Quote: (11-15-2018 02:33 PM)debeguiled Wrote:
This may be a little too paranoid, but you should also look into allergies and pollen counts and things like that. This never happened when I moved, but when I was traveling I might cruise into a town where something in the air kicked my ass, and suddenly my nose was running and my eyes were itching and life was miserable until I left. It wasn't pollution, it was something else in the air my body wasn't ready for, and it disappeared as soon as I left. One place I actually suddenly had trouble breathing, and was given an asthma inhaler at the hospital, though I had never had asthma, and again, it disappeared when I left.
You may move to a town that grows grass for the rest of the country, only to find out you are allergic to grass pollen, and you will be in trouble. Also in some places, the pollen wears people's immune systems down over the years and they may live there for years and suddenly one day spend the entire spring in misery.
Probably nothing to be done about that second example, but it might be a good idea to know what the pollen is like during different times of the year, and make a visit when it is in its high season.
It would really suck to move to a place and like everything about only to find out you are allergic to it.
Good point, there's a lot of "known unknowns" about places that you won't realize how they affect you until you arrive. I grew up on the east coast of Canada and never had to use moisturizing cream until I moved to Alberta where the air is much drier, especially in the winter if I don't use lip balm my lips will bleed, even my knuckles will crack and bleed.
Another concern is mosquitoes and other pests, a place may look great in photos and videos but if you arrive there and start getting eaten alive by bugs, that can ruin your experience. Wildlife is a huge factor too, I love nature and going for hikes and walks outside but when I moved to Vancouver Island and kept seeing stories on the news about cougars attacking people, I limited my hikes to maintained park trails. Even then I was worried about one of those fuckers pouncing on me from out of nowhere and ripping my face off, I heard that they also hang out in trees and will drop down to attack their prey. I've also seen so many black bears in northern Alberta that I am very paranoid about walking too far in the bush there.