Almost a decade. I go back and forth on how I like it. I should say, I go back and forth on missing what I grew up with. I grew up in Southeast Texas. Flat ground, not much rock, big shallow lakes, rivers, grass growing most of the year. I knew how to fish and hunt back home. Here is very different. We have a 8-16 week drought every summer. The terrain here is beautiful, but produces major challenges to building, fencing, gardening...pretty much anything. Everything you do here requires, at least on our type of steep property, 5-10 times the work and or money to get it done. Most of the land here has become WAY over priced.

There are things I do love here. Fewer people, beautiful views EVERYWHERE. I love it when I do get to deer, elk, turkey, grouse, etc... hunt. Water in the streams and rivers are almost always clear and cold. The people here are as extreme as the terrain and weather. We have rolling prairies and steep valleys and mountains. We have -25 winters and 115 summers. We have extreme anarchist, ready to shoot anybody trespassing to extreme liberals who would rather see you and your child die than you hurt or kill a wolf or bear that is attacking you. Idaho is a land of extremes. If you move here, it can be difficult and take time to be accepted by most. I was eating breakfast with a friend a few weeks ago, and there was a table of older men sitting next to us. We know these men, and they have been mayors, police chiefs, fire chiefs and so on of our little town. They told us that they accepted me and trusted me within a year or so of meeting me. My friend, however, they said it took several years. It just depends on your personality type, where you are coming from, and who you get to know around here to determine if or when you will be accepted by the locals.