The MM Network

[ScottyB]

Property is on miles of dirt roads and our driveway is an old, gutted out wagon road.  It pretty much would crush the hopes of ever having a fun car again

i....disagree.

I think raising children where your family is a hugely critical piece that is very helpful.  Not only to you but your child.

very much this. we've been dealing with the huge disadvantages of being 7 hours away from my parents and inlaws for the last 4 years with a young child (keep in mind i like my parents/inlaws and so does my son). it really, really sucks. if the opportunity arises we'd make a move to get closer without a second thought.

i was really close with my grandparents growing up because they were relatively close to us geographically and it had a big impact on me that i've always been grateful for.

I lived in a neighborhood growing up where I had to be driven anywhere to be around kids my age.  That SUCKED and was really hard in elementary school/middle/high school

also exactly this. i grew up in a "neighborhood" with 10 houses, surrounded at the time by farms and woods. the only other few kids were 6 years younger than me. when i moved to a subdivision in middle school i couldn't believe kids my age were just walking around gathering up neighbors to play. coolest thing ever to me and it drastically changed my social skills for the better.

i'm sure my parents loved living on a private drive with less than a dozen houses but to me it felt like i was stuck on an island sometimes.

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Sorry for bragging. I'm really proud of myself.

you should be, and you have a lot to look forward to. you put in a lot of hard work and its paid off. even more importantly, you remember where you came from and what others did to get you where you are. not everyone who succeeds like you have is able to keep the right perspective. good man.