Small Towns Feel Pressure From Relocating City Dwellers

DRIGGS, IDAHO – Our new landlord here in Driggs is a real estate broker. She sent me this note yesterday:

I’m sorry that I’m so far behind on [that thing you asked me for]. This real estate market is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It is complete insanity how crazy it is. I think I’ve closed 15 transactions in the last month and have 20 transactions pending. Anyway, no excuse… I haven’t forgotten about you and will jump on [that thing] as soon as I can tomorrow.

Driggs is a small town. The green sign at the town limits says it has a population of 1,660…

More below…

“Carpe Diem” Family

Greetings from our new winter hideout in the mountains…

My family and I are hobos. For the last two-and-a half years, we’ve drifted around the world without much regard for conventions like home, school, job, medical insurance, or resort vacations…

We’ve become – at least in my head – a sort of “carpe diem” family.

That is, we’ve recognized that life is short… especially the time we get to spend with our children when they’re little… and there’s no better way we could be spending our time or our money than by having great adventures together.

Not education, not work, not career, not real estate, not networking, not shopping. Having fun with Kate and the kids has literally become my only imperative for this stage of my life.

To that end, we’ve come to Grand Targhee, a little-known, hard-to-get-to ski area in Wyoming that gets 500 inches of snow a year.

We’re going to spend the winter here, learning to ski and then skiing every day.

Real Estate on Fire

It seems that we’re not the only ones who’ve had this idea…

The real estate market in this little town is on fire, which I think probably reflects:

A) The wave of easy currency and easy credit that’s come from Washington this year, and

B) The wave of people fleeing from cities like LA, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Spokane, and buying property in small towns throughout Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. (We’ve noticed this dynamic all over middle America.)

Here in Driggs, this trend is pushing the cost of living up and hurting the finances of the people who already live here… especially renters and those who work in the restaurants, the coffee shops, on the ski mountain, etc.

It’s causing some tension… and some resentment towards the new arrivals.

I saw this message in one of the local Facebook chat groups yesterday…

Would any Airbnb owners in the valley be willing to offer up their vacation rental for a longer-term rental? The housing crisis here is CRAZY. I’m sure plenty of full-time valley residents struggling to find housing would appreciate being prioritized over vacationers for once, myself included!

We haven’t gotten out and about much yet, so we haven’t noticed this tension personally, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for it…

– Tom Dyson

P.S. For the last year or so, we’ve been predicting that Washington’s debasement of the currency would cause inflation. It may not be showing up in official statistics yet, but it’s showing up in small towns like Driggs…

P.P.S. Also in that local Facebook chat group yesterday, someone posted this picture of the mountains above our new town (the Tetons)…

Like what you’re reading? Send your thoughts to [email protected].

While Tom and his family concluded their time in Glacier National Park, Tom lost his hat in a wind gust. This resonated with multiple readers…

Reader comment: Tom, how fitting that your hat blew over the cliff. Seems like it served you well for the last three years. It was by your side as you reclaimed your family and yourself. It seems like the perfect ending to the vagabonding chapter of your life and the start of your family’s new winter skiing journey. Blessing to you and your beautiful family!

Reader comment: I’ve been your adventures for over 12 months, a bit before China. I thoroughly enjoy them and am glad you and your family are doing so well. Regarding you losing your hat, you could look at it two ways: One being that hat helped you recover from a dark place and time and that it continues to play that role. The other that you don’t need it anymore because it’s taken all the bad stuff with it. Time for a new hat to match your new life, I think. Take care and all the best.

Reader comment: Funny how such simple things in our lives can have the power to make us feel attached to them. Maybe it’s because we got them when we were going through a difficult time, like your hat. I am experiencing similar feelings quite a lot lately.

My parents passed away in the home I grew up in in Pennsylvania a few years back and I kept the property for sentimental reasons, until now. I lived here for over 50 years off and on as a child, and later on while I took care of them before they left this world. I had many memories throughout my life associated with this place. When I leave this time to go back down to Florida, I know it will be the last time I ever see it. I will miss it. Just knowing this makes it hard for me to actually step away this time.

I almost wish the wind would have whisked me away from here, like it did to your hat, leaving me no choice but to let it go.

Reader comment: Maybe losing your hat symbolizes how you have let go of the things that were making you have thoughts of suicide and it is time to move on. It was almost as if that happening was the period on the end of a sentence that defined the change of your life that brought you where you are now. It’s poetic that it happened right at the end of your healing journey, into the next chapter of your life. God bless you and your family.

