getting serious about raw foods and coincidentally, it was a difficult place to do this culturally. In singapore you cannot buy a dehydrator anywhere! But, there is tons of fresh, exotic, yummy fruit on every corner and coconuts everywhere. I loved and really miss all of that! The singaporians thought I was super healthy b/c I pretty much lived off of coconuts, papaya, dragonfruit, bananas, and apples (and some occasional sushi)! I loved the super hot humid weather in Singapore but they cranked the air conditioning so high indoors that you needed a coat to go shopping! The people there are not very into nature and hence, there are not many fun outdoor activities available...that was a big con for me.
Recently, as of a couple of months ago, I live in San Francisco. I can walk to Whole Foods and the coop, and public transport is a breeze! Also, there is soooo much support for a raw food diet! I have been to Cafe Gratitude a few times already and just love it ( I met the ownerns on Thanksgiving!). My roomate and I bought an Excalibur and I am finally on track to being all the way raw! It is really beautiful here and though the weather doesn't reach extreme highs and lows, it is just a little bit too cold for my ideal climate. I feel like the people here a kind of rude and I feel like everything is pretty cut throat. Also, soooo EXPENSIVE!! Now that I am back in the states, I miss my family more than ever...they are so close yet still seem so far away! Anyway, I am just getting used to city living in SF I am sure I will stay here for at least a year and then see how I feel after that.
I am so excited to be raw!...finally! :D

[Lucky Lady]

Courtney,
You nailed SC alright, but what are you thinking? It is really cold there. I so understand the drinking, the people are depressed. Good luck on the new book. What is the name of the first book you wrote? It is a small world. How long have you been raw? I can tell you are not in danger of eating meat, but what about something hot to warm up. I am proud of you.
Lucky Lady

[sdnasol]

I am blessed to live in the most beautiful red rock country in the Southwest, Sedona, AZ. Our climate is perfect for me. I need sunshine, and we have that almost 75% of the time. Our winters are mild, we get snow but usually just enough to dust the mountains, with a little left on the ground, but typically that will melt by late morning. The summers are Hot but not like Phoenix, we tend to be 12 degreees cooler. I enjoy all the hiking trails, the New Age community, healing vortexes, local artists and art galleries, but most of all the beauty of the surrounding red rocks. Sedona has the only RAW restaurant and market place in the state of AZ. Cafe Raw Bliss and Chocolates. The chocolates are the most amazing raw food ever. Kelly is the chocolatier who produces on the premises. He will ship anywhere, if you would like more info please let me know. We do have a very nice healthfood market, however it is expensive. An hour 1/2 away we have Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Wild Oats. So when I need a shopping fix, I pack a cooler and make it routine to pick up a few items. If I had to say anything negative about my community I would gripe a little about all the tourists, and the lack of shopping. But other than that. I LOVE my life in Sedona

[Carlsbad]

I live in Austin, Texas, which I adore, although I do miss California (it's out of my price range). Austin has a massive Whole Foods, including a little lunch counter thing that has raw food. They have three raw entrees and then a rotating set of take home things (like raw hummus, raw cheesecake, etc.). My only complaint is that the chef isn't actually raw, so a lot of the flavors are way too strong or spicy for me. They also have an aisle of raw stuff (flax crackers, artisana, etc), which has been my saving grace more than once!

Even aside from Whole Foods, it's a pretty good town for a raw fooder. There's lots of farmer's markets and the grocery stores are good. Austin is fairly hippie-ish (for Texas), so there's plenty of organic stuff around. The one thing I don't like is that you can't get anywhere without driving, but other than that I love the people, the scenery, the activities, and the weather (well, except for August and September) I know there are a few raw food meetups here too, but I haven't gotten into that yet. Maybe when life calms down a bit after the holidays.

Anyway, that's my two cents!

