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Yes! Where I'm at now. I wanted a smaller, 4 seasons climate, east coast city, but it's not a good fit. Not enough ammenities and excessive cloudiness is a drag. Economy not great. Blah, blah. I'm planning my next move, but you have to find the good you have in the present moment and appreciate it.
Yes, though my regret comes mostly from what I consider a stall in my career. I moved from the D.C. area to Chicagoland right around the time the recession officially ended in 2009. My employer shut down operations there and I had to choose between working in Chicago's suburbs or Baltimore.
I felt a little stupid and angry when I realized how hard it is to get a job out of state, and how terrible metro Chicago is for jobs in my field, even during good times. There are some things I like about this area, but I'm getting older and feel like staying around here does not really serve my best interest. I'm glad this board exists and has lots of useful info, because I might just end up moving back without a job lined up if I can't get one from afar or get transferred.
My plan right now is to work here another year or two and then try to get a job transfer or simply move. I didn't want to have to move again and am not looking forward to it, but it will probably be necessary for my sanity. A lot of OKC homers boost the city as being an up and coming place and great city to move to, and it may one day be, but its not there yet, and is a LONG ways from "there." I'll probably try to make the move down to Dallas or Houston by the time I'm 30.
My huge regret is letting my family convince me to settle for Oklahoma, and thinking it would come close to matching up to what I had in Charlotte. I didn't have a choice but to leave Charlotte for economic reasons, but I could have probably found a job in DFW, of course against my family's advice, and moved there instead. Has anybody else ever made a move that was unwise and regretted it? What did you end up doing about it?
Dude, if you hate it that much (and think that DFW is going to be that much better) then don't wait a year or two. Just start looking for opportunities to move now.
I moved somewhere where I hated for college. I moved to the woods of New Hampshire because I got into an ivy league school that I applied for on a whim, and thought it would be cool to go. I was a little uneasy about the prospects of being so far away from anything (and it's not like I even came from a big city) but ready for a new adventure. It couldn't have been a worse fit. After two years I knew I had to get out, but my Dad (who is very much an academic...and was footing my bill) threatened to cut me off if I transferred anywhere else. So I stuck it out for two more years...and ended up completely losing my sanity. The small town, the stuffy attitudes, the feeling that you can't go anywhere without so many people knowing every step of your way, the sub-freezing winters, mudseason the rest of the year, the lack of almost any kind of amenities, the isolation from everything--it left me a changed person and not for the better. I should have taken my Dad's offer. Once I left it took years to recover.
I've heard the "it's not the place, it's the person" line countless times...and it's BS. I came in with a very open mind and left wrecked. The wrong place can do that to you. You can't find what you need where it doesn't exist. Lots of people liked it there, but not every place is going to work for every person.
The one important thing that I learned from this, more than from any class I took, is to NEVER let myself live somewhere that's not right for me ever again, for any reason. NEVER. Even if family's there. Even if jobs are there. Even if I have to give up everything and anything. Even if I have to be homeless (which thankfully hasn't happened.) But just knowing that I'm willing to do anything to make it not happen again, makes me realize I don't need to worry.
I moved to California upon graduation and never looked back. My family, like many others, fell prey to the media's portrayal of California being a disaster state, broke, on fire, etc and too expensive to live. They're trying to get me to consider moving elsewhere. Closer to them, or not, as long as it's not in CA, and I need to "open up my options". (Ironic since they've lived in their respective towns longer than I've lived here. ) They don't have to like it (but, they visit me every winter...again, ) but I know that I've found my place.
7 years ago, my husband got sent to MT on work business. He was offered a permanent position there by a different company. It sounded like a great adventure, so we packed up 3 kids, sold the home we had built with our own hands, and moved 700 miles from our friends and families. I have spent 7 years wanting to move back "home". Our marriage has suffered, our finances have suffered... it has not been the great adventure we thought it would be.
So, yes... I have moved somewhere and regretted it. What did I do about it? Nothing. My kids and husband are happy here, so I keep smiling and wait for it to get better.
Madison, Wisconsin. Talked into by a friend, who moved to Scotland after I was there for 5 months.
The town was crammed with 40,000 students, primarily from the farms of Wisconsin, who mostly acted like drunken sailors on shore leave. The locals put down anyone who was from a city. That meant me.
Then there was the bitter winters with winds that cut right through you, and steamy summers with waves of humidity and mosquitos rising from the 2 lakes that surround the city on 3 sides. Lived in a 1920's house with no insulation and roommates who thought paying for heat was a waste of money. The dishes soaking in the sink had ice on them in the morning. I lived under an electric blanket for 2 years.
I looked for a job in California, and moved there as soon as I could.
Madison, Wisconsin. Talked into by a friend, who moved to Scotland after I was there for 5 months.
The town was crammed with 40,000 students, primarily from the farms of Wisconsin, who mostly acted like drunken sailors on shore leave. The locals put down anyone who was from a city. That meant me.
Then there was the bitter winters with winds that cut right through you, and steamy summers with waves of humidity and mosquitos rising from the 2 lakes that surround the city on 3 sides. Lived in a 1920's house with no insulation and roommates who thought paying for heat was a waste of money. The dishes soaking in the sink had ice on them in the morning. I lived under an electric blanket for 2 years.
I looked for a job in California, and moved there as soon as I could.
LOL -- you sound like my twin! That's actually where my sister lives, and she's tried to get me to move out there too. I've visited a few times and had a good time, but the overwhelming college mentality and awful-or-worse weather for almost the entire year are exactly two of the reasons (among others) why I know I'd never make it there.
....Has anybody else ever made a move that was unwise and regretted it? What did you end up doing about it?
Oh yes, to an "island paradise" at the other end of my continent. I stayed three years, and each year was more of a bummer. Realized there was no point to staying, sold out and moved back to square one. I have been very happy since then as I have realized that while "far away hills are green," they can suck when you get there.
I've heard the "it's not the place, it's the person" line countless times...and it's BS. I came in with a very open mind and left wrecked. The wrong place can do that to you. You can't find what you need where it doesn't exist. Lots of people liked it there, but not every place is going to work for every person.
The one important thing that I learned from this, more than from any class I took, is to NEVER let myself live somewhere that's not right for me ever again, for any reason. NEVER.
It's not the place,it's the person is BS, totally. It's the only thing they can say about places that suck so much! Where I live now, my husband & I call it the pits of America. We actually laugh that people like it here or think it's okay. Only those who've never visited any other place maybe? People actually walk around with scowls and long-faces. First thing I noticed. I mean it' s something that hits you like a ton of bricks. I call it "the faces," and we joke about it. Luckily, I have always been able to find humor in the most terrible of situations.
Last edited by Nanny Goat; 01-31-2013 at 04:58 AM..
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) They don't have to like it (but, they visit me every winter...again, 
Where I live now, my husband & I call it the pits of America. We actually laugh that people like it here or think it's okay. Only those who've never visited any other place maybe? People actually walk around with scowls and long-faces. First thing I noticed. I mean it' s something that hits you like a ton of bricks. I call it "the faces," 
and we joke about it. Luckily, I have always been able to find humor in the most terrible of situations.