We’re gearing up to move across the country to Las Vegas. The closer we get to leaving, the more frustrated we get with our life here in the Boston area. It’s very easy to forget all the great things we’ll be leaving behind. I think it’s important that I take some time and remind myself of the things I love about New England.
9. White Christmas
While not exclusive to New England, a white Christmas is one of the most magical experiences. If you read my other post about snow in Las Vegas, you’ll see that it rarely snows. The likelihood of a white Christmas in Vegas is slim.
I remember one of my favorite Christmases 2 years ago. There was no snow on the ground and the temperature hovered around 40 degrees (which is warm for late December). After Matt and I woke up and exchanged presents, a snow shower began gently dropping white flakes of happiness from the sky.
It continued to snow lightly during the drive over to our parents’ houses and most of that day. It was warm enough that it never accumulated, so the roads never became hazardous.
It was right out of a movie, so perfect. Even though I said we hate the winter, I will definitely miss moments like this when we move.
8. The Lovely Fall Foliage
When you think of New England, one of the first things that comes to mind is the orange, yellow and red leaves of autumn. The fall is the best season to visit the area and is definitely one of the things I love about New England.
I’m going to miss views like this:
7. Medicine, Doctors and Healthcare
This one makes us really nervous about leaving.
If you check out this list by U.S. News, you’ll see that the top 3 hospitals in all categories are dominated by New York and Massachusetts. If you check the children’s hospital rankings, Boston snags most of the #1 spots.
The Northeast has some of the best hospitals in the world! If anything serious were to happen to us, we’d know we’re in good hands, not so in Las Vegas. We’re nervous about the quality of healthcare in LV.
6. Amazing Higher Education Institutions
This goes along with #7, if you have great schools, you’ll have great professionals. New England is home to 4 of the top 10 rated universities. The Northeast is home to 7 of the top 10.
You do not have to venture far to receive some of the best education the U.S. has to offer.
I, myself, only possess a bachelor’s degree and have often thought about going back for my master’s. I will most likely wait as the education system in Las Vegas is rated as one of the poorest.
5. “Typical” New England Towns
I will miss driving through and exploring all the quaint, New England villages found throughout all 6 states.
These towns usually contain a small town center with an old church and steeple, a general store, a town hall and little else. The houses are dotted throughout the town with large, tree-covered yards. You’d swear you stepped into the 1700’s.
4. The History
The New England area was one of the first settled areas in the United States. So much has happened here and there are so many interesting things to learn about and tour.
The Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock, the Salem Witch Trials, the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, the American Revolution, King Philip’s War, the Industrial Revolution and so much more.
Many of America’s greatest heroes and influential people came from the area – John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, Susan B. Anthony, Emily Dickinson, Henry David Thoreau and many more.
It’s an area full of culture and heritage.
3. Proximity to Geographical Features
There is almost every geographical feature you could think of in New England and all within a few hours drive. We have mountains, beaches, forests, swamps, lakes, the ocean, wetlands, farms, orchards, plains, hills, rivers and caves. I think the only thing we’re missing is the desert and volcanoes.
2. Boston and Providence
I’ll miss these guys the most. I have a lot of great memories here, including how I met Matt.
These two cities are full of young, vibrant people which encourage a lot of interesting small shops and businesses to open to cater to them. You will find lots of art galleries, coffee shops, parks, bakeries, pubs, theater performances, greenspace and more in these cities. There’s always something going on or a great new restaurant to check out.
1. Our Families and Friends
And taking the number one spot on my “Things I Love about New England” list is of course our families and friends.
Being so close to them makes it easy to keep in touch. I will miss them the most, but, in a way, being across the country will force us to put in more effort to keep in contact. It’s easy to be lazy when you live so close to the people you love; “Oh, I’ll see them tomorrow,” you say.
When we’re in Vegas, we’ll need to try a lot harder to keep up on their lives.
Have you been to New England? What did you love about it?
Photos courtesy of users angelocesare, kimberlykv and redjar on Flickr.
Raffi says
I have been living in Las Vegas for less than a year and absolutely hate it. Hate everything about it and am considering moving to Boston. This particular page has me convinced that it would be a good move.