What town or city were you "stuck in" before you decided to take a leap of faith and leave?

I grew up in Lima, Ohio. I disliked it so much that I left the moment I could. I’ve never looked back. I would really hate to return to Lima, and now I’m sick of Ohio. If I could I’d leave the country. What I find hilarious is that I’ve since seen Lima named as one of the 50 greatest places in the US to grow up in!

Tyler, TX. Through a huge leap of faith my wife and I just up and moved to Denver, CO. And yes, it was awesome. We had a lot of help from family to make the move.

Boston. Lived for three years. Hated it. Coldest, most unfriendly people ever. The climate was cold, too, but not as bad as the people.

Happiest day in the last 30 years was when I drove away on I-90 West.

Wichita, Kansas. Wanted to get my kids out of that neighborhood, out of that school district. It was tough. I was single, unemployed and owned my own home there. It took a year, but finally got the house sold. Moved to Winfield and rented for 4 years. I have to admit, though, the “apartment” (really the lower floor of a huge, 3 story house) I snagged was a wonderful stroke of luck.

I hated the rain in Eugene growing up, although the summers were great. More than stuck by the weather though I was stuck by people’s perception of me and my perception of myself. I lived in the shadow of my beautiful older sister and didn’t realize until I moved that trying to be like her was a huge disaster. She had beauty and charisma but she had some pretty messed up views of the way life worked. I just assumed she was always right because people always loved her.
I moved to California for the heat. It was great for me. I excelled in business and personally although I suffered some huge personal and emotional blows along the way. My experience in Eugene made me stand out. That city is unique in that they don’t do anything half assed. They have a really high standard of excellence. The quest for excellence served me well in a community where good enough was ok. It was the mediocrity (or worse) that forced me to leave and go back to Oregon. not so far north that I’m wet all the time but I’m back in a place that values culture, excellence, the environment, and the greater good. We will see if I become discontent with this place. I just came here in January and I still spend a lot of time in California on business. I can’t imagine wanting to leave my mountain paradise though. Even with the smoke from the current Forrest fires it’s amazing up here.

Worksop. Lived there until I were 26, then I left. Don’t miss the place, but my dad is still there and I miss him very much.

Weston super Mare in the South West of England. The best thing I ever did was leave!

Never happened to me, but there’s a town near me that I imagine folks can’t wait to leave.
It’s name…Pity Me.

I think the only time I ever felt stuck was when my family moved from Las Vegas (the town I grew up in) to a smallish town in Illinois. I was 16 and about to start my junior year of high school, so I had no choice. I hated it there. I hated the small town and gossipy peers you couldn’t hide from like you could in a larger city. My high school graduation gift from my parents was a one-way ticket back to Las Vegas.

The move didn’t go well. I couldn’t find work and I started hanging out with old druggie childhood friends. The next two years of my life were a mess, but I wouldn’t go back to change a thing. I would not be where I am now if I didn’t make the choices I did.

I’m now back in Illinois in a town that is smaller than the one I hated over 20 years ago, and you couldn’t pay me to move back to Las Vegas. I love where I’m at now.

My big move was moving to Florida after college. College was out of state for me also, but the move to FL was really on my own and during a very difficult time. Being back at home after school, home was in Maryland, I was an emotional wreck being back in the town where my ex lived. So, somehow I mustered the strength to move to FL. I stayes with a friend for a few weeks and a cousin for two months. During that time I got a job and found a roomate to move in with.

I am, once again, stuck in a town. What keeps me here? Job, family, friends, material possessions, all weigh down on me.

The older you get, the more baggage you accumulate, the harder it is to just up and go.

Still here. :()

Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, back when most of the tire manufacturers were located there, and the town always smelled like rotten eggs. Left as soon as I could at age 18, and never looked back.

I grew up in Denver, which I hated, and moved to California as soon as I was able. I chose Santa Barbara, which was and is just like paradise. I was later forced to live in Los Angeles for a few years before getting back to SB, then I moved to the Ocean Beach area of San Diego, also like paradise.

