The Full Spectrum

One question that Randy and I always find ourselves asking is What's next? For some reason, I feel like we must have some nomadic blood in us, as we have moved more than I care to think about. And after we bought our first house over 2 years ago, I thought we'd settle in and be perfectly happy in our little town of Alton. Lately, all we think about is where we'll go next.

This weekend really opened our eyes to the possibilities, as we saw 2 different ends of the spectrum. On Saturday we went to a pug meetup in Town and Country, Missouri. One word: pricey. Very pricey. The pug meetup was at the American Kennel Club's Museum of the Dog. To get there, we drove down a small road sheltered by mature trees and spotted with a couple of mansions. Not to mention, us passing a $150,000 car going the opposite way. The whole way there I was thinking what do people do to make this much money??? It was definitely beautiful. And no, I wouldn't want to (and couldn't afford to) live in such a high-end area of Missouri, but it made me realize how beautiful Missouri is. It's not at all like Illinois. Missouri is hilly. It has its own sort of "wine country." It has St. Louis. It probably has a better future for me in schools than Illinois does. It also has a few of our friends... some we met at our pug meetup and some that Randy knows from work. So, we tuck all of this information back in our minds and keep it there until we can go do some online hunting for real estate in Missouri.

Sunday comes, and we have the Jerseyville demolition derby. I would have to say that if the AKC Museum of the Dog is on one end of the spectrum, the Jersey county fair would have to be on the opposite end of that spectrum. Jerseyville is a VERY small town with one main drag, where the Walmart is the local hangout. And while the demolition derby tends to bring out a select population... there's no denying that Jerseyville is a hick town. Once upon a time, Randy and I considered moving to the country and having lots of land... and then it makes me think of Jerseyville. Just being there, I'm an outsider. People can pick me out as not being a "native." And sadly (or gladly?) Randy doesn't feel at home there either. I think living in the Chicago area has changed him (perhaps opened his eyes a bit...). And so, a small town like Jerseyville is right out. Not for us.

Here we sit. The discussion continues. What's next? We don't know. But, we'll continue to look. Maybe Missouri? Maybe another city (for some reason, my forever friend may be thinking Davenport for us...). We have time. I'm thinking another 3 years in this little house, and we'll be ready to head on. Where ever that is.