[StarFire]

crystal... you just get used to the roaches... Im so bad - I wont squish them cuz well.. that's just soooo gross... :eek: I mean they're big so the crunch and the squish is really well... gross... SO.... i 'Shoo them -- it makes dh very angry - he'll be screaming 'SMASH IT... SMASH IT!!' and I'll stand there and say..."ewww no.... quick - run ... run like the wind ugly coackroach... run... before dh squishes you!" .... it's an entire comedy routine I go thru with dh... he's so disgusted with me.... but :o sigh.. I just can't do it...

iamloved... Hawaii cost of living (at least here on big island) is about the same as living in California. and in some areas even a little less expensive than Calif. Land can be a bit pricey ... but here on Big Island - bargins can still be found... you jes gotta look!

this is such an interesting thread -- reading about all the different experiences we are having being raw in our home towns, states etc... POST PICS RAWBIES.... lets see some pics!!! Come on Courtney --- I wanna see Russia!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/dagurl.gif

[GoingtoRAW]

I hail from Chicago - born and raised! I love Fall the most and then Spring!!! You can keep summer and winter. I love Fall the most because of the warm/cool breezes, the early nightfall, the turning of the leaves.

I love all of the sights, the stores, the museums, all the different kinds of people and neighborhoods! I love sitting over by the lake. The politics drive me crazy but I could never think of living any place else - even though I have loved a lot of the places I have travelled to.

I love the noise - the fire trucks....OK, OK, I am going to get carried away. You get the point.

:D I LOVE CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!

[IamLoved]

I posted a picture of my front yard this morning on my blog. I still can't get pictures posted on here. It says they are too big and I don't know how to resize them. I need step by step directions to be able to figure it out. I am not totally computer savvy! :)

But if anyone is intersted, check out my blog. We had a storm last night and it is actually quite a pretty picture. Starfire, you will see what you are in for come January. :D

[StarFire]

I posted a picture of my front yard this morning on my blog. I still can't get pictures posted on here. It says they are too big and I don't know how to resize them. I need step by step directions to be able to figure it out. I am not totally computer savvy!

But if anyone is intersted, check out my blog. We had a storm last night and it is actually quite a pretty picture. Starfire, you will see what you are in for come January.


you're kidding me right?? :eek: OMG.... are you kidding me??? http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/faint-1.gif .. you're not kidding.. how does any one live in that kind of weather!! I mean it is very beautiful - on a post card!! oh my gawd.... i'm going to a glacier... http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/backingout.gif .... wow... that is so far from my world it's not even funny... omg.... what on earth am I going to do? I'm going to be a frozen little rawbie... someone please promise to thaw me out so I can at least eat some of Alissa's food!!

oh - and btw - if you up load your photos to photobucket - it gives you the option of resizing your photos once they're saved...

oh my gawd... I'm still in shock... http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/freezinsmile1.gif

[StarFire]

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/thsmiley_jawdrop.gif .... omg.... http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/freezinsmile1.gif .... oMg.... http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/36_1_63.gif OMG....

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/Blonos.gif

[EZ rider]

I posted a picture of my front yard this morningIt looks like Bigfoot ought to be lurking in the trees somewhere.

[StarFire]

It looks like Bigfoot ought to be lurking in the trees somewhere.


NOT FUNNY EZ RIDER :eek: !!!!
BAD ENOUGH I'M GOING TO ANTARCTICA http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/freezinsmile1.gif ... the frozen tundra... NOW I GOTTA WORRY ABOUT BIG FOOT or the ABOMINABLE SNOW MAN???

(makes the sign of the cross) heaven help me!!!

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k172/BrettAndrew/January%202007/DSC01737.jpg ... help... :eek:

[Eva]

Hello all. I can't tell you just how much I have really enjoyed reading about everyone's various loves and hates for where they live! I feel like I just traveled around to some new locales. :)

I live on an island off the coast of Massachusetts (just off of Cape Cod) called Martha's Vineyard. The island is about 10 miles by 20 miles, and there are about 100,000 people here for the summer but only 20,000 or so during the rest of the year. That means a lot of restaurants and stores are only open for part of the year.

I love the seasons here. We get some snow in the winter, but not all the time, the leaves change beautifully, the spring is so fresh and just blooming, and the summer is warm. I love how peaceful it is. People are generally really pleasant but not in a fake, dramatic way. There are no chains like WalMart or McDs or any of that crap.

This place is absolutely beautiful. It really is. There are so many wonderful little niches here and there.

