BettinBilly |
07-11-2014 10:03 AM |
Curtis:
I traveled extensively for my career in the last 30 years or so. I have spent very long stretches of time in most metropolitan areas, including Baltimore and DFW. In fact, I spent over a month straight in DFW, without going home, about five years ago. I liked it very much. On the plus side, I found the people to be friendly and courteous. I remember golfing and needing to call the hotel to get a shuttle back. One of the guys that I was paired up with in the foursome (a total stranger) absolutely insisted he give me a ride back to the hotel. When I tried to give him a few bucks for gas he was visibly insulted. My friend from Texas said you don't insult a Texan by offering money in exchange for hospitality. Lesson learned. The airport is huge but easy to get around. You can fly just about anywhere from DFW as it's an American Airlines HUB.
On the minus side there is heavy traffic over large expanses of land, the landscape is flat as a pancake for the most part. There are not a lot of beaches or bodies of water. It's not Baltimore. You are not a seaside city. You are on the Texas plains. You are going from a Northeastern climate to a Southwestern. There are ferocious Thunderstorms and some Tornadoes, but every area has their share of weather issues. You won't have to worry about Hurricanes coming up the East Coast an longer. Like any large city, you have very beautiful and very safe areas and there are marginal areas where you should not be doing something stupid to get yourself into trouble.
Any area you move to will become home with the proper attitude and outlook. I don't remember the exact Fable, but there is one about a man coming up to a new city. He asks the gatekeeper, "How are the people in this city? My old city had nothing but traitors, beggars, liars and cheats." The Gatekeeper responds, "Move on, stranger, for you you will find but the same here."
A few days later another stranger comes to the same city gate. He asks the Gatekeeper, "How are the people in this city? My old city had compassionate, helpful and friendly people." The Gatekeeper responds, "Welcome here, Stranger, you will find exactly those kind of people here as well."
Obviously the moral is you get what you are looking for and it's based on your paradigm of how you are going to perceive the new city.
I spent a week one time under the dome at a trade show across from the DFW Airport at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. Wow. That's an experience. Basically, a small town built under an air conditioned dome. It's 74 degrees and never rains. They sure do build em "BIG" in Texas!
If I had a choice between DFW and Baltimore, I'd probably move to Texas. If I had relatives there like you do and was retired (I assume you are), it would be a "No-Brainer". No matter the age, Curtis, you are on the journey of adventure we call Life. This is just another phase. Enjoy it!
-Billy
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