After a few more moves, which included another few years in SB, I have now been stuck in the Sacramento area for a dozen years, and it looks like I will be here at least another dozen or so.

I really miss the ocean, and I visit as often as I can, which is usually two or three times a year.

I grew up in Oakland California. Perfect weather, beautiful view.
I moved to raise my kids in a more safe environment. I have been unhappy with Concord since I moved here 25 years ago.
I will soon be moving to Shingletown. Backwoods Republican Meth Heads and Gun Crazies. I hope to bring a kinder, gentler point of view, and tame a savage people.

Answerbag… I shed a tear for those poor souls who lost in the great format change in 2009. I rejoice that so many of us found Fluther.

@Leanne1986 my hubby’s grandmother is from Weston-Super-Mare. Her sister is still there.

I’m originally from Vancouver, BC. We moved when I was pregnant with our 3rd for a variety of reasons. Principly to get away from his mother (a point that was reinforced this past weekend) and better job prospects. I miss Vancouver but we’ve done so much better economically where we are.

I grew up in L.A. County (various towns) and I couldn’t wait to get out of there. And I chose to go to college in the furthest university way that was still in California (Humboldt State Uni. north of Eureka). Which was like leaving hell and going to heaven. I never went back.

I lived in Portland, Oregon for quite a few years- ‘Paris of the American West’- the best summers but the winters were a drag. I had a lot of fun riding a vintage bike around and wearing buddy holly glasses and dressing up. I am getting older and I was starting to really worry about what I would do if I need medical care. And I really, really, missed Australia, the smell of it. It’s like nothing else and says ‘home’ to me. And the small city Adelaide that I live in. I had to come back.

Like @gondwanalon I too grew up in So. Cal (Orange County). Then it was rural. Strawberry fields and dairy’s. The only freeway was Interstate 5. On PCH as you were going South through Dana Point was a sign which read “Next Services 35 Miles”. A half dozen freeways and 30+ years, I had the opportunity to relocate in way-Northern California. Any further North I’d be in Oregon. Unlike @Judi We actually enjoy the rain. All these Redwoods here kinda like the moisture. Don’t miss So. Cal at all. Don’t regret making the move. @_Whitetigress my advice if you have a destination in mind, even if you have never been there. Take a road trip, explore the area. Then make your mind up, formulate an exit plan and go.

@boffin, I don’t mind rain, just not for 9 months straight like in Eugene. July and August are amazing but 9 months of downpour was very depressing growing up.

Gresham, Oregon, “Armpit of the Columbia River”. Really. Not sure if it’s still there, but when we lived there, it was right across the river, and when the wind blew just right, it smelled way worse than the smelliest armpit.

Runner up: Wilmington, DE and surrounding areas. What a bunch of self focused gossiping idiots. Maybe the whole state.

When I think of smelly I think of Guymon, Oklahoma. That town flat STINKS.

We could probably do an entire Q on smelly cities. Some have been cleaned up a little in the last 20 years. For me, Elizabeth, NJ comes to mind.

Bakersfield has had the worst pollution in the nation. Mid dairy fumes, petrol chemicals, pesticides and all the exhausts from San Francisco and Sacramento through the entire central part of CA and pack it all up at the bottom of the valley and you’ve got one stinky city.

@tranquilsea Wow! Small world. My mum and her side of the family still live there so I still visit often. You couldn’t pay me to live there again though!

@Leanne1986 We visited Weston-Super-Mare in ‘06. The pier was pretty cool. We heard that it burned down. It is a pretty town but I can see why it would be boring to live in.

@Judi You have Bakersfield confused with Oildale…..

@tranquilsea Yes, it burnt down but has since been rebuilt and apparently is even better than the original.

@boffin , I don’t know how long it’s been since you’ve been here but it’s all pretty much the same now. Many expensive houses are being built in the 93308 zip code. :-S