As for being raw here, there is a health food store, which is really nice to have. The prices are actually not so different from other health food stores, in terms of the specialty items. I can get many fruits and veggies organic, and it's not too tough to get a lot of the food, but there are NO bargains.

There are a number of farms that are active during the summer and part of the fall and spring. There are no raw restaurants here, but I can take the ferry ($$ plus 45 minutes each way plus 20 minutes to get to the ferry) and drive about an hour and a half to get to one outside of Boston.

The cons: It's so expensive here. I can't even dream of owning a house for a long time if we stay. It's pretty much $400K to buy a SHACK on a SMALL piece of land (like, um, someone's back yard!!!). If I want to do anything, I have to take the ferry. I frequently won't do something because I would have to get a hotel since the last ferry is at 8:30 (or 9:45 on weekends). I have to buy things like raw nuts off island because they are so expensive here, so I end up running around like a crazy lady when I make it off island.

I guess that's it for now. I could go on and on, but it's bedtime. Can't wait to hear about more places!!!

[IamLoved]

Hey Starfire - I'm sorry my picture sent such shockwaves through you. Yes it is pretty, but it is very cold. Do they even sell sweaters in Hawaii? Your gonna need a few! Hehe. :D Now you can see why I dream of Hawaii! :) I love the snow for Christmas, but after that it can all melt away and I'm ready for spring. I would enjoy the winter more if we did winter stuff like ski, or snowmobile, or something. But with all the children, and so many so young (the youngest is just 3 months) it is not so easy to hit the trails skiing or snowmobiling. Also it is such a pain trying to find everyones hats, scarves, mittens and boots. Invariably someone usually has mismatched mittens on!

I used to love winter when I was younger. But now that I am required to drive in the stuff I"m not so crazy about it anymore! Driving in the snow scares me. It is not me I worry about but the other insane drivers who think that driving 70 in a snowstorm is a good idea! :eek:

[IamLoved]

Ok, Let's see if this works:

Yippee! It worked. I wish it wasn't so small! Well, here is Maine in the winter!

[Nayeli_Raw]

I live in Idaho. I love it for the options to buy local and hate it for the hunters and beef lovers that don't understand and are too closed minded to learn.

[simone_24]

i live in dayton ohio. its a small town, but i will say that there are over a dozen healthfood stores, and plenty of organic fruits and veggies. i will say that you find more health conscience people here but it`s hard to find raw food info or books around.

[klomasius]

I live in Melbourne Australia.

What I love about where I live is all the fresh fruits and veg available. We are so lucky here in Australia to have access to all the varieties of fruit and veg that we do. Here we have at least three different distinct climates so many varieties of fresh produce can be grown here.

We also have quite low levels of pesticide and other chemical usage and residues compared to countries like the US, which means our conventional produce is safer (but obviously not as good/safe as organic, which is thriving here in Aust).

There are heaps of other things I like, including the people, and the weather in the winter, autumn and spring. BUT, I really don't like the heat in the summer, I'm currently sweltering in 30 degrees celsius heat (86 F) and there's much hotter to come.

But it does mean mango, stonefruit, berry season, yay!

Oh yeah, and there's virtually NO raw community here in Melbourne, and no restaurants that serve raw, and only a couple that have even heard of raw. Plus it's hard to get specialty foods like cacao powder (though I've now found a wonderful source locally).

[StarFire]

check it out rawbies!!!

