My wife just told me
about an in incredible job opportunity she has in Sioux Falls, SD. She may as
well have said it was somewhere in the Himalayas. Seriously, what’s the
difference? I just looked at a map to see where South Dakota is located because, although i'm somewhat embarrassed to admit it, my knowledge of domestic geography is akin to that of a
child’s proficiency with jigsaw puzzles. I’m pretty good with the corners and
edges but a bit dodgy on the middle.
Living in a big
coastal city with a baby, where cultural arts abound, is a lot like having a
pool. It’s nice to look at… and if you didn’t have it, you’d wish you did but
at the end of the day, you’re basically paying a premium for an amenity that's really
appreciated more by your friends and family than you.
Don’t get me wrong. I
recognize the inherent value of a big city with access to amenities like superior health care and education, the arts / museums and concept dining…even if you don’t regularly take advantage of them. Chances are, those amenities
have drawn others to the area that may not take advantage of them either. So at
the very least, you’re left with having like-minded neighbors with similar
interests.
We moved to the
suburbs of Philadelphia (back to my roots) just before Catherine was born. We
thought that growing up with trees and a yard was preferable to vents in the
street spewing out the smells of the subway and buses heaving clouds of heavy dark
smoke on top of strollers on the sidewalk. Moving back to the suburbs not
only offered our daughter the same kind of childhood my wife and I enjoyed,
but also brought us closer to my family who made it downtown about as often as a
herd of deer.
So, moving to the middle of the country doesn’t really seem feasible… but we’re considering it.
