One year in New Hampshire!

We have clients who move to New Hampshire from all over the country, and we often get asked what it's like to live here. We came across a post from a friend of ours, and are reposting it with his permission because, well, we couldn't have said it better ourselves. Thanks to Robert for permission to reprint this:

One year in New Hampshire! 

My wife and I have now resided in the Granite State for one year and here are our thoughts:

We relocated from Connecticut, a tax-happy gun-hating stinkhole. There is a noticeable difference, for those of us who came from such states, in the reach of the taxman here in NH. Sales tax may seem negligible, but it had been a constant factor in my life, and in CT, I had to live through multiple increases and the looming threat of more. I work in MA, so I am still paying state income tax, but I salivate at the prospect of having that washed away at some point down the road when I find the perfect job in NH.

The relative freedom to purchase and carry firearms is, of course, wonderful. Again, this may be something more significant for those of us who came from more restrictive states. I still feel like I have not fully realized it, so it gets more enjoyable every day (I love the Shooters Outpost in Hooksett, and the Granite State Indoor Range in Hudson). In CT we were treated like criminals for even wanting to purchase a firearm. We had to jump through hoops with multiple checks to different government entities and were subject to ridiculous wait times... And that was just for "permission."

The landscape in NH is breathtaking. CT doesn’t have anything like the White Mountains and the lakes region. I may not live right there, but knowing those scenic locales, as well as others in Maine and Vermont, are day trips away rather than weekend trips away, is another thing that puts a smile on my face.

I remember telling my wife when I was looking for a new job that Texas was my first choice and New Hampshire was my second. My reasoning was that, although New Hampshire seemed to have a stronger libertarian streak, culturally Texas had more of a fierce and impassioned defense of independence and freedom. When we were making our first trip up to scope out the area, I remember saying that I was glad we ended up here instead of in Texas. There is simply no match for New England; there is fascinating history and beautiful scenery, but we also have all four seasons, unmatched events like PorcFest and the Big E, shorter driving distances to cities and countryside, mountains and beaches, and who doesn't love Chunky's Cinema Pub?! And we can't forget about the fun media circus brought on by the first-in-the-nation primary here in NH.

In CT, I felt like I was trapped. I felt like there were so many forces opposing the liberty I wanted that it seemed hopeless. But in NH, I just feel the potential to really make the life I want to have.

When we moved in, we had a couple of volunteers from the Free State Project Welcome Wagon help out with the heavy lifting (which almost certainly saved me from injury) and we even got a cute gift bag. It has just been a great experience. It really does feel like "home" even though we have not yet found our permanent address and are renting for now.

Both my wife and I work 2 jobs, and both of mine are in MA, so I have not been as involved as I would like, but that will change in time. I fight for liberty, and I happen to agree that New Hampshire is the place to be for that. Therefore, I am a Free Stater. I am here to fight for liberty as promised. There are plenty like me already here and I look forward to many more--come join us!