I finally decided to retire at 70.

[GregD]

65. I used to live in Marin.

I moved to Siskiyou County in 2005 after living in the San Rafael area for over 30 years. I'm now in Mount Shasta, an hour south of the Oregon border. The community here is a split between lefties and a bunch of brutal hard-right conservatives. Candidly, it's hard to take some of the time.

In the San Rafael area (and certainly in Berkeley) the political mix is so left-aligned, it's hard to recognize what it's like in the rest of the country. In the Bay Area, the Republicans that I knew were moderates, and tended to be very quiet about their political leanings. Up here there is nothing subtle about their hatred for our beliefs. I have to bite my tongue a lot...

As you head for your next destination, be sure that you have carefully surveyed the political environment. Do you have friends there? Is there a community that you can bond with, in order to protect your connection with like-minded folks? Also, look at factors such as entertainment opportunities, or whatever is important to you. (The one restaurant here that had a bar and regularly featured live bands just closed.) I also miss the cultural diversity of the Bay Area. Awfully white up here, and I'm not talking about that snow that fell overnight.

I hope that you have connected with like-minded folks down there, and that you will find "family" in that new community where you will feel like you fit in and are not surrounded by a sea of rednecks.

Speaking of the sea, I miss the ocean air. It's pretty up here in the mountains, but a trip to the Oregon coast recently really resonated with me. Fresh seafood, salty air, moderate climate. It's become baking hot up here during the Summer, much warmer than when we arrived here.

I could go on and on. I miss the Bay Area - just don't miss the cost of housing.