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Hey looking for stories on people who decided to move to a new city and try something new and how it has effected your overall happiness. For instance I moved from CT to Miami because I hated cold weather, boring quality of life, high cost of living and such.. At First it was a dream come true because I was able to get perfect weather, have tons of actions and such but now 4 years later I actually hate Miami/Ft Lauderdale long term and am looking to move to Tampa bay Long term. At first like anything it probably is new and excited when you move but after a while it gets old I know that but does anyone have stories where moving has drastically changed there lives for the better and they can say they truly are happy?
I think that people are more and less effected by their external environment. I am someone who is very sensitive to my surroundings (inside and out) so i've made different moves in my life that have been helpful and that have provided me with an external environment that is more resonant with who i am.
Some people are really fortunate and find the perfect place and the place where they feel that they truly belong. I'm not sure if most people have that though.
And to quote Buckaroo Banzai, "no matter where you go, there you are".
That's an important thing to remember if you're someone who keeps moving because you think that the next place may bring happiness. And it may. Or it may not.
It's one thing to not like that place where you live but if you have a habit / pattern of blaming your state of being on your external environment, you may want to look at that.
Just a suggestion for what it's worth.
Commenting because I would like to hear as well. I personally don't feel like I belong or enjoy Arizona that much. I feel like I should like where I live more... But I don't. I am hoping to relocate when I am done with college but I don't know where my "dream place" is. I love Flagstaff but it's too small and gets a ridiculous amount of snow. (Same weather, less snow? Maybe?) The COL is also ridiculous there. I feel like my "dream place" is in the West somewhere, but I am more well-travelled internationally than I am with my own country, so I am hesitant on making a move. Even though ideally I would like to be out of here when I graduate, there's a good chance I won't be and I'll end up in Phoenix. Growing up my family has always hated the cold (makes sense they live in Phoenix, right?) so I've never gotten to travel to these places I feel like I would enjoy more, as I hate the heat and love colder weather. My travels in this country exist of the Sun Belt, and one time to Alaska, and almost primarily Southern California and New Orleans. I know neither Southern California or New Orleans is right for me. My parents are planning to move to Florida within the year and while I have the option of going with them, I don't think I will. They are looking near Tampa, on the Gulf side, but I feel like I would only like living in Miami. But Florida isn't exactly what I'm looking for either.
I like Arizona but I don't like living here anymore. Maybe I have itchy feet but I'm scared to make a mistake.
Southern California native. I spent my first few years out of high school researching where my dream place could be. I concluded that Denver could be my dream place.
I moved to Denver, and loved it the first year and a half or so. Then I had to move to Spokane, WA for work, a place that had come up in my research in the past, but I had ultimately dismissed it for fears of it being not diverse enough.
So I moved to Spokane. I was only there about 6 months, but I LOVED it. Turns out, a place can be not racist, and can also be not diverse. I had to be dragged away kicking and screaming (and crying). Back to Denver I went.
Been back in Denver almost another 7 years. Denver just doesn't compare for me. I see it how I used to see my native-California, as in, I mostly see its warts. Denver has been VERY good to me, and there is a ton to like about it, but I've just never had the opportunity to connect with its soul (I can't find one).
I went back to Spokane last summer. It still felt like home to me, whereas in Denver I still feel like an impostor.
It just isn't in the cards to move back to Spokane though. In Denver, I have achieved more success than I had ever dreamed, I don't know that I would have been able to do the same in Spokane, or even in my native CA.
So while Spokane made me happy for a short time (I was also quite poor during that time), who's to know if it would have maintained had I stayed for the long haul? Denver has made me content at best (even with all the $$$, the home ownership, things to do).
I think I could be happier somewhere else. A lifestyle change in itself might be worth it, but it's a risk to find out if I'd be happier.
So here I stay, until something takes me somewhere else.
Commenting because I would like to hear as well. I personally don't feel like I belong or enjoy Arizona that much. I feel like I should like where I live more... But I don't. I am hoping to relocate when I am done with college but I don't know where my "dream place" is. I love Flagstaff but it's too small and gets a ridiculous amount of snow. (Same weather, less snow? Maybe?) The COL is also ridiculous there. I feel like my "dream place" is in the West somewhere, but I am more well-travelled internationally than I am with my own country, so I am hesitant on making a move. Even though ideally I would like to be out of here when I graduate, there's a good chance I won't be and I'll end up in Phoenix. Growing up my family has always hated the cold (makes sense they live in Phoenix, right?) so I've never gotten to travel to these places I feel like I would enjoy more, as I hate the heat and love colder weather. My travels in this country exist of the Sun Belt, and one time to Alaska, and almost primarily Southern California and New Orleans. I know neither Southern California or New Orleans is right for me. My parents are planning to move to Florida within the year and while I have the option of going with them, I don't think I will. They are looking near Tampa, on the Gulf side, but I feel like I would only like living in Miami. But Florida isn't exactly what I'm looking for either.
