Who here has left their home state without intent to move back? (fit in, new home)

[EclecticEars]

If so, which state are you from? What prompted you to leave your state? Where are you living now? What about your new home do you like better than where you were raised?

I've been trying hard to leave Kentucky over the last three years...but it is hard to secure a job out of state when you have no connections. So I'm considering the "saving up for grad school" or "enlisting in the Air Force Reserves and letting them pay for grad school" route. (Note: I've long considered Air Force or Navy for service to country long before I started thinking about the whole 'grad school' thing, so please don't think that money is the sole priority.) I've never felt like I belonged here and fit in with the generally "rednecky" culture of Kentucky. Even though I'm a friendly and warm (albeit a bit reserved until you get to know me) guy, it is extremely hard to connect with people here who aren't mired in cheering for UK sports or Keeneland horse racing events year-round. The people are superficially nice here; you don't meet a ton of all out jerks, but people have very polite ways of excluding certain ones from social classes and cliques. Part of the reason I support University of Louisville and Duke University athletics is to p*ss off normal Kentuckians...and it works!!

I've felt more of a friendly connection with people I meet from Houston, Fort Worth and parts of coastal California. I've been to these places, liked what I saw, liked the people and liked the climates (Houston is the humid outlier, I'll admit, but I can handle humidity.) I considered Austin for quite some time and I still find it a cool and fascinating city, but I've heard that the road rage is terrible for a city its size.

So, will the grass be greener on the other side? I have wanderlust and would like to find out, but my inclination is that there are many places in the U.S. that have to have a higher quality of life and more well-rounded and thoughtful population than Kentucky. Only time will tell...

[taydev]

I plan on leaving TX, where I live and was raised. I'm going to NY after grad school myself and I plan on staying there. I'll never live I TX again, just visit my family. I love TX (Houston mostly) but my relationship with my home state has run its course. I'm also looking for a new experience in NYC

[IBrakeforTailgaters]

It's not far, but I moved about 15 minutes up the road to North Carolina over 4 years ago from South Carolina. I can't see myself living in South Carolina again. To me, there are more opportunities in NC, as well as larger cities, more diversity and the atmosphere is more progressive.

Grad school would definitely give you an opportunity to get out of Kentucky and be part of an environment that you enjoy for a few years. I'm sure you've already checked out schools in those locales, so I wish you the best. For connections, I would think the Air Force and Navy would be tremendous opportunities. Those who serve our country get a lot of respect from strangers and long time friends alike.

I used to wonder why everyone flocked to North Carolina from other states, but now that I've grown up a little, researched costs of living and weather and other variables, and listened to people, I can understand why people find "promised lands", so to speak and leave areas that keep them from being happy. We only have one life--gotta live it up because we have no idea when it's over.

[Count David]

I left CA on May 31, 2007 and have not even set foot in the place since. Nor do I intend to.

For me, the reasons were cost-of-living (housing especially), jobs/income, weather/climate (there aren't too many populated places with four seasons in CA), traffic, etc.

I live in Denver, CO, and cost-of-living is better, my wife and I make "bank", there are four fair-weather seasons (as in each one can occur at any time), and traffic isn't bad if you live close to work. I'm not too fond of the ultra-suburban or hipster lifestyles that seem to permeate here. I find the scenery to be lacking as well.

I also lived in Spokane, WA for a brief period and really liked it. Jobs and good incomes aren't plentiful there (the main reason we did not stay), but traffic was near non-existent, the people were awesome and the scenery was breathtaking.

Not mad that I left CA in the least. What many of us CA'ians don't realize is that there is a whole (better) world outside of its borders.

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by taydev

I plan on leaving TX, where I live and was raised. I'm going to NY after grad school myself and I plan on staying there. I'll never live I TX again, just visit my family. I love TX (Houston mostly) but my relationship with my home state has run its course. I'm also looking for a new experience in NYC

I considered NYC for quite some time for nothing more than the fascination factor. I would live there if a stellar job opportunity landed on my lap and I could live in a nice yet unpretentious neighborhood (read: non-hipster) near Manhattan (like Astoria, Long Island City.)

Originally Posted by IBrakeforTailgaters

It's not far, but I moved about 15 minutes up the road to North Carolina over 4 years ago from South Carolina. I can't see myself living in South Carolina again. To me, there are more opportunities in NC, as well as larger cities, more diversity and the atmosphere is more progressive.

