Karl Beisel

We Made the Move! – Karl Beisel

Date of move: June 19, 2004

After my first visit to New Hampshire in the summer of 2003, I could barely think or talk about anything else. More than a year later, and after 5 months of being a New Hampshire resident, I still can't think about anything else. I love this place!

My decision to make the move was pretty easy. The city in which I lived, Washington, DC, was already a cesspool of corruption and unfreedom. The government's dysfunctional overreaction in the aftermath of September 11 only worsened the situation – barriers were erected around city parks, SAM sites popped up on the National Mall, machine-gun toting "police men" put everyone in their place at public gatherings. Even that perennial of terrorist targets, the local DMV, had metal detectors and more guards installed. The city, and its surrounding suburbs, had gone mad.

What a difference in New Hampshire! In December of 2003, I took a week off to explore the southern part of the state for a town or city where I could see myself living. When I passed though Concord, I stopped at the State House. I had read that there were (gasp) no metal detectors, and people could just walk in and go about their business. I tested it out, and sure enough, walked right in, visited the House chamber, and toured the facility on my own. The whole state seemed as far removed from Washington, DC as the moon, but much prettier.

As a result of my tour, I chose to live in Manchester. The following spring, I traveled back to Manchester to buy a house. There was plenty of housing to choose from in the city, something for just about every budget. I quickly found what I wanted and moved in mid-June.

After moving, I met a number of other Porcupines, as well as several like-minded residents. There was no shortage of things to do for the freedom. Activities like meet-and-greets, political meetings, conventions, campaigning for political candidates, and informal social gatherings quickly maxed out my schedule. Most of the folks who have moved are very active in various ways to promote freedom. This is incredibly encouraging.

Of course, life isn't all about the fight for freedom – its about enjoying its fruits as well. As a hockey player and fan, New Hampshire's got me covered, with several local leagues, a top college team, and a minor league team. I'm looking forward to other winter sporting opportunities that were less accessible to me before. I'm now in the process of starting an adult kickball league here in Manchester, one of the very few good things to come out of Washington, DC.

The bottom line is that moving to New Hampshire was the best decision I could have made. I think I'll stay! :)

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