I like Arizona but I don't like living here anymore. Maybe I have itchy feet but I'm scared to make a mistake.
Why dont you move to Albuquerque or Colorado Springs right now?
Commenting because I would like to hear as well. I personally don't feel like I belong or enjoy Arizona that much. I feel like I should like where I live more... But I don't. I am hoping to relocate when I am done with college but I don't know where my "dream place" is. I love Flagstaff but it's too small and gets a ridiculous amount of snow. (Same weather, less snow? Maybe?) The COL is also ridiculous there. I feel like my "dream place" is in the West somewhere, but I am more well-travelled internationally than I am with my own country, so I am hesitant on making a move. Even though ideally I would like to be out of here when I graduate, there's a good chance I won't be and I'll end up in Phoenix. Growing up my family has always hated the cold (makes sense they live in Phoenix, right?) so I've never gotten to travel to these places I feel like I would enjoy more, as I hate the heat and love colder weather. My travels in this country exist of the Sun Belt, and one time to Alaska, and almost primarily Southern California and New Orleans. I know neither Southern California or New Orleans is right for me. My parents are planning to move to Florida within the year and while I have the option of going with them, I don't think I will. They are looking near Tampa, on the Gulf side, but I feel like I would only like living in Miami. But Florida isn't exactly what I'm looking for either.
I like Arizona but I don't like living here anymore. Maybe I have itchy feet but I'm scared to make a mistake.
I really didn't like living in Phoenix growing up. I have moved to LA for college and this is my fourth year in LA. When I left Phoenix, I started to miss it, and every-time I go back or spend a summer(yes I know summer!) I start to like it even more. This happened to a lot of my friends who moved away from Scottsdale/Phoenix to the midwest/east coast and ended up coming back within a year. That being said, if Arizona is all that you have known then I completely understand where you are coming from. Maybe you should try another corner state city like Denver or Albuquerque, maybe even Salt Late City. These cities don't get as much snow as Flagstaff and have bigger city amenities than Flagg does(not sure if ALBQ does, didn't feel that big to me when I went, but I know the other two do).
I'm also quite curious about this thread too. I like living in LA but it is too big for me, I constantly feel like a small fish in a HUGE sea. Anyone else have stories of how their move changed their mood/ect.?
We lived our whole life in the Chicago area. My parents had a home in Tucson, AZ and we would visit on vacation. They eventually moved there full time, and I have other family in that city. My wife and I would vacation at my parents' house, hang with family, do the touristy things, etc. We thought we'd want to live there.
I eventually got that opportunity, and we moved the family to Tucson. There was about a 1 year adjustment where my wife hated it. I was okay with it, trying to stay positive. The schools are atrocious - we switched schools after 3 weeks to a charter school that was better, but still had many flaws, and was 25 minutes away. The city itself pretty much sucks, but we did still love the views we had, the weather, and we met a lot of friends right away.
At that year mark, we started to settle in pretty well, and got to a point where we wanted to stay. It helped we had a nice home with a pool, and some good friends. But my job got worse, and given there weren't really comparable jobs in the area, we had to contemplate moving.
We then moved back to Chicago after 2 years in Tucson. It was tough coming back, we were excited to see our friends and family there again, but things weren't quite the same. It took probably 2-3 years to really get back into the groove "back home".
However, now that we've been back in Chicago (Naperville) for 12 years, it was really the best decision we ever made. The schools have been so much better, the quality of life has been great. We are better off for moving back, even though it wasn't clear at first.
I have mixed thoughts about our 2 year stint in Tucson.
Why dont you move to Albuquerque or Colorado Springs right now?
Well college and I would need a job. You know someone hiring? I have looked at the ABQ market and it is ABYSMAL, just like Tucson. I'm more interested in Denver than Colorado Springs, but who knows I don't know the difference. Closest I've been to there was Durango, which isn't all that close if you think about it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by i'm not a cookie
I really didn't like living in Phoenix growing up. I have moved to LA for college and this is my fourth year in LA. When I left Phoenix, I started to miss it, and every-time I go back or spend a summer(yes I know summer!) I start to like it even more. This happened to a lot of my friends who moved away from Scottsdale/Phoenix to the midwest/east coast and ended up coming back within a year. That being said, if Arizona is all that you have known then I completely understand where you are coming from. Maybe you should try another corner state city like Denver or Albuquerque, maybe even Salt Late City. These cities don't get as much snow as Flagstaff and have bigger city amenities than Flagg does(not sure if ALBQ does, didn't feel that big to me when I went, but I know the other two do).
