Six Months In Tennessee: My Top Five Things

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So tomorrow the 15th is six months since I left Delaware heading toward Tennessee with two dogs, a cat, and a horse trailer loaded with household crap!!

SO how am I doing so far with this move? (Thanks May As Well Event for making me think of this post on our daily chatfest!) I think I am doing okay. Do I bitch about the weather a lot? But of course. IF I am not bitching I am not breathing (one of my fave sayings!).

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Overall though here are the top five things I love about being in Tennessee:

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1) People are SO DAMN NICE!

Seriously, people say ma’am, and hold doors open for me. Most people will talk your ears off (Yes I am a talker too but there are times when I am not). The other day at our local Kroger, no less than 3 Kroger workers came up because they were worried I had been standing in line too long (as I told Emily I must have resting bitch face all the time because I was fine standing there). One of them even took my groceries from me and scanned them through the self check out counter (I hate those because they always beep or boop at me needing help from a clerk).

In traffic, sure there are general assholes, but most will allow you out in front of them. Which is unheard of in the Northeast (unless said person wants to ram the back of your truck after letting you out in front of them).Image result for after you gif

2) Weather is pretty mild except when it isn’t (jury still out on this but overall yes it’s a win)!

We had 70s the other week. Yes overall it has sucked most days with the 20s and the constant rain, but at least I am not shoveling 2 feet of snow. Or worried about overall ice. Or about the water freezing (Though it has in the buckets once this week but only on top of the bucket). But those days when the sun is out and it is lovely and warm, those days do make up for the wet, cold days. I am hoping more of those nice days pop out this winter. We shall see!

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definately need more sunglasses weather!

3) Prices are generally cheaper down here!

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Gas prices, grocery prices, even home prices. Low, low, low down in TN. No state income tax too (low real estate taxes as well). Only negative is sales tax and it is hefty. But otherwise a lot of things are cheaper down here. I will take it. We lived in DE for 10 years with tax free shopping. It is our time to pay it!

4) Looking out my back window to see the horses in the barn!Related image

It is just so great to be able to check the barn from the house. I can’t see too far back there due to the garage blocking the view but can usually see them if they are standing in the stalls. Also watching them run past my office window or playing (or sleeping) in the field out front. I enjoy seeing them all day long.  And I enjoy my work breaks including walking out to check on the horses. I do wish I was doing more with them but otherwise it is a plus in my book!

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5) Not having close neighbors!

No matter how nice people are here, one thing I hated in the Northeast was having people right up beside you. We have neighbors on both sides of us but both have a lot of acreage so I can only see the lights from their house now that the leaves have fallen. Sure it is isolated but I love it. I know I could call or text those neighbors and they would be there to help out if I needed them. But it is kind of nice to have the privacy. You can walk out in your pj’s to do the barn in the morning (Not that I do that, no, not me HA HA HA). You don’t have to worry about shutting the blinds if you don’t feel like it. Your dogs when they start barking don’t bother anyone (Except me and maybe the Fedex or UPS man or woman).

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No ‘Burbs here! LOL

Sure there is a lot of bang bang shooting (we are in the country in TENNESSEE after all) but otherwise it is pretty quiet. I like being able to hear owls when doing the barn at night (though I could do without the coyotes howling every night sometimes they are VERY close). I like seeing wildlife near my pond.  The raccoons have left my feeders alone lately (probably because they have moved into the upstairs apartment who knows). It is a quiet life but I like it a lot!

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Shudder…..

Anyone else do a move like this from city to country life? So far so good, I haven’t thrown my hands up in the air and run back up to the Northeast so I guess we are staying! 🙂

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Havent done this yet….at least….

 

 

 

 

39 thoughts on “Six Months In Tennessee: My Top Five Things”

    1. I was talking to Emily yesterday about Holly Hill and Texas Rose being on my list so yes your hinting has hit ground. I am planning on sending Remus somewhere after the holidays to get him riding (where hopefully I can go ride him too) since it is never ever going to stop raining!! Can’t wait to see you (and Henry mostly) again:)

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      2. He is NOT as fat. Grass dying up helped. Not sure how adorable we will be. and the only way he is doing BN is you are riding him so there is that!! I have no problem paying the fees 😉 HA

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      6. so don’t canter. it is not like he is going to score anyway. Just get thru dressage so you can jump HA HA HA…he will canter tho and probably buck knowing him. 🙂 HA HA HA you would not know how to go so slow over fences. It would be so fun 😉

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    1. Hopefully down the road you can move to the country a bit. He can come to TN and hunt his heart out. IF he likes fishing come fish in my pond or lake but don’t shoot my deer 🙂 THANKS 🙂 HA HA

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  4. The south is soooo much different- we’ve lived in NC for 10 years and I’m still not used to how nice people are here. In Chicago, making eye contact is a no-go. So is hugging. Both are the norms here. AWKWARD.

