[SharonA]

Dear DY,
Thank you so much for you rmany helpful posts. Regarding dream places to live, could I ask how you adjusted to any culture shock, moving to North Carolina from Maine? Have you been able to make a few good friends? Have you found it easy to find like-minded horse people, and people to ride with when you want to go trail riding, etc (assuming you trail ride)? I’m considering moving from the metrowest Boston area to the foothills of Virginia or North Carolina, in a few years. I don’t need a huge friend group, but I am getting older so will want some sense of community vs. isolation. Thanks for any insights you might be willing to share!
Happy holidays,

Sharon A

[Displaced_Yankee]

You are so kind! Yes, it was a total culture shock. I had never lived outside of Maine. But I did find it easy to feel at home.

The Triangle area of NC (around Raleigh/Durham) is going through incredible growth so it is actually difficult to find someone from NC originally. Of about 20 clients in a dressage barn, only two were from NC originally. I sort of think because of that, they are so welcoming. They have all been the new neighbor before.

My boyfriend and his family are NC natives. His parents still live within 30 minutes of their childhood home. His parents are definitely “Southern”. But he is not. He is very in tune to changing times and demographics. His Southern parents represent maybe 25% of the people I have met here?

I would trail ride more if I had a trailer of my own, but across all disciplines (I did work in the local tack shop here for a few years) you have enough diversity that you can find like minded people.