Thanks for all the great answers so far!
It started out as just a random idea, and it’s only a thought exercise at this point. Daughter, in the course of conversation said something like, “If I were to move to Rolla, would you and Mom move with me?”
The distance between other family members and social circle…my wife and I already have friends and family nationwide that we keep in touch with, so that would be nothing new.
I knew where Rolla’s located, having passed through several times between Chicago and California, and we’d be fine, location-wise.
My wife is semi-bedridden, (temporarily we hope!) and I have a recently discovered heart condition, so availability of medical services is an important factor. We currently live in Aurora, Colorado, near the University of Colorado hospital and a brand new VA hospital (less than five years old).
One of the factors that sounds good is housing costs. If we were to sell our house in CO, we could get something similar in Rolla and end up with an extra $100,000 to $200,000 in the bank. and no mortgage! That fact by itself appeals to me!