Fun Poll! Not Politics or Pandemics!

Let’s imagine that your good friend, Kristina, decided to buy a vacation home. This would be great news for you because not only could you visit Kristina there, if you were super nice, maybe you could also use Kristina’s vacation home with your own family when she’s not using it. Pretty cool, right?

But first you have to answer a short survey. (Yes, there’s always a catch). Here’s the gist of the survey question. Would you use this potential vacation home more often if it were close to you, or if it were in an amazingly great place? 

Your answer is probably some combination of the two. On one extreme, if it were in the Seychelles, you’re not likely going to manage to make it out there very often. On the other hand, if the vacation home was in a run-down, small town less than an hour drive from you, well, that’s not very compelling, is it? You’d find you had better things to do and other places to go! 

This poll is designed to provide insight on the question that has no perfect answer. Close and convenient? Or somewhere worth making the trip?

In case it makes a difference to your answer, and in order to help you imagine this, picture the vacation home as a 3-bedroom, 3-bath house with a private pool in the backyard. With a palm tree. Make sure you see that palm tree waving to you in the gentle breeze. Actually, go ahead and add in as many palm trees as seems reasonable. Just be sure to leave room for a few citrus trees.

I’m including pictures of pools to add inspiration to this post. Although these are pictures from actual houses that have been for sale in these locations, we’re not going to be buying any of these specific houses because things are selling fast and we’re not ready to buy yet. So the pictures are just representative only 🙂

Here are the contenders:

  1. Tucson! Tucson, as you know, is hot in the spring, summer, and fall, and warm in the winter. We like it there because we like to hike in the desert, and we like the many, many miles of paved multi-use trails. We also like the Indigenous and the Hispanic influences in the area, which gives it character (although not as much character as New Mexico, in our opinion).
  1. Almost-San-Diego! Now you’re thinking, what is that? Almost? The problem is, we like San Diego a lot, but the stated goal (3-bed, 3-bath, with pool) is well over our budget in San Diego. Almost-San-Diego would be somewhat inland, north of San Diego between San Diego and LA, such as Escondido or Temecula. Unless one of you wants to go in with us and buy something together, in which case, San Diego, here we come!!
  1. Palm Springs! This is almost like Almost-San-Diego, but further inland and more golf courses. (Almost-Almost-San-Diego?) We like this area’s proximity to Joshua Tree and the Mojave Desert. But we don’t golf. It’s one of those games where the longer you play the worse you’re doing. When I’m playing a game, I like to feel like I’m making progress or building something. (Monopolies! Hotels!) 
  1. Sacramento! Ok, maybe that exclamation point is a bit of a stretch. Sacramento lacks cachet, but it’s closer to my kids than the other options. It’s a practical option; much greener than the desert options and especially nice in the springtime (which is New Mexico’s worst season). Sacramento also has a good bike trail along the river. It’s very close to the mountains, and within driving distance of the ocean. And for many of my blog readers, friends and family in the California Bay Area, this is a “close by” option. Practical, yes, but compelling enough?
  1. Florida! The appeal of southern Florida is the beautiful, shallow, calm water around the Keys and along the southwest coastline. It is amazing. We could boat all day long every day. Kayaking, sailing, fishing; it has it all. And it’s the only truly tropical place in the continental US. It’s also very affordable. But ugh, we’re not into biting insects. Or flooding. Or alligators and crocodiles. (I can’t speak for John on that last point, but I’m absolutely not, nope, never, NOT AT ALL into alligators and crocodiles.) And Florida is really far away (depending on your reference point, of course).
  1. Albuquerque, duh! Last but not least is the answer, “Kristina, I’d rather just come visit you at your modest, comfy, little house in New Mexico and sit and chat on your shady back patio. Albuquerque is really unique and a fun place to visit.” That’s awfully nice of you to say that, but are you sure?

Here’s the survey in condensed form (I could write it all out with repetitive-sounding multiple-choice questions, but I think you’re all spreadsheet people, right? Yes, of course you are.)

HOW OFTEN WOULD YOU MAKE THE TRIP?

If your answer is, “It makes literally no difference to me at all, just pick something, it’s your life after all, and I’ll come when I can wherever you are,” then you can email me about that. But still fill out the chart anyway, it’ll be fun!

And DEFINITELY email me if you’re up for considering going in together on a REAL San Diego vacation home!!! 😉

To send Kristina a comment, email turning51bykristina@gmail.com