IamLoved ... Maine
Rawmommie ... St. James Missiouri
docsharp ... Bloomington Illinois
greenday ... San Francisco, California
beppa66 ... Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (and hey bep -don't you also have roots in Nebraska too?)
EZ rider ... Pacific Northwest (US)... now ez didn't name a specific city cuz all us rawbies would show up for dinner!!! ;)
solongng00nite ... EAST end of Long Island NEW YORK (not west end, not north end, or south end -- but EAST end!!)
soulstar ... Northern New York and sometimes in Western Massachusetts
Lady Green Jeans ... Inland Empire area of Southen California
rawchicster ... Atlanta Georgia
Radiantly Raw ... northern Florida (another floridian....:D )
Missvanilla ... VENICE ITALY ...WOW!!
hunny99 ... North Georgia Hall County with roots in Richmond VA and Little Rock ARK!!
maui butterfly ... my sister island of MAUI HAWAII ... rawk on!
StarFire (oh hey --- that's me!!) Honokaa - BIG ISLAND HAWAII!! whoot!!
eachpeachpearplum ... Seattle Eastside with roots in Pasadena California and calls England where she lived for many years her true home! Cool!!
Mountaintop ... the Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Area wow.. I feel like I'm reading a louie lamour book!
Lucky Lady ... Central South Carolina
slang001 ... Novato California
blix ... NORFOLK ENGLAND!!
Courtney ... RUSSIA!! WOW!!
Zaphirah ... a small hilltown in WMass!
halikatak ... North Aurora IL
Malina ... Calgary Alberta Canada
SuziS .. Michigan 1 hour north of Detroit
jaydee ... Lees Summit Missouri (a suburb of Kansas city Missouri) with roots in Chicago IL
cakens1 ... Cumming GA ~ just moved from John Creek GA (lots of Georgians here too! rawk on!)
northernstars ... SOLDOTNA ALASKA ... believe it or not - sister state to Hawaii!!
artgirly ... Connecticut!
sfdreams... Bloomington Indiana
lori ann ...Sandusky Ohio which sits on lake erie!
crystalzgoneraw ... Sacramento California with roots in Jersy and San Francisco!
RawSweetie ... western Massachusetts with roots in Cincinnati OH! and moving to Mt Desert Island Maine in the spring - gee why wait for spring.. is it cuz its a FROZEN TUNDRA THERE NOW :eek: ... sorry got carried away there for a moment!!
oceanee ... the edge of the Everglades yet away from the crowded city of Naples in SW Florida with roots in NH!
ReneeH ... the BIG OLE STATE OF TEXAS YA'LLL!!! YEEEHAAAAA!!!
Birdie ... Northwest Arkansas in the middle of the Ozark Mountains!
dani b ... Pittsburg PA!!
Evie ... Moriarty New Mexico... PINTO BEAN CAPITAL OF THE USA!!
SharonC ... Plano Texas a suburb of Dallas
sugarsnap ... ANOTHER TEXAN... Yer takin over the world!!!
Gwennie ... Cambridge Ontario CANADA!
angelulu ... she hails from Kansas, spent time in Singapore, and lived in San Francisco -- got us a globe trotter here!!
Lucky Lady ... blogged but never told us where she lives! ... naughty rawbie!
sdnasol ... the beautiful red rock country in Southwest Sedona Arizona (where my 4th grandson was conceived btw!)
Carlsbad ... Austin Texas ~ with roots in California
GoingtoRaw ... CHICAGO ~ CHICAGO!!!
Eva ... Marthas Vineyard Massachusetts
Peytonamoura ... Idaho! (where my baby son is living right now - okay he's not a baby he's 24!!)
simone 24 ... dayton Ohio!
klomasius ... MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA!! WOW!
lovin life ... Deeeeetroit!!

I'd say we rawbies are takin over the world!!!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_huggrouphuggle.gif

[oceanee]

Starfire -
You rawle !
oceanee

[Lovin Life]

Deeeeeeeetroit :D

[IamLoved]

WOW STARFIRE!!!

What a lot of work. Too cool! uh, er I mean what you did, not, um where I live, oh never mind! :D hehehe

[StarFire]

Deeeeeeeetroit :D

added you to the list lil rawbie!!! :D

[Eva]

Wowee! We really are takin' over the world. Sort of. :D

[archangel95]

I live in Northwest Arkansas. It's really pretty, we're in the middle of the Ozark Mountains. Lot's and Lot's of horse riding trails!! One of my very favorite things to do. A very decent Natural Food grocery store just 45minutes away and another so/so one about 20 mins.

The down side is the growth around here. About five years ago it hit and is just now slowing down. Instant riches and no care for the environment. Huge very old trees slaughtered, pushed in piles and burned just to build another condo, apartment, house. We lived 3 miles out in the country up until 2 years ago. Now there's a huge addition right across the road.

No Raw Food Restaurant anywhere close that I've ever heard of. Would love to go to one though!!

I live in Fort Smith. Which store are you talking about I am new to this and am also searching for good places to buy organic foods.

