Welcome back to Kentucky! This is what is called "God's Country" by some. It is beautiful and you won't find nicer people. The weather is crazy as you probably know, it may snow a day after it was 65 and sunny, but if you like change, you'll like that too. Yes, there are lots of problems here, like everywhere else, you just have to see what your priorities are. My autistic niece was mistreated in Florida, it made the news too, but you can't judge the whole state because of that. It was that person/that school. Maybe our crime rate is because we are so nice, maybe it is because we like our guns and know how to use them. Not sure, but I never ever worry my car was stolen, nor about being mugged, although it does occasionally happen, it is so rare it makes the news. Kinda like that child did, maybe it is just so common in other places it doesn't make the news?
OH, yes, we do have Malls, nice ones with Gap, Macy's and all that.
We do buy shoes, but only in the winter
We do feed our children, but mostly corn
And we do have one of the best basketball teams, but I don't care much about that, those boys are mostly imports