Zen, I begin to wonder if we were separated at birth. I spent hte summer before my senior year of high school on a dig in northwestern Pennsylvania, and I still regret not having gone after it as a job. Sure, I'd probably never have gotten a job, but the classes would have made me happy.

Connie, for me it was the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college, at a dig in northwestern Washington State. I loved it, but by summer's end I was sure I didn't want to do it for the rest of my life! I like taking showers every day and sleeping in a bed. I'm soft and spoiled. I'd go on another dig in a heartbeat, though.

Have been contacted by ex husband. It's been 10 years. I think I'm OK.

I like taking showers every day and sleeping in a bed.

Heh, mine was a dig based out of a college, and we were bused back to the dorms every night. Comparatively posh.

Yikes, Laga!

Thanks for the advice, bonny, though it makes me want to cry. I have passed it on to my hippie cleaning lady and my realtor.

Speaking of which, there's an open house scheduled today at 1:30EST, so please send many vibes that someone loves it!

Calm~ma vibes for Laga and Nora with additional sell~ma to Nora.

So, we are seriously considering relocating to South Carolina in the next few years. Are we insane? Big pluses include being near a lot of my family, being able to afford a nice house, and just all around less chaotic than SoCal. Minuses? Well, the biggest is that we would be a gay family living in the conservative South. I'm not sure just how terrible that might be. Buffistas that live in the South, what do you think?

Buffistas that live in the South, what do you think?

I live in NC rather than SC, so my experiences might not be spot on. Anyway, there are liberal pockets in NC, such as large parts of Durham, nearly all of Chapel Hill, and parts of Raleigh, where I think gay families could live with a minimum of hassle. However, there are also large swathes of the state where I would have concerns.

I believe SC is somewhat more conservative than NC.

ETA: All that said, yay possible Glamcookie in the southeast!

I think you should forget the conservative south and come to the liberal south instead!

A gay family would cause few waves in Athens, GA, although I don't know any (I can think of one family we are acquainted with where one of the parents is, I think, transgendered, and no gay couples with children.) Decatur, GA (a suburb of Atlanta) is also a very liberal spot. Aside from those places, I am not sure where in my state I would consider living if I were in your shoes. Probably Savannah; there is a big art student population there and a very artsy vibe. SC? I dunno, man. Maybe Charleston, but it struck me as pretty conservative.

So, we are seriously considering relocating to South Carolina in the next few years. Are we insane?

I vote insane.

When Emmett and I drove through SC to visit amych, it was WAY more religiously conservative than NC. Kind of scarily so. I can't see how that'd work for a gay couple with kid.

Come to Decatur, Ga., the reddest spot in the blue Southeast. Judging by the crowd at things like the Fourth celebration and all the festivals, Decatur may have as many gay couples with children as straight.