Why would anyone move to South Dakota?

This has got to be the #1 question I get when we tell people we are moving to South Dakota this summer.  SO this post is dedicated to all of the haters curious folks out there...here are the top 5 reasons we decided to move to South Dakota!  

note:  blogger is being a pain in rear for me today and I'm on day 2 of a horrible sickness (i.e. low on patience) so there aren't a whole lot of pictures in this post.

#1- Family-  We are so lucky to be surrounded by D's family and one of my sisters here in Colorado and it is awesome. However, ever since I got pregnant with Duke, I have felt a pull to be closer to my parents and the small town I grew up in.  My oldest sister as well as many of my cousins on my dad's side have moved back and are raising their families in Vermillion as well, and I cannot wait for Duke to grow up in a small community surrounded by family.

#2- Opportunity- Growing up in SD, I had the opportunity to be in just about any activity I could imagine.  I was a cheerleader, played basketball/volleyball/softball, danced on the Dance Team, played in the band, was president of the student council, etc.  Small towns really can mean BIG opportunity if you take advantage of what's out there.  We will have the opportunity to let Duke try out a bunch of different activities and participate in just about anything he can think of without having to take out a second and third mortgage on our future home. Yes, it will still cost money, but not nearly as much as it would here in Colorado, PLUS, it's not as insanely competitive.

 

#3- Small Town Livin-  Think no traffic, 5 minute commutes, and really friendly people who wave at you whether they know you or not.  I love the familiarity of my hometown and how comfortable I feel there. Dennis and I have talked a lot about wanting to travel more around the U.S. {and beyond} and we both agree that while we can't wait to get out and experience awesome cities across the country, we don't want to raise our kids in one right now.

#4- Dirt- As in, a place to plant some roots, a place to build/buy a home.  Sure there's dirt in CO, but it's really, really expensive dirt.  We cannot wait to have the opportunity to buy our own home to raise our family in. And until that happens, we can rent a house with a yard from a super awesome landlord {aka my dad} paying 1/2 of what we do in CO for an apartment.

#5- Affordability-  We aren't pulling in 6 figures, but we make a good living {at least we did when I was working} and it seems like we can never get ahead here.  It's incredibly frustrating and we can't help but feel defeated.  Yes, cost of living is lower so wages are typically lower, but we both agree we will be able to afford life in SD instead of just affording bills here in the mountain state.

The closer we get to our big move, the more excited D and I get.  And after saying goodbye to our visitors last weekend, this move cannot come soon enough.  We will miss so many people here but will always be back to visit.  Dennis' parents living here means guaranteed visits back on a regular basis.  If all else fails and SD isn't the place for us, I'd love to test out life in the south. ;)

Until next time...

-T-