So Kristy at Master Your Card commented on my business post about my bed and desk being really close together. Truth is, I couldn’t put them any further away unless I’d be working on my porch. Girl plus dog in 220 square feet is not much, but in Bar Harbor, this is what affordable looks like.

It is reasons like this tiny apartment that I sometimes ask myself why I live here.

Let’s face it, Maine has some not so good points:

Maine also has some things going for it:

I put out the question to my Facebook page “Why I choose to live in Maine” and got some pretty good debate going.

Jennifer and Tom debated the economics of it:

I took a 40 percent paycut when I moved here, doing essentially the same job, only to discover that most everything costs 40 percent more. (Tom)

I think it’s all a matter of perspective; when my parents moved here 10 years ago, my dad actually gained a pay raise in moving from NM to ME (he’s in education) and living expenses are similar. (Jennifer)

As a newspaper reporter, it didn’t take long to realize that there’s not much (any) opportunity here for “kids” just out of high school or college looking for work, especially in a state where the minimum wage is, last time I checked, $7.25 an hour. That’s $300 a week, before taxes. Who can live on that ? (Tom)

I think if we could get our, er…leaders to be a bit more business (and tax!) friendly, we could see some real growth and prevention of the, what was it deemed? The “Maine Drain” or something like that. That is most assuredly a problem-I’ll give you that. (Jennifer)

In the end, both agreed that making a life in this state involved some comprimises and financial hardships that were well worth it in the end.

Justin, however, summed up the general sentiments with his comment: We live in Maine because it’s where everyone else goes on vacation, and we get to live here all the time 😉

At the Inn, multiple tourists have told me how lucky I am to live here. I smile but don’t tell them about working two jobs to afford it. Because really, it comes down to more then just straight economics.

So why do I live in Maine? I guess in a photo, this is why:
Sadie sticks her ears up to get what she wants, but negates kissing up to me by sticking her tongue out.
This is at beach five minutes from my house. And this is my dog being silly. And this was an afternoon that didn’t cost me any money. I am hard pressed to put a value on any of that but it certainly makes trying to make a life here a lot easier.
What about you, despite that not-so-great points about where you live, what makes you stay?

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