Did you leave CA only to realize there is no place like home and came back? (Imperial Beach: living in, military)

[Curmudgeon]

If you're asking me, having lived in areas with REAL snow I understand it quite well. I also understasnd that it can be cold when there is no snow while at other times it seems too cold to snow.

One nice thing about the cold, you can usually dress properly enough to stay warm. In extrene neat I understand that in most places it's against the law to undress enough to try to stay cool and it doesn't work anyway.

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

If you're asking me, having lived in areas with REAL snow I understand it quite well. I also understasnd that it can be cold when there is no snow while at other times it seems too cold to snow.

One nice thing about the cold, you can usually dress properly enough to stay warm. In extrene neat I understand that in most places it's against the law to undress enough to try to stay cool and it doesn't work anyway.

Before I moved to the Pacific coast, I grew up in Michigan, Maine, and Minnesota ... I do not agree that encapsulating oneself in bulky fabrics is dressing "properly" ... and, while Seattle doesn't suffer lots of heavy snowfalls -- aside from the occasional storms over the years (there is some snow more years than not) -- we DO get several real snows on my island every year -- and I spent 15 years coaching youth hockey for traveling teams ... guess where I spent 2 - 3 weekends of every month, about 6 months a year? Yeppers: eastern Washington cities (snow) and all over B.C. (uh, snow) ... I have driven in it cross-country as well in several winters. I. Am. Done. With. Snow. And. Cold.

Aloha

[sunsprit]

Grew up in San Diego, out on Point Loma near Shelter Island ... graduated PLHS and attended SDSC. Spent an idyllic life in the temperate climate, with many years of sailing, fishing, scuba diving, and enjoying the year around outdoor activities there.

Moved to Boulder, CO, and discovered that I was much happier in a 4-season climate zone. I'd originally figured on getting my degree and moving back to SoCal; my Dad was buying a new car dealership and a marina in addition to a hobby shop business he'd invested in, so there were several family businesses to come back to.

What I hadn't anticipated was the people of the Rocky Mountain region being so much friendlier and without all the pretensions, attitudes, and expensive costs of living.

It didn't take me a couple of months to know that I was not moving back to SoCal. Visit, yes ... to enjoy the sailing and salt water activity. But live there? nope.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by hatgirl007

There are so many articles about how overpriced California is and the fact that you can live in other states (Texas, North Carolina, Georgia) that aren't so expensive. Anyone ever move to some of these places and end up moving back? Just curious.

Wife and I are are California natives. Moved to Spokane,Wa. in '91. I was a union Sheet Metal Worker and she a Postal Carrier. We are both retired now. I really like the PNW but we are in the process of moving back to California. As they say happy wife, happy life. The big negative is home values are about 6 times higher in most places we want to live. The property square footage and home quality will be quite a step down from our medium priced residence in Spokane.
The positive is, we have kept a small rental property in Carpinteria all these years that's now paid for. It will be our modest residence. Basic goods & services and the beach are in walking distance. And the community has a lot of year round activities. And much better weather for old folks.

[alexxiz]

Nothing beats putting up a tent in a warm, dry California forest....sleeping in said tent. Relaxing in the forest during the day time. NOT having terrible PNW rain 30 days every months and wearing goretex still being drenched and feeling like you'll end up being composted (no camping there!) or being frozen, or cooked alive . All I care about is being able to put up a tent and get out of damned indoors any time of the year and enjoy the camp. You can't do it in most other states. Nothing beats this. So I decided it's what matters the most and I just can't tolerate living in other states, especially under truly diabolic PNW rains and depressing grey low skies. CA has many problems...in fact everything in CA is a problem...but when the tent is up none of it matters.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by alexxiz

Nothing beats putting up a tent in a warm, dry California forest....sleeping in said tent. Relaxing in the forest during the day time. NOT having terrible PNW rain 30 days every months and wearing goretex still being drenched and feeling like you'll end up being composted (no camping there!) or being frozen, or cooked alive . All I care about is being able to put up a tent and get out of damned indoors any time of the year and enjoy the camp. You can't do it in most other states. Nothing beats this. So I decided it's what matters the most and I just can't tolerate living in other states, especially under truly diabolic PNW rains and depressing grey low skies. CA has many problems...in fact everything in CA is a problem...but when the tent is up none of it matters.

