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Old 10-23-2006, 03:49 PM
 
Location: San Diego, Colorado Springs Jan 2007
23 posts, read 97,257 times
Reputation: 14

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Hello,

I desperately need your help.

I met my wife 4 years ago on Thanksgiving. During our first conversation, we found out that one of the things we both had in common was that we've both always wanted to live in Colorado. We dated for 2 years and have been married for the past 2 years. During this time we have focused on paying off our bills, finishing school, having a daughter, and making trips to our future home of Colorado. Whew, yes we've been very busy!!

The first trip that we made was a year after we met. We drove from San Diego to Colorado Springs - the long way. We went up through Durango and stayed in Silverton. We then drove across the middle of the state and dropped in the I-24 to CS. We stayed at a b&b near the Garden of the Gods. The weather was awesome and the trip was even better.

The next trip we made was last year around Thanksgiving. We flew in to Denver and stayed for a week. We got a rental car and drove up and down the Front Range to try and pinpoint a spot that we would like to move. The first two days were in the sixties and wonderful, the next 3 or 4 days started off in the teens and then hit a high of low 30's. Reality check.

This is where the problems begin. My wife does not mind the cold. She was originally from Wisconsin and longs for the seasons. Myself, I have lived in Hawaii, San Diego, Florida, Southern Miss., & Southern Alabama. I do not know snow and I'm not real familiar with cold. By the end of our trip to Denver, I found myself wanting to get back to San Diego. I have also found myself second-guessing whether I can live in a place with seasons.

I'm really into the outdoors - camping, fishing, motocross, mountain biking, hiking, cycling, volleyball (both outdoors and indoors), surfing. I'm not too fond of the snow sports - although I will go snow boarding if friends are headed to the mountains. Are these sports seasonal in Colorado? Can I still mountain bike and motocross in the winter? Are the trails under snow? What about camping and fishing?

Is there anybody else with the same background that may have had similiar worries (come on, I hear about all these Californians that have moved to CO ) that made the move and found it to be just fine? I guess I'm looking for some reassurance.

My wife is very excited because our bills are almost paid off and we are supposed to start looking for jobs after the new year. Myself, I've got some severely cold feet and I'm not so sure anymore.

Let's hear those stories.

Thanks!
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Old 10-23-2006, 04:14 PM
 
Location: in the southwest
13,396 posts, read 44,884,157 times
Reputation: 13599
Wow, that's a tough one.
Have you used the Search button here yet and looked at weather and climate topics? There are those who think Colorado weather is absolutely wonderful, there are those who put a grimmer face on it.
Me, I'm in the middle. (I am a lot older than you and we left Colorado a year ago, I got tired of shoveling snow, and the aridity was getting to me.)
One thing you would not have to worry about is humidity.
And even when it snows heavily, the snow usually does not hang around too long. Sportswise, you would be amazed at what you can do in Colorado in the middle of winter.
The sun really does shine alot.
But it can snow from September through the end of May. Driving can be treacherous, which might be an adjustment for you.
And yes, it cools off at night--big time. You'll appreciate it during the summer.
I am sure that others (hopefully a few Californians) will weigh in with their thoughts and experiences. The Southerners I knew in Colorado did end up going back home to the South, but I knew a few Californians who stuck it out.
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Old 10-23-2006, 04:17 PM
Cin
 
72 posts, read 307,242 times
Reputation: 34
Hi, I do not live in CO yet....but I just visited and talked to people that do. First of all...you say you and your wife both wanted to live in CO...ask yourself why? Write down your reasons to go and reasons to stay where you are. Do you love where you are? Mabey a part of you does...most people leave where they are because of necessity or they do not like where they are...that would be me for toooooo long. I talked to locals in northern CO and Springs...Denver area and we got a realty check on weather(my husband really thought it was all dandy and sweet near perfect weather so we needed it!) We were told it typically snows on halloween...it typically snows in march or april...gets pretty windy...but not Wisconsin or Chicago cold...good cuz my husband and I have lived those places and it is cold. Pretty much we were told short fall season is normal and it really runs the gammut. You could have a beautiful 70 degree day and then a 50 degree day the next and you just have to love change in weather. When we visited one day it was supposed to be 72 and it only got to 50.... I assume it is hard to forecast weather in parts of CO. None of this stopped us..we find it exciting. Can you tell I am from AZ????!!! You will adjust if the benefits of moving are worth it. I myself want a quality of life that I can't get in this crowded rat race filled with heat in the Phoenix area and I have no family here...but we all have to decide if we have quality already where we are right? Best to you!
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Old 10-23-2006, 05:55 PM
 
Location: Just south of Denver since 1989
11,813 posts, read 34,270,988 times
Reputation: 8930
There are two new communities near the Aurora Reservior, that would be fabulous to do everything but ski or snowboard (you'd have to go to the mountains for that)

The Aurora Resevior does not allow power boats, so the water is cleaner. Everyone here enjoys the great weather and plays outside.