[1bigfamily]

Great state of Texas! I just love Texas. Where I live I have access to many great things. The one thing not so hip on....bad hair days due to high humidity:mad:

Other than that......YeHaw :D

Unless you live in El Paso and then you just die from dehydration!!

I live in El Paso, TX (just in case my sarcasm didn't work lol). El Paso is nothing like the rest of Texas. It is hot and dry most of the year and then it is cold and windy for the rest. When it snows here they shut the city down. No joke! Last year they even shut down the military base because they thought it was going to snow.....and then it didn't. lol There isn't anything here except Juarez and you can't make me go there right now, everyone is getting executed!!

Despite the large size of El Paso, there is only one VERY tiny health food store here and they have no clue what raw is. I still don't know if the nuts are really raw but I can get raw honey and raw agave nectar there. The produce is priced really well too. Even the organic there is cheaper than the regular produce is at Albertson's. Alot of people on the homeschool groups have been bombarding Whole Foods with requests to start a store here but no promises. They only want to build in areas with high percentages of college educated people and El Paso doesn't have that, at least not yet.

I don't know any other raw foodist in this city. I have met two people who used to be raw but aren't now. I want local raw food friends so we can have rawlucks!! Ah well, it is what it is. Oh, and there definitely isn't a raw restaurant here! lol

I have no desire to stay here for the rest of my life. I want to live somewhere with four seasons and a raw food community. we are leaning towards Oregon. My husband loves the mountains and we like being close to California because there is so much to do there!! lol

Ummmm, did I miss anything?

[Ginger]

Where I live-
Las vegas, Nevada

Likes-
The raw cafes!! Also tons of health stores & natural foods places like WFM, Sunflower Mkt, Trader Joes etc. It is actually very raw friendly, I can even eat all you can eat salad & fruit at the buffets in the casinos.

What living here has caused me to prefer-
I prefer to live in a place that is a bit cooler and wetter and has more green plants & trees, waterfalls, forests, jungles etc

[debilana]

I live in Seattle, which I love- I moved here from Harrisonburg, VA, which is really pretty, but hot and ultra conservative.

pros- Seattle has tons of outdoor activities, trails, bike areas, etc. Lots of health food stores, juice bars, and some raw resources. People are pretty open about anything related to health and healing. It is green and beautiful.
Summers are incredible!

cons- expensive. high property taxes. the mayor is an idiot and gives Dems a bad name with his crazy ideas. We are way behind other cities on a decent mass transit plan.

I am really spoiled food wise here- so many farmers markets!
Here is where I would move if I could afford it- Lopez Island, one of the San Juans , an hr by car plus half hr by ferry from Seattle.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t297/lanarylie/Picture388.jpg

[shortehh]

i live in cedar rapids iowa. i live in an industrial city, so it smells a lot of the time. and i live near the high way so there's a noise whenever i go outside.

but i live near the woods and it helps the air smell semi clean. plus i like the secludedness of where i live. we have a whole foods store so yippee skips.

i would LOVE to move to the pacific northwest in the future!

[freshlight]

wow debilana, what a lovely picture! I live in Germany

[zenmama73]

Hello!

I'm in Northern Colorado.
We have a great farmers market in the summer but nothing in the winter :(

[rawviveyourself]

I'm in Rochester, NY, somewhat begrudgingly.....

I try to stay positive, so I won't go too far into the dislikes, but this area is very cold, and the people aren't far off from that either. I've found one raw person who wasn't very nice, and other than that, I have yet to find anyone who seems to want to know anything about raw. I have to travel to NYC every couple of months to get my fix of a community and network of real, live people, not to mention stock up on supplies. :)

Rochester has some great farmers markets and we have one very small co-op, one mid-sized health food store, and Wegmans, all of which are pretty expensive. Whole Foods would be great here!!

I'm hoping to be the change I wish to see in this area, which is why I am so ultimately thankful for this site!! Such warm and supportive like-minded people here......I'm trying to "grow where I'm planted", but I definitely feel like a fish out of water in this city.

