We lived in Charleston for a year, but it was too expensive and crowded. Now, we're happily settled 2 hours north.

• My wife and I lived in Charleston for a year and it was nice but not feasible for us long-term.
• We found the cost of living and booming population to be more than we could manage.
• So, we moved north to Florence, South Carolina, and found many upsides to living in a smaller city.

I've traveled a lot and lived in many places, from Frankfurt to New York City. But at my core, I'm a native South Carolinian and I've lived all over the state throughout the years.