Move back to DC from Denver (Boulder: neighborhood, theater, middle school)

[EastBay-NowDCarea]

DC and Denver are too different to compare. DC is big city life and Denver is more laid back and much smaller. Denver is much better in terms of outdoor life when it comes to the mountain scene.

The mountains are an hour away from DC, but the mountains look like large hills compared to the Rockies. DC is close to beaches, but still not that close since it's at least 2 hours away to the Atlantic, but 30 minutes to the Chesapeake, but that doesn't count.

If you like the mountains and the outdoor events that the mountains offer, then you can't go wrong with Denver. If you're more into your career then DC is an easy decision.

[formercalifornian]

Originally Posted by treedonkey

Of course, it varies by individual, but having moved to a new geography at least ten times in my life, 3 years seems to be the 'magic' number. Basically, it goes like this:

Year 1: Disarray, the place may be exciting and fun but wholly unfamiliar, and you tend to miss 'home' a lot even if it wasn;t nearly as nice.

Year 2: you get to know the streets, forge some more meaningful friendship, and being to accept the bad as well as the good of your new place.

Year 3: By the end of the year, the place truly becomes home, with it's own set of friends, quirks and memories that would be very hard to leave.

That's all assuming that you have a viable living during most or all of that time. If you sacrificed so much to make the move here that it's thrown you into abject poverty and/or made your future highly uncertain, then you may never really settle in. However, if you can live a decent lifestyle here, I say stick it out a while longer and see if the place does not transform itself into your new home in a couple more years.

Your time-line is a pretty accurate depiction of my personal experience coming from Maryland. August will be the end of year three for us, and this place finally feels like home. My first two years here in Colorado were awful, so I was surprised to have such a dramatic change in attitude during the last twelve months.

[nelumbo]

My experience has been rather different:

year one: amusement at novelties of new area
year two: increasingly annoyed at not finding things that I want
year three: exhaustive search for things that I find are missing here
year four: give up on finding what I want, and focus on finding a way to move back east

The 'things' here ranges from retail to food to activities to people. I didn't really miss the east coast initially, and now I really really want to go back. Honestly, I can't think of anything special about the area that I'd miss after I leave (since I have no interest in mountain/outdoor activities).

[JMadison]

Unless there is something about D.C. you just love, I suspect you will be wanting to go back to Colorado in very short order. It's a crowded eastern city with demographics that scream crime and gridlock, at least inside the beltway. Northern VA "might" be nice, but when you consider places like Baltimore are your nearest cities, I'd say D.C. sux.

[formercalifornian]

Baltimore is much more than the setting for "The Wire." It's really a great city and highly under-rated. And, D.C. hardly sux.

Nelumbo, I hope your path back to the east goes smoothly.

[maciesmom]

Originally Posted by nelumbo

My experience has been rather different:

year one: amusement at novelties of new area
year two: increasingly annoyed at not finding things that I want
year three: exhaustive search for things that I find are missing here
year four: give up on finding what I want, and focus on finding a way to move back east

The 'things' here ranges from retail to food to activities to people. I didn't really miss the east coast initially, and now I really really want to go back. Honestly, I can't think of anything special about the area that I'd miss after I leave (since I have no interest in mountain/outdoor activities).

Sounds like you've given it ample time. Go back to wherever makes you happy.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by maciesmom

Sounds like you've given it ample time. Go back to wherever makes you happy.

Agree. If you've given it 4 years, and the experience is not working for you, pull the plug and make a change.

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

Baltimore is much more than the setting for "The Wire." It's really a great city and highly under-rated. And, D.C. hardly sux.....

Agree. I'm a Baltimoron by birth, TYVM. Love the crabcakes, and go back once in a while to get some...and visit family - of course.

Originally Posted by JMadison

Unless there is something about D.C. you just love, I suspect you will be wanting to go back to Colorado in very short order. It's a crowded eastern city with demographics that scream crime and gridlock, at least inside the beltway. Northern VA "might" be nice, but when you consider places like Baltimore are your nearest cities, I'd say D.C. sux.

Spent 31 years in Fairfax County, VA, we know Mr. Gridlock all too well. Best way to deal with DC is to live on one of the subway lines, like the Orange line that runs through close-in Arlington, which is my best suggestion for single folks.

[nelumbo]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

Agree. If you've given it 4 years, and the experience is not working for you, pull the plug and make a change.

I'm going to push hard to move back, hopefully a long term work project will show some results soon and make finding another job a lot easier. My chosen career is stable and pays well, but it can easily take more than a year to switch positions, and there are very few places where I can find employment.

If someone really wants to spend a lot of time outdoors, and the mountains make you happy, then Denver would be the choice over DC.

re: Baltimore, I think it is a great city too - not that it doesn't have problems, but I think it is fun and has a lot of character. A 30 minute drive to visit Baltimore is a whole lot more appealing to me than an 8 hour drive from Denver to visit Omaha.... (not that there is anything wrong with Omaha, but you can daytrip from DC to Richmond, Baltimore, and Philly, and NYC and Pittsburgh aren't that much farther).

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by nelumbo

I'm going to push hard to move back, hopefully a long term work project will show some results soon and make finding another job a lot easier. My chosen career is stable and pays well, but it can easily take more than a year to switch positions, and there are very few places where I can find employment.

If someone really wants to spend a lot of time outdoors, and the mountains make you happy, then Denver would be the choice over DC.

re: Baltimore, I think it is a great city too - not that it doesn't have problems, but I think it is fun and has a lot of character. A 30 minute drive to visit Baltimore is a whole lot more appealing to me than an 8 hour drive from Denver to visit Omaha.... (not that there is anything wrong with Omaha, but you can daytrip from DC to Richmond, Baltimore, and Philly, and NYC and Pittsburgh aren't that much farther).

It's fun to take the train from DC to NYC to visit the big apple, nothing like it in the world. If I hit the powerball jackpot, I'm getting a big brownstone on Central Park and a waterfront place & boat on the Eastern Shore of MD.

[ronaldl79]

George,

You have to be willing to take a chance on life and try something different. I'm a single guy and I've lived in several cities in the U.S. and Canada since I left Michigan in 2001. There's too much to experience and explore. Denver is a wonderful place to spread your wings and grow. I urge you to reconsider. Join Meetup.com and attend events of interest. There are a lot of great people here.

I moved to Denver and didn't know a soul. Now, I have a wonderful circle of friends who are contributing to my current success. Go for a walk. See the mountains in the view. Be inspired. Consider this: You have a mate to share your life with. There's so much you can to do together here.