[Lucky1]

I understand isolation but not space and privacy. I mean do you want to see someone pulling out of their driveway and asking how Tracy's pneumonia is? Would they ask if there is anything they can cook while you are off in Waltham? Do you want to know others in your neighborhood? I mean I am the type that makes friends with a couple who rent for a week next door to me each year and ask them over for lunch. I like to see others swimming or boating not all that far away but not on top of me. I would not want to be alone on any great amount of space for sure. Now you are a couple, but one of you or the other of you may be off at work in Weirs or the Science Center or Waltham etc. I also personally like to see a few lights in windows and know that there are a few hearty souls that are there in winter when I go up to the simple little home that I love so much.

From what I have seen of you so far Cate, you and Tracy are not isolationists for sure. Well I guess I don't know on Tracy. Heck at one time I think there were at least four threads started by you on the board. Maybe more. I think of you as liking to interact with others. I mean you have all but become the topic of the day here. After you seemed to disappear after your visit last weekend, I was wondering if any other Forum members were missing your posts and hearing what you were up to and what questions you had now etc.

Here's the thing. Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. Do you participate in neighborhood activities? Do you go to area fairs etc. I would think that you would be a joiner. So you are not going to be isolated in your work hours or volunteer hours. It is in your home that you may be way off from others? In New Hampshire? In the winter? Are you sure? No smoke coming out of the chimney up the hill? No one to ask about the trailor. For someone considering not being at all near to people, look at all the people you ask for opinions? Does this change when you are settled? I guess you can just continue to come here for any questions. The Forum is a great source of information. It is not quite the same as talking to a real person in real life that you just passed while walking with the dogs? That is more like, You say, "Did you hear that loud noise last night?" Then the other person says, "Yes I did! What do you think it was?" See what I mean?

I want to be able to know that there are others at the lake making the daily journey with me and mine. I do not know how you feel. How many acres do you need? I mean the more acres you get the farther away from others you are. So you have to only decide what is privacy and what is isolation I guess. Mileage is not going to change. Is driving down a long road away from other people and other things what you want? You might get used to it. But it is not going to become shorter mileage.

So Saturday you get up and you want to make the Post Office before noon and you get back home again ready for more of the day. Whoops a friend calls and you ask them over for dinner with you and Tracy. You thought you had what you needed but you remember that this friend is a vegetarian and has also has food allergies. So no problem. Off you go back to town to get what you need. When you return one of the dogs is out of pills. How did that happen? You thought Tracy got them yesterday. Tracy goes off to get them. This can go on and on a bit in life. What about long distances to things that you rely on is going to get shorter? You may be super organized. Looking at how you plan for a move, I would bet that you are. However in life, things change. You are at an age where the world is at the tip of your fingers. The thing is that as you age, sometimes your fingers get a bit gnarled. And then the road seems a lot longer and a lot harder. There is something to be said for being able to get what you need, especially when you get older and maybe your eyes see less well etc. I know you are still young. But planning ahead in a house purchase where there can be difficult winters and one of you alone at times, will bring dividends in ten or twenty years.