Wow, I know some people really love it here and that we’ve got some great people here dreaming and doing all sorts of creative, regenerative, compassionate, and tasty things. I know I keep saying, “Give it five years, and this place will be so great we won’t ever want to move away,” but when David sent me this link, I really wasn’t expecting to find Goshen on the list of happiest cities in Indiana, let alone number 2. Go, Goshen!
29 Jul
Laura Bruno's Blog 
Posted by Linda on July 29, 2015 at 2:06 am
That is very cool – and I’m not entirely surprised. There’s an energy there that is very palpable. I actually found a house there that I would have bought (if we had been in the market to sell our house here and move, which we’re not right now). Interestingly, the number 1 city – Carmel – is where my parents lived for awhile when I was a young adult. Personally, I think I’d choose Goshen, although I have to admit I haven’t been back to Carmel in quite some time. Goshen is turning into a really interesting community!
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Posted by laurabruno on July 29, 2015 at 2:08 am
Isn’t it?! Some friends of ours are moving in the Spring, and they already have an orchard and pre-setup urban farm. Two and a half blocks from us, solar panels and everything. Just putting out some carrots … 🙂
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Posted by Reba on July 29, 2015 at 2:07 am
That’s because you live there! Will you please relocated to Western Washington?!
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Posted by laurabruno on July 29, 2015 at 2:10 am
LOL, Reba! I used to live in Seattle, but it appears I’m putting down some major roots here — quite literally. I think my time out West — all over the West Coast — is done. I’d say I never thought I’d wind up in Northern Indiana, but the 6 months of recurring dreams in 2009 indicated I would. Now here I am, in the second happiest city in Indiana. LOL! Come visit the Blue House once it’s all up and running. 🙂
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Posted by Cnawan Fahey on July 29, 2015 at 2:27 am
Interesting to note that the median household income of Goshen residents is significantly lower than others in the list, and yet, based upon other factors, Goshen is still in the top ten. I believe that I once heard…”Money isn’t everything” 🙂 Though, one should also note that, despite the much lower income, the % of income spent on housing is only a few percentage points higher than other towns. So housing must be relatively affordable?
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Posted by laurabruno on July 29, 2015 at 2:36 am
Housing is way cheap here, which is why I can afford to triple my rent by renting the house next door as an office. Even doing that, I’m still paying far less than what I paid for housing on the West Coast. If you’re not reliant on the local economy, your money goes far here. The reason I was surprised to see it in the top ten is because so many people here seem to be struggling to make ends meet. On the other hand, there’s a “scrappy” element to Goshen, in which people are quite frugal, self-reliant, and very into a barter economy. A lot of money never changes hands here, even though full living occurs. 🙂
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Posted by Cnawan Fahey on July 29, 2015 at 2:38 am
Fascinating…and beautiful. You’ll be the guys will survive the apocalypse. 🙂
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Posted by laurabruno on July 29, 2015 at 2:50 am
Yeah, between all the Amish farms surrounding us, one generation away from completely cell phone free, totally off grid living, all the farming background (I seriously don’t know anyone besides David and me who hasn’t either worked at a farm or grew up on one), all the community mindedness, and the fact that the SHTF here in 2007 and everything’s still ticking, I really think we will, if anyone will. It’s a bizarre little vortex that keeps surprising us.
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Posted by Cnawan Fahey on July 29, 2015 at 3:05 am
And, as others have said, you’re a part of that…Vortex Girl.
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Posted by laurabruno on July 29, 2015 at 3:06 am
😉
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Posted by Kieron on July 29, 2015 at 12:53 pm
I thought it was cool when I visited and got to meet you! If I hadn’t been glamoured by the time zone, 😉 I could have explored a little, but I liked what I saw of the downtown once I finally got there. 🙂
Where I live, we have about a dozen co-ops, and another one is going up 5 blocks from my house. Farm country and Wisconsin are an hour or so away, so many small farms can afford to sell their product here at the markets or the stores/co-ops, or people who can afford it can drive to the source. If you look, and are determined, it’s around here somewhere.
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Posted by laurabruno on July 29, 2015 at 1:45 pm
You’re close to that Driftless Area, too, which I hear is gorgeous — almost like Northern California in the Midwest. Here we have only the one co-op, but a few natural foods stores scattered widely, then Whole Foods in Mishawaka. Unfortunately, it appears WF drove one of the nearby (to them) natural foods co-ops out of business. 😦 There may have been other factors, but they were the good spot to get unusual raw items. We’re working to increase demand for local, organic foods. There’s a big GMO Kool-Aid vat here, though, so it’s tough to get people to move beyond the Monsanto propaganda. Local is not the same as local and grown with organic methods. Big difference. With a large proportion of our diabetic population, we’re still trying to get people to stop drinking 2 liters of Pepsi per day and eat at least one vegetable. I see promise in that there are MANY initiatives going up here to get kids and youth involved in gardening and giving them exposure to farms. The adults may be stuck in their ways, but the children are starting to get it.
Also, the Amish have been very innovative. They were running out of land to have the big farms, since they have such huge families. Now many of them are getting into hydroponics and aquaponics, using solar panels to power the pumps. Even where we live, although our block is an eyesore except our yard, there’s a lot of wide open space or non-interference so that I can create whatever I want. Yes, there’s a factory across the street and an empty, remediated brown field catty corner, but other spots would have dozens of houses in that space. I’ve come to appreciate the lack of human energies zipping around. When David and I took a weekend jaunt into the Chicago suburbs for Memorial Day, it felt so overwhelmingly crowded! You do get used to having more open space here, friendly people, and not much traffic.
Bloom where you’re planted!
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Posted by manyhahama1955 on July 29, 2015 at 2:07 pm
That is so awesome, Laura! And you and David are a big part of why it is changing so. I so appreciate you. I so want to live in a small town with more like minded people. Perhaps i will join you one day….you just never know. : ) All the best!!
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Posted by laurabruno on July 29, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Thanks, Sophia! That would be fun. 🙂
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Posted by CindyW on July 29, 2015 at 2:46 pm
yay! I just suggested Goshen to a gardener friend in Indy considering retiring/
relocating, discouraged by high cost of housing in Bloomington, not knowing this! And as one who’s been to Carmel for years, I’ll pass, thank you. Way too yuppy for my taste and very car-centric! (and big on evangelical, as is Fishers) Way to go!
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Posted by laurabruno on July 29, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Very cool, Cindy! I had expected to see Bloomington on there when I first opened the link. I have an aunt and uncle in Fishers and know someone in Valporaiso, which I was also surprised to see on that list. I guess I don’t know Indiana very well, LOL! If your gardener friend is retiring soon, please feel free to put him or her in touch with me. We have friends who just decided to move to their dream location, and it would be a shame for their property to go to anyone but a gardener. They have an awesome garden and orchard.
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Posted by A New Definition of Evangelism | Laura Bruno's Blog on July 29, 2015 at 5:31 pm
[…] posting on your blog about Goshen/Carmel, I looked up “evangelical” and found this entry – “Evangelism is the […]
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Posted by Upcoming Reiki Certification Classes in Goshen, Indiana | Laura Bruno's Blog on July 30, 2015 at 2:13 pm
[…] got Level 2 and Level 3 (Master Teacher) Reiki Certification Classes classes scheduled in Goshen, Indiana for Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, respectively. Long distance training via […]
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