Deciding where to live..........

1. Understand what really matters

"Place is as important as having a job that challenges you, but not as important as relationships with family and friends." Richard Florida, professor at George Mason University and author of The Rise of the Creative Class

My personal work can be done from anywhere as long as I have access to high speed internet and a telephone.

2. Leave room for career flexibility

In my field I can pretty much find work anywhere. The problem is the interests in where I decide to locate. Will I have easy access to major cities for entertainment? Will cost of living be affordable? Where are my family and friends?

3. Don't relocate away from a spouse or significant other.

Since I am currently single without prospects this doesn't really matter to me but are there possibilities in any location?

I came across a question in my research, "think of a moment in my childhood that was really nice."

So I thought of a time: Well, sort of it was in my teenage years. It was in a place called Junction where time seemed to stand still. Open country, flowers, friendly people, rivers to swim in, pastures to wonder through for hours. Wildlife. Clear skies.

What you remember as really nice tells you something about where you belong. Whatever you thought of, learn something from this.

Where I belong is in nature. And in quiet. I can see my whole life as the process of coming to grips with the fact that I am not as fast and cool and cutting edge as I wish I were. I do not belong in a city. I belong in a small town at the most but would love to find a place in the country.

It’s scary to want things in life, mainly because we don't always know if we are going to get them, but I guess I need to keep these things in mind while I am trying to decide exactly where it is that I want to live.