Your new way of life lies ahead of you with the (last) anchor to the past finally going away from you – never to be retrieved. Amazing and touching story over such a simple thing. And it is particularly poignant to me at this time in my life.

Meanwhile, one reader is eager for a Tom’s Portfolio update… another suggests a nice winter hat for Tom… and one reader suggests it isn’t worth it for Tom to drink cheap wine…

Reader comment: My husband and I have been following your adventures and reading your financial advice since you left Palm Beach Research Group and have learned so much both about this beautiful country of ours and its very special people. It’s been especially meaningful to me since I’ve been home-bound for the last year! We’ve been waiting for your Tom’s Portfolio update before making any major moves with our own investments. Happy landings in Driggs and enjoy learning to ski!

Reader comment: Tilly hats out of Canada. I have several, including a nice winter one with ear flaps. It’s very nice but the winter hat does need a tie cord so the wind in Montana does not blow it away. Otherwise, the hat is perfect, as are all my other Tilley hats. Enjoy Idaho and its small community.

Reader comment: Have been living in Italy (Friuli) for about 40 years and in South Switzerland (Canton Ticino) for nine years. My wife is a full-fledged Italian Sommelier. She does small, local “wine & food” (“eno-gastronomia”) tours. We love wine with dinner.

It doesn’t really “pay” to drink cheap wine, red or white! Sulfites is not the only problem. Here in northeast Italy – famous for white wines and where wine is relatively inexpensive – we don’t spend less than €8 to €10 for a good “still” bottle. We usually stick to labels from producers we know or have researched, that are DOC or DOCG wines (controlled and registered origin that you find on the internet). If sparkling, I suggest genuine “Prosecco,” from about €6 a bottle but best at over €10. “Franciacorta” (champagne method) not less than €12.

Born in Argentina, I used to get a lot of headaches with their wines. Now, no more headaches (from wine).

A medical professional offers safety advice to the Dyson family…

Reader comment: Get a good helmet for skiing. Sometimes, folks crack their heads. When tired, go slow and go home; do not do one last run. That’s where half the injuries I have seen over the years happen. When people are on their last run of the day, they’re tired and end up getting injured. It takes three to six weeks to get proper conditioning.

Warm up before, stretch. Get flexible, stretch afterwards. Lift some weight. Two books I recommend are Stretching by Bob Anderson, great for all sorts of stretching, and Getting Stronger by Bill Pearl. Both books have excellent information for sport-specific training, strengthening, and stretching.

I am a Physician Assistant with 44 years of experience in family practice, military medicine conditioning, and primary care. The terrible thing is, I still love it so I have no plans to retire. I am so blessed. Love your blog and travels. Stay safe, take care. The cold kills more people every year than heat. Keep writing. Thank you for your gifts and sharing.

And finally, others admire their wives… share their experiences with ailing family members… and have kind words for Tom…

Reader comment: Tom, your wife is just like mine, awesome. With no hesitation, she was willing to go to London and help care for your mother. We are truly lucky men. If you ever get to Vermont, drop me a line.

Reader comment: Back in the ’70s, my mother had ALS and I stopped working to care for her. My only regret is I was too young to understand the honor that was being given to me to give back to someone who had so blessed my life. She was only 55 at the time, and I was 24. You and your family grab every minute you can with her.

Reader comment: My husband has Parkinson’s. He was diagnosed four years ago but probably had it for two years before that. He is 75 and there are some promising treatments on the horizon.

My husband has an exercise program designed especially for Parkinson’s, movement, speech, and cognitive. They have exercises even for people who are very advanced, but for your dad who is not as bad, the exercises could really help. They made a big difference for my husband. I hope you don’t mind my getting personal on this. I know what it’s like to live with these debilitating diseases and see very active, vital people struggle.

Reader comment: Travel is the best education in the world and beats school every day. You see the places and you learn about the people firsthand. You see different forms of government in action. And the blessing of freedom. Kind regards to you and your family.

Reader comment: I love reading about your adventures, where you are, and where you are going. I’ve taken notes on places I want to see and do. Thanks for sharing your daily life. I pray for the safety of your children, Kate, your SUV, and trailer. Stay warm in Driggs! (I’ve actually never heard of it!) Just getting into researching gold, so if you have any tips, thank you! Keep writing your postcards. It’s the best part of my nighttime reading. Hugs!

Tom’s note: As always, thanks for your messages! Please keep writing us at [email protected].