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  6. It sounds lovely! My husband and I just moved from a downtown city condo to a house on a little acreage in the woods with a river and just like you say – having neighbors you can’t really see is perfect for us! The only weird thing is how DARK it gets at night!

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  7. We’re the only house on our side of the street for like 1/2 mile on one side and a 1/4 mile on the other LOL (I’m bad at distance tho so I could be wrong haha). I do wish we had more trees for privacy and whatnot, but all of our neighbors are across the street. We’re all by our lonesome and I love it lol. I had a chance to live at a 10 acre place (more back length than all around the house) but the neighbors were still a lovely distance away and not right smack next to you. It doesn’t help that I’m an introvert, and like to be by myself, so more distance from people the happier I am LOL and yeah on my visit to SC, people were SO NICE. It’s not like people are very rude here (except driving OMG) but it was a little weird that people were so so nice there haha. And I’ve discovered I’ve developed RBF because people there kept asking if I was okay hahaha!

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  8. You mean you DON’T MISS traffic on main street? You DON’T MISS students? YOU DON’T MISS UD? I just can’t believe it?! But, but, but… BEST TIME OF THE YEAR IN DE STARTS TOMORROW AFTER 5PM!!!!!! NO STUDENTS!! And soon after that? Free parking on Main Street! But seriously? You don’t miss the traffic? haha!

    How cheap IS your gas? I’m used to PA prices to MD/DE prices are cheap to me… I get the gun shots here and the ability to feed in my pjs and the not seeing my neighbors all that often. Lol.

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    1. DO not miss Newark Main STREET at all. I miss you yes but not that dang traffic. OMG I would not know how to act in that now. Traffic here means more cars on the road, not backups. Everyone that fusses about the traffic here I just laugh at them and say no this is not traffic! 🙂 Gas flucuates between 1.92 and 2.00 right now….I got it for 1.84 the other day I think! Enjoy the Holiday break on Main Street that was my fave time of year when I lived up there. Could actually PARK there 🙂

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      1. OK. I don’t like you anymore. Go away. And take your cheap gas with you. I was thrilled with my $2.15/gallon. (it’s 2.59/gallon in PA…cringe). But your talking criminal prices and I can’t talk to you anymore.

        I think they’re trying to add more pedestrian lights on Main Street to stop the college student darting across the road whenever. Yesterday, on Academy, I saw ANGRY CAR try and take out a jogger because he wanted to turn left from Delaware to Academy and she was jogging across (with a crossing signal) and he was impatient and laid on his horn. I hate this town. That why I don’t live here.

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  9. We can’t wait to get out of the city. I grew up out in the country so this whole being stuck in the city really blows. But real estate in the area we want to be in is expensive so we are stuck for a bit still.

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  12. The weather this year is very atypical. Next winter you’ll love how dry and mild it is. I’d day told you so about moving to SC, but the weather has sucked just as bad here as in TN.

    I recently saw something on FB that said “I’m beginning to realize that owning horses and riding horses are two separate hobbies” HA! So true!! I love having mine at home, but somedays dream of throwing H’Appy into a boarding situation.

    The peace and quiet of farm life are worth it all though

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    1. I feel like all it’s done each year is become progressively rainier. Last year I said it was the rainiest year ever… And then this year came. September in PA/DE we had 4 days without rain. And then November was the rainiest November on record. And now it’s raining all weekend. I am SO SICK OF RAIN! It’s never going to dry out. Ever. At least here. This summer was so rainy we’re probably having record hay prices. The hay was growing, just no one could bale it. Ugh.

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  13. Wow I can’t believe you have already been there 6 months! Doesn’t feel that long! So glad you are enjoying it. I’m jealous you’re in TN, I hear that the Brownland show facility is STUNNING. Maybe you and Remus should switch to h/j 😉 😉

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  15. 6 months! That went fast. I’m happy you’re feeling settled in – and that people are nice. New England is not known for its niceness – I’m the weirdo who talks to people in the grocery line and gets funny looks. I hope I can visit you soon. Missing you!

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    1. you weird? Never 🙂 come on down you would love Memphis….bring the kids…there is a lot of places to take them that dont cost a fortune either! 🙂 I talk to people all the time just here they talk back to me! HA Miss you too!

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  16. It doesn’t seem like it has been six months! Where you live in TN reminds me a lot of Maine, but ya know, there’s no such thing as a mild winter here. It was -4 the other morning and I wanted to cry. Then yesterday morning at the same time was almost 40 already, so the weird weather rings true haha. I don’t know if I could ever live in the suburbs or city. I don’t mind visiting, but give me rural and secluded any day! 🙂

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  17. I got stuck on the no taxes part? What is this nonsense you speak of? I live in CT where we pay tax on everything. I think there’s even a tax on the tax.
    Glad things are mostly working out down there, but I really hope you get back in the saddle regularly soon!

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