It's what you make of it. I wasn't trying to scare you off, I was just giving my honest opinion. Your priorities will determine if it will be a success.

If your hobbies depend on snow-free weather, then you'll have to find new hobbies for half of the year. The folks who love it out here tend to have some or all of the following winter hobbies: hunting, fishing, skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling.

I deleted the rest of my post because I re-read the original post and it sounds like you're definitely moving out here.

Keep a positive attitude and focus on the good things about this area: no crime, no pollution, and really nice people.