Are you the type to make lemonade out of lemons?
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Old 10-23-2006, 08:01 PM
 
368 posts, read 828,104 times
Reputation: 371
If weather is your major concern then you should stay put. From what I've heard San Diego is close to perfect for weather. Yes, it does snow and get chilly in Colorado. Maybe vacation throughout the year in Co and get a feel for it. Good Luck
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Old 10-23-2006, 09:27 PM
 
78 posts, read 409,129 times
Reputation: 65
Dear Misplaced: I moved to CO from Ft Lauderdale, FL (pretty far south and HOT) and I absolutely loved it. I had to leave due to financial concerns, but now I am ready to get back. The weather is really changeable as everyone has said but it is mild more than not in the Denver area. You get west a bit and it stays cold. It can be 60 one day, 30 the next, then up to 70 - a real roller coaster. But it keeps things interesting. But don't forget you are a mile high and the sun is stronger - I remember it being 20 degrees and sunny and walking around only needing a medium jacket. But the wind can be pretty strong. But the lack of humidity makes it feel alot warmer too. As others have said, you ought to spend some time in each season and see if you like it. I think one thing that you will really like is the constant sunshine (more days than Miami) - I think it is approximately 300 days of sunshine. It just makes you feel like doing stuff. Lots and lots of hiking and biking trails in the area (particularly near Boulder), rock climbing, fishing and of course skiing, boarding and sno-mobiling. Don't forget golf too! It all depends on your mindset. Can you tell that I REALLY want to get back to CO?? Good luck and just keep checking the webcams and you will be convinced that CO is the place to go!!
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Old 10-23-2006, 10:30 PM
 
Location: Highlands Ranch, CO
616 posts, read 2,996,182 times
Reputation: 176
Quote:
Originally Posted by TughillTina View Post
If weather is your major concern then you should stay put.
I'd second that. Unless you can live with occasional snow and cold, Colorado (or any other 4 season state) is not for you.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TughillTina View Post
From what I've heard San Diego is close to perfect for weather.
Only if you live closer to the shore; otherwise, in the summer it can get unbearably hot (100+ temps easily). In the winter it can get down to freezing temps. I scraped ice off my windshield on many occasions. So, all is not perfect weather around San Diego.

Personally, give me some cold and snow, just don't give me extreme heat!
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Old 10-24-2006, 02:11 AM
 
827 posts, read 5,063,607 times
Reputation: 533
Misplacd1, I live in Phoenix and for myself, as others have said from Phoenix on this thread, we long for four seasons, but I can understand what you are talking about. My aunt and cousins lived in San Diego. It used to be a nice place, but the crime is now bad and my aunt and cousins have left San Diego just for that reason. All the advice others have posted here is great too!

Maybe you should think about buying a small cabin and live there in CO in the summers? If you want a mountain town without much snow, look at Silver City, NM. The pines in the north like in Pinos Altos and up in the Gila Wilderness are wonderful, without the snow most of the year. Grand Junction is a mild city in Colorado. They have wine vineyards there. It is a desert though.

I agree with the others, make a list as to why you want to live in Colorado. Make a list as to why you want to live in SD. Compare the two. Which is more of what you want? I would also factor in your daughter, what does she want? What future will she have in SD or Colorado. Which would you prefer her to be raised in? Weather wise, Colorado is one the best areas to live for four seasons, sunshine and still be up in the mountains. You might trade your surfboard for a snowboard and when you see how much fun it is, you may totally forget about the surfboard. You can still go back to SD and visit too. Anyway, something for you to think over.
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Old 10-24-2006, 07:31 PM
 
Location: San Diego, Colorado Springs Jan 2007
23 posts, read 97,257 times
Reputation: 14
Default Thanks!

I think we'll take another trip out there this winter and look around. From the looks of it, if we stayed a whole week, we'd probably see every type of weather and temperature Colorado can serve up.

I was looking at pictures of Denver on Wunderground.com and ran across the pictures of cars completely buried in snow. It made me uncomfortable just looking at the pictures, but I finally realized that these pictures were taken because it is uncommon. I guess they were from the blizzard in the Spring of 2003 and the photographers referred to it as the 'Storm of The Century'.

One thing that is very appealling about Colorado is the feeling you get when you read these forums and talk to the people that live in the area. The folks that live there, and post here, seem to really love where they live. I rarely read anything negative. The same cannot be said for the Southern California side of the forums. Having grown up in San Diego when its positives way out-weighed its negatives - it makes me sad.

Thanks for the encouraging words and great suggestions!
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Old 10-25-2006, 12:10 AM
 
171 posts, read 877,170 times
Reputation: 73
Default Wow!

Wow Misplacd, it's like your reading my mind!! Although I grew up as an Army brat and moved around quite abit when I was little I don't remember it well. My dad retired in California, so it is basically all I've known as far as living.

It makes me so sad too that, for young middle class families, the negative things in So.Cal are beginning to out weigh the positive things. I have close friendships I'd be leaving behind, so for me to think of a relocation there must be some driving force, but that is another post. The thing that scares me the most is the weather. Not that I mind some cold snowy days, I know my children will love it and might be fun to experience that side of life for me too. I actually love adventure and that sort of thing. More of my fear is of the driving conditions it will put me in as I play taxi-mom daily with 3 little kids and all that comes with that. Is it possible that after the age of 16 ( as I am abit older than that) one can learn to drive in this stuff? LOL.....

My husband keeps asking me can I do it? LOL I dont know. 3 days out of 4 I say yes!! Then I get cold feet (no pun intended). And I know all of you living in your beautiful state are probably getting a good chuckle from me, yes again, its about the weather. But I dont want to disappoint my family....go all that way, to disappoint them. How do I know? How did you all know.....

Sorry to go on. You've all been so nice. Like it was posted above, that's one of the things I've found on this forum is that you've all been so friendly and it shows how much you guys love your great state and all it has to offer!

Thanks for listening!
K

Last edited by Kaligirl; 10-25-2006 at 12:20 AM.. Reason: typo
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