[SimplyRawesome]

I moved to Acworth, Georgia from a 55-acre farm in the rural hills of Tennessee, an hour east of Nashville, and I miss it desperately. I traded peace, tranquility, beauty, kindness and my deer for the absolute complete opposite! All I can say is LOVE makes you do some pretty irrational stuff! :D

I've been here almost 1-1/2 years now and I'm still adjusting. It's just not "home" to me. My farm is home, but I don't forsee going back. My husband said maybe we can move to the Chattanooga area (which is perfectly fine with me) when my step-daughter graduates next year. http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/63.gif I'll just have to keep myself pre-occupied with transitioning back to the raw food lifestyle in the meantime.

BTW, the Hawaii pictures are gorgeous! http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/113.gif Thanks for sharing.

[MelissaO]

What a great thread. I love reading through post and we are such a great melting pot here!

I live in Gilberts IL. That is about 40 miles west of chicago. I love the change of seasons but do not really care all that much for winter....too much over cast and gloom. I would say that Autum is my favorite season.

I have yet to find a good real health food store that is close to me, there is a Wholefoods that is about 45 minutes one way away. I also wish there were more places closer that made raw items.

More things I love:

Down the street from me there are horses, cows, and sheep. Cornfields, soybean, hay etc are also all around me. Deer, gorgeous foxes, adorable racoon, chipmunks, owls and all kinds of wildlife are just outside of my front door.

[raw4u]

Great thread. I'm from Bayfield Colorado just outside of Durango in the Rocky Mountains. I love living in the mountains. All the wildlife, pine trees and when the sun rises and sets in the mountains its just beautiful. I hate that we do not have a better organic store or that we do not have real shopping.

[Veganforlife]

Merry-land..............USA...............MAMA EARTH..............

[Veganforlife]

I live in Germany

LUCKY! I absolutely LOVE Germany. One day I'll get back there. Back to my roots...

[freshlight]

LUCKY! I absolutely LOVE Germany. One day I'll get back there. Back to my roots...

really? where are you from? southern Germany? You are right: Germany has lots of beautiful parts.......come and visit us :) and I'll show you the forest,-you'll love it!

[Veganforlife]

THAT was my favorite part. When three times with my son's German class (school trips). Felt like I was "home"...

Liked Berlin, but it made me sad. Munich too citified for me. Love the quieter towns...

[RawLibrarian]

I live in Washington DC.

What I like--it's a world capital with so much to do and see. There are several really good HFS and farmers markets in the area. There is excellent public transit and lots and lots of bike paths, bike lanes, etc. There are several meet-up raw groups in the area, too.

What I don't like--there are almost no raw restaurants here and in fact, the only raw restaurants that are here are really more like carry-outs. They are great, don't get me wrong, but it would be lovely to have a sit-down "nice" raw restaurant like Grezzo.

[freshlight]

THAT was my favorite part. When three times with my son's German class (school trips). Felt like I was "home"...

Liked Berlin, but it made me sad. Munich too citified for me. Love the quieter towns...

are your parents from here? I know what you mean about Berlin but it has LOTS of green parts too. Well, our place would be just the right thing for you: it is quiet :)

[freshlight]

I
What I don't like--there are almost no raw restaurants here and in fact, the only raw restaurants that are here are really more like carry-outs. They are great, don't get me wrong, but it would be lovely to have a sit-down "nice" raw restaurant like Grezzo.

at least you have some.......there are no raw places here at all

[Veganforlife]

at least you have some.......there are no raw places here at all

Then you should make it happen!

[squawkers7]

Buried in snow at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon

[DawnW]

I live near Charlotte, NC. We moved here from Los Angeles. We have been here 3.5 years and I want to move home so bad that some days it brings me to tears.

Dawn

[LotsaRaw]

Officially reside in NJ (near Princeton) - temporarily in Norfolk, VA (got called up with the Navy Reserve) until July 09. Moved to NJ from Detroit area...was stationed in Norfolk, VA before that...I grew up just north of Sacramento, CA - my family is still out there. Great HFS here in Hampton Roads, VA. Good ones in Jersey - but a bit more pricey. Everything is more expensive in NJ compared to VA, but I LOVE Joisey!! The people are wonderful, lots to do - whatever your "thing" is, you can do it there - or nearby.