The Idaho Obsession

travel 2 Minutes

For reasons I can’t explain I have lately been obsessed with the idea of moving to Idaho.

Let me explain.

In my life I’ve only ever met two actual Idahoans: the first was an old roomate who was a Deadhead and grew up in a tiny town of about 1000 people south of Boise. The second was an old high school friend of his who came to visit us one day, so she was what you might call imported. Beyond that, my Idaho experience is about what you would expect from an average American in that it’s primarily potato-related.

potato
The article in Boise Weekly indicated there was a New Year’s Eve Potato drop. I am not sure I can handle the carbohydrate-related festivities without gaining another 10 pounds

Somewhere in my head I want to enact my own Lewis and Clark expedition into the great Midwest and head off into the blazing sunset seeking great wide open spaces– so long as they are in close proximity to someplace that makes a decent espresso and has a swim team that is USA Swimming accredited.

Recently I started following Hipmombrarian (go check her out, she’s got some great stuff), who writes from Boise. For some reason, I decided to start doing some research and so far I already have the kid’s schools picked out (Longfellow or Washington ES), their swim team (The Y), and approximately where we want to live (within an easy bike distance of the co-op).

The rational part of my mind has come up with a handy list of reasons why moving to Boise is a horrible idea:

  1. I haaaate cold weather.
  2. I am not exactly outdoorsy, and that seems to be the fluffy center drenched in butter that is Idaho
  3. My kids are already in great schools
  4. Real estate is not as cheap as I was hoping it would be (seriously, it looks like there is some kind of bubble going on)
  5. I work in tech, which is not potato-related
  6. I am about as much of a Midwesterner as George Costanza

The rational part of my mind is convinced there is no arguement, we’re staying put.

The irrational part of my mind wants to head out for the weekend to shop for real estate.

Last year I went through a Belgium phase. This is probably a related phenomenon.

If I was an armchair psychologist I would speculate that I have some unmet needs somewhere.

Probably related to french fries.

 

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Published by Nostrikethat

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11 thoughts on “The Idaho Obsession”

  1. Ha, I got a kick out of this! And I’ve had a similar experience; for a long time, I’ve wanted to go live in Japan for a while, probably by teaching English there for a year or so. But I can’t say why I feel this way either, so I like your unmet needs theory. I DO get jealous of how Japan gets video game releases much sooner than the U.S. does (sometimes years!); perhaps that’s my unmet need? 🙂 Anyway, great post!

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  2. LOL! Actually, Belgium and Idaho share a key core characteristic that helps explain your interest……both are famous for their creativity with potatoes! Suggestion: resolve your wanderlust by indulging in french fries with mayonnaise and a nice beer (preferably Belgian) while perusing ski vacation options in Idaho. Let us know if this helps resolve your dilemmas.

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    1. You had me at “french fries”… I can pass up sweets, but potatoes are my kryptonite. Delicious, delicious kryptonite. Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. What does not being a Midwesterner have to do with Idaho? Or were you getting confused with Ohio or *maybe* Iowa?

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  4. I also dream of being a potato head. Alas, we are not independently wealthy yet (I.e not potato farmers). Let me know how it works out. I may be right behind you. Love your “rational” list.

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  5. “Heck yeah I’d vote for you!” – Napoleon Dynamite
    (Because Iowa and Idaho are the same state in my book.)

    Did you take a virtual trip to Idaho via Zillow and Google Maps / Google Erf?

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    1. Yeah that’s how I picked out homes within the appropriate distance of the best-rated schools and the organic market co-op. I’m not sure how that can co-exist in such a famously conservative state– it’s like militant hippy-ism.

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    1. I haven’t been to any of the ends of Idaho yet! Despite all rational reasons to the contrary it’s on my bucket list.

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