Worth it.

     I always get asked if I get depressed, because we live in the middle of a forest, truth is I'm not sure. I have always lived in one of the busiest cities in the California, so I would be lying if I said I didn't notice a difference. I admit that maybe being far away from my family and only seeing them every 2 to 3 weeks is a lot harder than I anticipated, its hard when your accustomed to getting together with the family every weekend. It's even harder when your family is loud and wild which is typical with big latin families. I can truly say we went from one extreme to another. I am pretty sure I have at one point or another been through some sort of depression. I wish we lived in a family compound.... not the cult kind. I could imagine a large piece of land with animals and houses spread out through the land, my parents and each of my siblings in their house and we could have a common room. That would be awesome. That would also be the only way that I wouldn't feel down and out every once in a while. So I guess what I am trying to say is that yes I do get sad to be away from my parents and siblings, but no more than I would any other place. If we had not decided to move out here our children would have not been able to enjoy snow days, a white Christmas, nature and animals in their natural habitat. I like that they walk into any store, bakery or gas station on the mountain and their is bound to be someone they know, a friend, principle or teacher. My kids get to live a different lifestyle than we did as we grew up. I had a good childhood, but it seems like more and more kids are getting less play time after school and more homework. They are growing up so fast and I want them to enjoy their childhood. Summer is just around the corner and swimming, tennis, basketball and all the amenities the club house offers are around the corner and a definite pro is I get a lot of reading done sitting next to the pool. We are far away from big grocery stores and malls, but with that we are also away from all the hustle and bustle of big cities. There's just a sense of tranquility that you cant get in the city. As I put the pros and cons on a balance I honestly have to say that the benefits for us in this point in our lives outweigh the cons. As for my parents and siblings, we could continue taking turns visiting each other and having the best of both worlds. What would you prefer?