Thanks for making me think about this Dana... <BR>I live on the Space Coast of Florida and I can remember moving here from Wyoming and thinking how dead and brown Wyoming was and how lush and green and tropical Florida is! I have to remind myself of that every so often! <BR> <BR>Things I take for granted: <BR>--shuttle launches (can't even remember the last time I even looked out the window to see one) <BR>--wildlife preserves <BR>--beaches (maybe because I've seen much prettier beaches in other parts of the world) <BR>--sunshine (I gripe constantly during the summer even though I'm a sun worshipper - sometimes it just gets too darn hot!) <BR>--I'm sure I'm leaving TONS of stuff out...but that's the point, isn't it?

I live in london and to be honest I probably take all of it for granted and just complain about the bad things (of which thre are plenty). <BR> <BR>I only really realise just how brilliant it actually is occasionally when I manage to see it through an outsiders eyes. THen I do realise that it really is the best place in the world to live (and possibly to visit).

Hi There; <BR> <BR>I live in Halifax, NS which is a very popular tourist destination on the East Coast of Canada. Cruise ships come filled with Americans who come here to see our beautiul province for the scenery and the very friendly Martimers. <BR> <BR>I guess I take for granted the scenery, I have lived here all my life and have yet to see the Cabot Trail and the Cape Breton Highlands. I have never been whale watching, nor have I been to the the Martime Museum of the Atlantic which houses a perminant Titanic display. <BR> <BR>However, I do not take for granted the friendly people who live here and that is probably what we are best known for.

Hi, I live in Kapuskasing, a small town way up in northern Ontario Canada. What I take for granted: not having to lock my house doors EVER, not locking car doors, that I can take a walk any time day or night and feel safe, my children can come and go and I don't have to worry, knowing all my neighbours, doing the groceries and catching up on all the news of the people I love, I don't take for granted all the nice people and knowing that wherever my children are in town someone is looking out for them. Life is beautiful...I am fortunate to travel and do all the city stuff when in the city, in fact our city friends have less of a social life than we do! but it sure gets cold in the winter...Louise

I live in NC, and I almost, but not quite, take for granted the forested hills and camellias all winter. A visitor from Calif. couldn't get over all the green. A visitor from Vermont couldn't get over seeing roses in late November. Maybe that isn't exactly a tourist attraction, but it's certainly why a lot of people move here.

I'd been to Hunstville, AL (Space Museum and all) and you can have it. I've been to the Air & Space Museum and there is NOTHING like it.

i live in ireland, in the countryside, it is so peaceful and the scenery is out of this world, but mountains,valleys ,rivers,old castles,monistries,beaches,small villeges, small roads, no shops etc,everything you would want but when i go on holiday i try and find the biggest city. people always tell me how lucky i am to live in such a beautiful and peaceful place but all i can think of is what a pain in the ass it is that you have to drive everywhere!

My whole life has been spent here in San Clemente, California. I sometimes lose sight of the fact that we have perfect weather year round. I wake up to an incredible view of the blue pacific, palm trees and Catalina Island. Our small hamlet has friendly citizens, fresh seafood, and since we're half-way between L.A. and San Diego we are far enough away from the rat race, and close enough to city life. I'm always dreaming about traveling to exotic spots... thanks for the reality check.

I live in the Chicago area and agree with the great food choices. However, I think that Lake Michigan with all its beauty in the different seasons is what makes our city so special.Chicago was fortunate that its early developers kept the lakefront open with parks,swimming beaches,boat moorings and the fabulous area around Soldiers Field known as the"Museum Campus"(Shedd Aquarium,Field Museum and the Adler Planatarium).Flying into O"Hare and seeing the tall buildings against the lake is truly breathtaking.We are very blessed in Chicago!!!!!!!

I live in Sevilla,Spain,Europe <BR>The whole town is history pure and one can take weeks to discover it all...providing one has the time. <BR>Except for July, August and September the climate is very nice (warm).If anyone travels to the south of Spain,specially Andalucia , do not miss out on the 3 mayor places :Sevilla,Cordoba and Granada. <BR>700 hundred years of ocupation by the "moros",northern africans left their marks in beautifull buildings and gardens. <BR>Get on your bike and swim across!!

I take for granted that I live less that 4 minutes from my office. It would be difficult to adjust to a longer commute, as I am so spoiled now. I am so fortunate that I don't have to sacrifice beauty for convenience, as I live in an older, tree- lined neighborhood near the center of town.