I'm also quite curious about this thread too. I like living in LA but it is too big for me, I constantly feel like a small fish in a HUGE sea. Anyone else have stories of how their move changed their mood/ect.?
You are insane for missing an Arizona summer. Or even enjoy it for that matter. I like monsoon season, probably because I like storms and rain in general (a change from the monotonous weather we have, yes?) and the haboobs are cool but also annoying.
Today it is cloudy and windy here in Tucson, highs of 66 not including the wind I assume, and it feels great. I am wearing denim pants, flip flops (I pretty much wear flip flops religiously) and a very thin T-shirt. I am not your average Arizonan. I thrive in this, though I wish the wind would stop kicking up allergies.
I don't plan on going ridiculously far. The East to be completely honest doesn't appeal to me all that much. Not that it isn't beautiful or has it's advantages over the Western half but I can't see myself living out there. One of my best friends from college lives in Nassau County on Long Island and when I visit her we go into the City together, she shows me what's around her town on Long Island and I got to see quite a bit of Staten Island as well since her family lives there. I'm jealous of the suburban fabric of Long Island and Staten Island (Staten even more), I like the style of the older homes out there, and the greenery there is a huge change for me (so green!) but outside of that I don't enjoy it more or less than Phoenix. The City, while cool-looking, I have never been in love with or romanticized about. Too much people. If anything I would want the greenery, but you can't always win now can you. Besides I'm more partial to the forests out here, with the pine trees and such.
Los Angeles is huge. I get anxiety on the freeways there. I don't know how anyone could even consider owning a car in that area. Even in non-rush hour there I would want to drive my car off the freeway and fall straight down instead of sitting there.
Well college and I would need a job. You know someone hiring? I have looked at the ABQ market and it is ABYSMAL, just like Tucson. I'm more interested in Denver than Colorado Springs, but who knows I don't know the difference. Closest I've been to there was Durango, which isn't all that close if you think about it.
You are insane for missing an Arizona summer. Or even enjoy it for that matter. I like monsoon season, probably because I like storms and rain in general (a change from the monotonous weather we have, yes?) and the haboobs are cool but also annoying.
Today it is cloudy and windy here in Tucson, highs of 66 not including the wind I assume, and it feels great. I am wearing denim pants, flip flops (I pretty much wear flip flops religiously) and a very thin T-shirt. I am not your average Arizonan. I thrive in this, though I wish the wind would stop kicking up allergies.
I don't plan on going ridiculously far. The East to be completely honest doesn't appeal to me all that much. Not that it isn't beautiful or has it's advantages over the Western half but I can't see myself living out there. One of my best friends from college lives in Nassau County on Long Island and when I visit her we go into the City together, she shows me what's around her town on Long Island and I got to see quite a bit of Staten Island as well since her family lives there. I'm jealous of the suburban fabric of Long Island and Staten Island (Staten even more), I like the style of the older homes out there, and the greenery there is a huge change for me (so green!) but outside of that I don't enjoy it more or less than Phoenix. The City, while cool-looking, I have never been in love with or romanticized about. Too much people. If anything I would want the greenery, but you can't always win now can you. Besides I'm more partial to the forests out here, with the pine trees and such.
Los Angeles is huge. I get anxiety on the freeways there. I don't know how anyone could even consider owning a car in that area. Even in non-rush hour there I would want to drive my car off the freeway and fall straight down instead of sitting there.
haha I wasn't trying to say I miss Arizona summers. I was just trying to state that I missed the feel of Scottsdale that when I went back for break, the summers started not to bother me as much as they used to.
LA freeways suck, but the LA light rail is becoming more extensive, lessoning the trips that people have to take on the freeway.
Five years ago I moved from Eastern Nebraska to Rapid City, South Dakota. I moved for a relationship and a job. I still have the relationship, and after a bad job experience I have a much better one now that I love. I have settled here and I am very happy. The weather suits me and I love the Black Hills. I discovered that I enjoy outdoor activities. I've met some great people and taken the initiative to get in better shape. I've bought a house and am hoping to go back to school this year.
My friends and family have commented about how much happier I am now, because it's very obvious.
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I have looked at the ABQ market and it is ABYSMAL, just like Tucson. I'm more interested in Denver than Colorado Springs, but who knows I don't know the difference. Closest I've been to there was Durango, which isn't all that close if you think about it.
