If you could live anywhere you wanted for the next 40 years (the last half [View all]

[Flaxbee]

of your life, for example), where would it be?

Assume you could be self-sufficient - not wealthy, but able to provide for yourself through a small business you own.

You'd take into consideration climate change - including the long term availability of a clean water supply, and the ability to grow much of your food. Look at this site - interesting water projections to 2050: http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/watersustainability/index.asp

Where would you live? City, small town, countryside? Cold climate, warm climate where there's a longer growing season and life is more comfortable? New Mexico? Arkansas? Virginia? Oregon? Would you even live in this country?

Assume your kids, if you have any, are grown and you don't need to worry about access to schools. Actually, assume you don't have any familial issues like aging parents that require your presence. This is your fantasy life.

But, I'm interested in real life suggestions and opinions, too. If I can manage to make my small business actually become profitable, I could be located anywhere. This part of Virginia where I live is supposed to have very good water into 2050, but honestly, it doesn't make my heart sing. It's beautiful, but it doesn't feel like home, even though I've lived here for almost 10 years.

So, there's another issue - is the area where you most want to be practical? Pragmatism over love of place?

I don't include politics in the mix because I've lived in beautiful but very red areas and have managed to find good people. My downfall is I like to be able to visit museums and see world-class art, but I could probably put that aside if I was able to make trips to bigger cities a few times a year to get my art fix. If there was a small museum with Rothkos or Frankenthalers or Rembrandts in the middle of nowhere, I'd be good with that, too.

Where's your dream place?