I live in North Dakota, and what I take for granted up here is the fact that I can leave my doors unlocked at night. We can leave our cars running in the winter, (a nesessity up here, mind you) and not have to worry about them. <BR>It is different when we travel. last summer, my fiance and I stayed at a timeshare in a very populated state. We forgot to lock our car door the first night, (hey, I'll admit, we're rookies) And it was broken into. We lost two cheap cameras, and my fiance's watch. Thank goodness nothing else of value was left in there!!

Living, in Florida, I take for granted our warm winters, but reading these posts makes me realize there is no one perfect place. We have great beaches, but I never seem to take the time to visit them. We have great seafood, and our hosing costs are very low, compared to the other areas. However, we have lots of crime, so I envy the poster from N. Dakota. I keep my doors locked 24/7. We have virtually no mass transit in my area, very few museums, and few high paying jobs.

I also live in North Dakota. Yes, the winters can be brutal, but the thing I may take forgranted is how incredible the summers are. Warm (rarely hot), sunny, green -- and the most golf courses per capita in the country. <BR> <BR>With the wide open spaces and dust in the air, the sunsets are as spectular as anywhere. I love a week's vacation in February -- to someplace warm -- but the sun going down on the Gulf of Mexico is nothing like a summer night here. <BR>

Hi, I'm from Mobile. Lived here 10 years and have never been to see the battleship (Steven Segal filmed a movie on it) or the Bellingrath Gardens. I take for granted the Southern hospitality and the the lazy afternoons sipping iced tea on my grandmother's porch watching the sun set on the bay. We are also close to Dauphin Island and I can't tell you the last time I was down there windsurfing. I will miss Fairhope - just a drive across the bay to shop at Christmas, and Point Clear where the best entertainment can be found on a Sunday afternoon with a live band outside in the summers - Jimmy Buffet style. I am CA bound and am looking forward to the consistent nice beautiful weather.....very close to San Clemente I might add. However, I will miss Mobile and the occasional reminder of what it means to "sweat" in the humidity here. I will miss the old antebellum homes with hardwood floors and 12ft ceilings with the grandeur staircases;the beautiful oak tree lined streets, and a warm smile from a neighbor;The huge backyard full of friends w/ a good slab of ribs to BBQ. I am living in shock at the real estate in CA in comparison to here, but realize it's just the way it is. I will miss it all - including family. Funny how you take things for granted for so long until you are about to leave a place and realize just how good it really is. Thank you for the reality check....

I think that it's wonderful that we all have taken a moment to reflect that indeed the grass always APPEARS to be greener on the other side. I live in Florida and I always fly North for the cold weather, cool breezes, and foliage. I have never taken the time to see and enjoy the true beauty here in every corner. How nice. Thanks for the thread.

I've lived all my life in California, and while I don't know if visitors appreciate this, I appreciate it greatly when I return from traveling. We have a huge variety of foodstuffs and cuisines that I have yet to find anywhere else. Many cities have wonderful ethnic areas and specialty foods, but places like New York and Chicago may be more limited in what is fresh at any given time. Other areas may have lots of fresh food, but less diversity of styles. I love this about my area, and yes, I do sometimes take it for granted!

Robin, I feel the same way about my home city of Vancouver. I guess most people take for granted the variety of cuisine here, but moreso the cheap sushi and cheap salmon. Sushi is almost a staple diet in my circle of friends . Until you go elsewhere, you realize that many people haven't even tried the food that becomes so common where you live. <BR> <BR>At the same time, I'd say most people living in Vancouver take for granted the mild winter. While the rest of Canada freezes over and experiences cold, snow-covered winters, Vancouver remains lush and green. Until I was 10 years old, I thought that snow-free winters were typical for Canada. ;) <BR> <BR>Another thing people take for granted: Being close to the mountains for hiking/skiing, the ocean (boating/kayaking), the islands, the close proximity to the wilderness, and having an international border within an hours drive.

After watching the weather reports this week, I take for granted the mild winters we have in Florida. There is never a worry about whether you can get out of your driveway because of the snow, or the roads too iced over to drive safely. We never worry about whether we can pay our low winter electric bills. Of course, we do have to worry about hurricanes!

I live in Fla too and although I dont know what it's like to have to shovel snow, I can't imagine being in under dreary, gray and cold skies for more than one or two days, so I'm thankful for our blue skies and our sun. If a hurricane comes (and thank goodness we have one season for it), at least we know it's coming..