Sorry you feel that way.  there are some nice people out there!!  Hang in there!  I know it is hard to be away from friends and family.  I hope it gets better.

rori

Well, first of all it has be a HUGE culture shock to move here from NYC!  What city/town do you live in?  There are some very nice people who live here, you just have to find them (easier said than done, I know).  Don't even get me started on the jobs sit in this state!  And, cheer up about the snow - most of it doesn't start to fall until January ;)  If you live in Southern Maine, send me a PM.  I have a 2-year old daughter that would love a new playmate.

It sounds to me like you're homesick most of all.  I think no matter where you might have moved, nowhere in the United States (or the world) is quite like New York City.  And you have a little child, you haven't made new friends yet, and you're not used to the local culture.  Unlike NYC, you can't walk everywhere, we don't have the wide variety of cultures, food, shops.  That's some culture shock for sure!  But that's not specific to Maine.  You might be just as unhappy in Lubbock, Texas or Boise, Idaho.  Or New Jersey.  As they say, "there's no place like home."

What kind of work are you looking for?  Why did you move here?  How long have been looking for work?

If you feel like you're planning to make Maine your home for a while, think about getting involved with a church, a charity, a school (even if your child isn't school-age yet)..... it's a good way to make friends, feel included, and feel useful until you find the kind of job you want (it's a good way to network for a job, too).  If Maine doesn't suit you and you think you'll move on soon, I hope you do learn SOME good things about us before you go.  If nothing else, it's really pretty here.  If you don't like the people, maybe you can at least enjoy our forests, rocky coast, or mountains. :-)

My friend moved to MAINE and said the same exact thing you are saying. Maine can be tough for some.

You are right Maine SUCKS! I grew up here, couldn't wait to get away. When I was 21 I moved to Philly and was very happy. When I moved back it was "Just for a few months" I was going to move to Boston. Then my dad got sick, I met a great guy, got married and now I'm stuck here FOREVER!

There is ONLY one great place in the enter state its Long Island, Maine. I'm not kidding. It's hicky, but the people are the BEST in the world! They don't care where you're going or where you've been. I wouldn't suggest a visit in the winter, but next summer hop the horrid casco bay ferry - and got off on Long Island. Take Chubs Blue Bus to any of the beaches. Plant yourself there and in no time people will walk up to you, start talking away like they've known you forever, they will probably even offer you a drink. Or if you want to make friends fast, walk up to the Long Island Store and order one of Lorinda's Pizzas, then sit out side the store, everyone who walks by will say hello.  

Until next summer - WHERE ARE YOU - COME SAVE ME! My girls are 2 and 5, we could get together during school hours while my oldest is in school.

Why are you "stuck" here, eDee?  Plenty of people move all the time, for all kinds of reasons.   There must be some positive reason you are staying here (Long Island aside), unless perhaps you are still caring for your dad (which is a very nice thing to do, indeed), or your husband does like it here?

I think one of the best ways to meet new people is to walk around the neighborhood in the fall when everyone is raking leaves, or in the spring when people are gardening.  In the winter we tend to huddle up in our houses..... I know I do!

Also, because the word has come up a couple of times on this thread.... what defines someone as a "hick," anyway?  Their accent?  Fashion?  Whether or not they went to college?  I'm just curious...

Maine MomsLikeMe.com Manager

Hicks: the group of men that threw trash at my husband at the Cumberland Country Fair in front of our 2 year old daughter and called him a freak for having a sleeve of tattoos. Or the ladies that openly mocked two men holding hands at the park the other day. Hicks.

Used in a sentence:

There a crazy number of hicks in Maine.

Well it seems like a couple of people on this thread have tried to reach out to you. Where are you living? What brought you here? What are you looking for in terms of work? We might be able to help you.

I am sorry that you've had these negative experiences, because I've lived in Maine all my life and I've never had anyone throw anything at me or call me names (well, except maybe my sister when we were sharing a room LOL).  It's pretty surprising that anyone flinches about tattoos.... I see people downtown with tattoo sleeves all the time.  It's pretty common.  I wonder if those men were intoxicated.  Doesn't it also make you wonder if one of them has a tattoo??? Hmmm???? I think the possibility is YES!  They also should have been throw off the fairgrounds for that kind of behavior, but sometimes reporting people like that is more trouble than it's worth.

Sounds like those folks have really bad manners.  But some of us here are rather liberal, and have reasonably good manners!

Interestingly, rural people perceive cities as places where the people are frightening and rude.  My mom doesn't like to drive in Portland, and she would NEVER drive in Boston!  Rural people have this stereotype of a New Yorker is someone loud and rude and aggressive, swearing at you in traffic, that sort of thing.  Or that you're going to get hacked to death by thugs on the subway.  And if people in cities are anything like the characters in the movies Do the Right Thing (remember that one?  80s throwback!) or Crash, there are people in every pocket of America who have terrible intolerance for one another.

So, I guess you'll find jerks everywhere, and nice people everywhere. 

Maine MomsLikeMe.com Manager