10/26/21

I woke up this morning eager to get out of Vermont for many reasons, but mainly because I was so looking forward to getting to New Hampshire. Why was I looking forward to getting to New Hampshire? Because I am considering moving here! But why New Hampshire? Because in so many ways this State is an absolute dream compared to the California system. It is probably closer than any other State to practicing the individual liberty and representative government ideals that the Founders envisioned for America. Just look at the following tidbits about the State and how it’s run:

* New Hampshire has no state income tax.

* New Hampshire has no state sales tax.

* Though limiting its revenue source to property taxes alone, New Hampshire still boasts some of the best K-12 schools in the country and has efficient, well-run government agencies. There are plenty of smarties living here, and the State is the home of Dartmouth.

* New Hampshire’s population believes greatly in protecting individual liberty above all else, and the population regularly elects politicians who embrace that ideal. The State’s motto is “live free or die,” which is about as metal as a State motto can get when you think about it.

* While the rest of the nation appears to be polarizing, New Hampshire’s politics are shockingly balanced. This is likely due to how its government is set up. New Hampshire has by far the most representative government of any State in the country. Its House of Representatives consists of 400 members, with each legislator representing only about 3,300 people. This leads to way better representation and truly ensures that constituents’ voices are heard. It is exactly what the Founders of this nation intended in setting up representative government. Compare that with California, whose State Assembly consists of only 80 members representing a population of approximately 40,000,000 people. In my opinion, having so few persons govern so many is not representative! It is dictatorial (especially when one party maintains a near stranglehold on the government there). It is one of the reasons I ended up leaving the State.

* New Hampshire boasts mountains, coastlines, huge lakes, natural beauty, and outdoor activities galore. It has four definite seasons, plentiful water, and clean air. In general, its men are outdoorsy and they love to hunt and shoot their guns. Its women…are also outdoorsy and love to hunt and shoot their guns. They make fun of people from other East Coast states as being “flatlanders,” people unable to keep up with the State’s rural, mountainous lifestyle.

* For Catholics like myself, New Hampshire consists of only one Diocese: the Diocese of Manchester. From what I have been told, its Bishop, understanding of the modern world, believes strongly in providing local control to New Hampshire’s catholic schools. As a result, many schools are not run by the Diocese but are run ‘independently’ by that school’s local laity, and there is a push to eventually make all of the schools in the State independent. This is almost the polar opposite of what I experienced in the Diocese of Sacramento, and to me is a breath of reason and fresh air.

With so much going for it, I was ready a few months ago to just sign the dotted line and move out here, sight unseen. But, it’s important to first go to a place and get an actual feel for the area before committing to a move. Things may be good on paper, but could be something else entirely in person. Hence, the reason for this trip: to explore New Hampshire!

Unfortunately, my luck and timing could not be worse. While I did my best to schedule my trip in a way that avoided storm fronts moving across the continent, I forgot to check what was going on in the Atlantic Ocean before coming out here. As a result, I am sadly trapped in a Nor’easter. There is nothing but fog and rain here until Thursday. The likely jaw-dropping hikes that I planned today in the White Mountains had to be cancelled. There’s not much to do in North Conway (where I’m spending the afternoon/evening) either because (1) the town is set up for outdoor, mountain living, not rainy days, and (2) unbeknownst to me, most of the town’s restaurants and bars are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (keep that in mind if you are planning a trip here). So…I’m stuck inside with nowhere to go and little to do but stare at a whole bunch of rain. Things are pretty boring.

In spite of the fact, I still did my best to take some pictures of the place. The town and landscape is rural, full of mountains, and in peak autumn mode. It looks like this (unfortunately the mountains are hard to see because of the fog):

And this:

And this:

And this:

Hopefully the worst of this storm passes through tonight and I can actually get out and enjoy (maybe even be able to see) the area a bit better tomorrow. If the weather remains bad through Thursday, I may extend my time up here in New Hampshire a bit longer just so I can actually have some time to explore and enjoy the area before leaving. After all, that was the whole point of this trip… We will see though. Until then, it’s a boring, lonely time for me this evening. Thanks for reading the ol’ blog!

Cheers,

Rob