This really sums up our reasons for enjoying CA. People wonder why some stay in CA with so many problems, higher housing costs, etc... Yet these these positives far outweight the the other issues. We were just outside today enjoying our sunny, Winter weather at the beach after doing some gardening at a friend's house. We go hiking in the coastal mountains year round and can camp or backpack any time of the year as well. Here's a shot from a couple of weeks ago.








While living in CO there was such a short window to do these things after the snow and lakes finally melted. It seemed like the majority of people came out of *hibernation* and took most of Summer off work to enjoy the weather, then hunkered back down again for the long snow season. We initially thought the lower COL would offset the other things we were leaving behind. But for us once there it became obvious that having an 'affordable' larger house couldn't make up for the things we left behind in CA. Quality of life cannot simply be measured by the size of one's home or even owning vs. renting. Its still just a place to sleep in at the end of the day, a covering.








The big caveat is if you *do not* get out and enjoy the outdoors year round in CA then you are possibly paying a premium unnecessarily. Its kind of like folks who live in Hawaii with its high COL, but never go to the beach or even outside to enjoy it. Maybe they are working too many hours in some dead end job or simply don't really care to go out. So they feel disgruntled instead focusing in on 'all their problems.' Of course there are other reasons to stay as well including family close by. But if someone has little or no attachment to CA and doesn't get out much, maybe it is not the best option for them. It really boils down to personal preferences and weighing the pros/cons of any place against those. This is different for everyone. But if looking for perfection it will not be found. Every place has flaws, just a different set than where you currently live.

Derek

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

The big caveat is if you *do not* get out and enjoy the outdoors year round in CA then you are possibly paying a premium unnecessarily. Its kind of like folks who live in Hawaii with its high COL, but never go to the beach or even outside to enjoy it. Maybe they are working too many hours in some dead end job or simply don't really care to go out. So they feel disgruntled instead focusing in on 'all their problems.' Of course there are other reasons to stay as well including family close by. But if someone has little or no attachment to CA and doesn't get out much, maybe it is not the best option for them. It really boils down to personal preferences and weighing the pros/cons of any place against those. This is different for everyone. But if looking for perfection it will not be found. Every place has flaws, just a different set than where you currently live.

Derek

Couldn't have been better stated. How sad that there are those who think their preferences are the only right ones.

[Senno]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

The big caveat is if you *do not* get out and enjoy the outdoors year round in CA then you are possibly paying a premium unnecessarily.
Derek

Well shoot. Derek, I searched out low cost insurance providers and pay a reasonably low premium for the peace of mind of being in California without paying an arm and a leg for it.

If I have a claim, I have to travel a bit further for my beach fix, but I'm fine with that.

Rather be here than in Montana with no policy at all.

Now that I've taken a small swipe at our favorite state with an ex=pat I will play a little music to soothe the soul:


The Dream Academy Life in A Northern Town rare 1st version - YouTube

(Songs about England, but if you squint just right and tilt your head and have a fine imagination you might get north to Montana.)

Keep posting pictures. Enjoy those muchly.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Couldn't have been better stated. How sad that there are those who think their preferences are the only right ones.

Yep, I think there is a big time tendancy to project our preferences upon others. Not that I ever would ever do anything like that, Oh No! Oh well, it's probably human nature. It's great for me, so it should be for eveyone else, right? Wrong! Heck, its the same reason my dad wanted me to be an engineer and his dad wanted him to work in the restaurant business. Now my son says he wants to be a software engineer like me. I almost want to tell him to do something different just to break the cycle.

Bottom line, California is NOT for everyone, not by a long shot. Though it is a fine place for many including us. There, I said it.

Derek

[Nitro63]

I moved to Texas to pursue a teaching job, as well as a job coaching football due to budget cuts and layoffs in CA. I substitute taught for a year, applied for aprox 70 jobs, attended numerous job fairs, and tried to network while substitute teaching, and never even landed a interview. I got frustrated and moved home. I really felt that they weren't going to let a California guy into their world of coaching high school football.