Grad school would definitely give you an opportunity to get out of Kentucky and be part of an environment that you enjoy for a few years. I'm sure you've already checked out schools in those locales, so I wish you the best. For connections, I would think the Air Force and Navy would be tremendous opportunities. Those who serve our country get a lot of respect from strangers and long time friends alike.

I used to wonder why everyone flocked to North Carolina from other states, but now that I've grown up a little, researched costs of living and weather and other variables, and listened to people, I can understand why people find "promised lands", so to speak and leave areas that keep them from being happy. We only have one life--gotta live it up because we have no idea when it's over.

I'm curious, A LOT of people from Kentucky and the Cincinnati area go to South Carolina for vacation and rant and rave about it. They talk about how great of a state it is. I don't have a real desire to visit, unless it's Charleston. My current boss spent time in SC when she was in the Air Force and speaks HIGHLY of it.

Thanks for your input, it is really interesting! I've always heard that where you live "is what you make it." That's true to some extent, and I like the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati metro region better than my home region of Central Kentucky (Frankfort/Lexington/Louisville), but not nearly as much as I thought I would. There are a lot of beautiful parks, cultural activities and a nice skyline. But my heart lies in certain locales southwest.

[GeorgiaTransplant]

I started in Oregon, native Oregonian in the Willamette Valley.

Joined the Army, went a couple of places. Went back to Oregon for undergrad degree.

Following that got reinvolved with the Feds, have-at this point-lived (civilian) or been stationed-permanently, on the economy (military) in:
California
Hawaii
Georgia
New Jersey
New York
Virginia, several times/places
Colorado
Washington
Europe

I've never really *disliked* anyplace, and I include California there. I really doubt I'm going back to Oregon, though.

My favorite three, though? In order, and where I'd like to retire to one day:
Colorado <- Denver
Hawaii <- Honolulu or Kaneohe
Virginia <- Hampton Roads

The grass *will* be greener if you keep an open mind. You're not moving to spread the gospel of Kentucky living, you are moving to take advantage of the opportunities there.

However, don't discount Kentucky *until* you have lived for awhile outside. It does sound like you are keeping an open mind here. Nothing irritates me more than the folks on boards here-you know the ones:

"State X is a dirthole, State X can't get anything together, I can't wait to leave City Y in State X because the people are shallow and superficial and it is SO much better outside this state...I'm 18 and have never lived outside City Y. But I visited City Z once for two weeks, so I KNOW!"

[EclecticEars]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

I left CA on May 31, 2007 and have not even set foot in the place since. Nor do I intend to.

For me, the reasons were cost-of-living (housing especially), jobs/income, weather/climate (there aren't too many populated places with four seasons in CA), traffic, etc.

I live in Denver, CO, and cost-of-living is better, my wife and I make "bank", there are four fair-weather seasons (as in each one can occur at any time), and traffic isn't bad if you live close to work. I'm not too fond of the ultra-suburban or hipster lifestyles that seem to permeate here. I find the scenery to be lacking as well.

I also lived in Spokane, WA for a brief period and really liked it. Jobs and good incomes aren't plentiful there (the main reason we did not stay), but traffic was near non-existent, the people were awesome and the scenery was breathtaking.

Not mad that I left CA in the least. What many of us CA'ians don't realize is that there is a whole (better) world outside of its borders.

Thanks for the input!

I would think that Colorado would be too cold. On the other hand, I would think that Denver/Boulder would be abundant in the arts, culture and great colleges departments (UC-Boulder is there, for example, and UC-Denver isn't shabby at all.) I wouldn't think that urban/suburban Californians and other urban/suburban westerners wouldn't feel like a fish out of water in Denver (except for maybe the cold climate issue.)

One thing about California, people seem to either love it or bash it. And that's natives and non-natives alike.

Originally Posted by GeorgiaTransplant

I've never really *disliked* anyplace, and I include California there. I really doubt I'm going back to Oregon, though.

My favorite three, though? In order, and where I'd like to retire to one day:
Colorado <- Denver
Hawaii <- Honolulu or Kaneohe
Virginia <- Hampton Roads

The grass *will* be greener if you keep an open mind. You're not moving to spread the gospel of Kentucky living, you are moving to take advantage of the opportunities there.

However, don't discount Kentucky *until* you have lived for awhile outside. It does sound like you are keeping an open mind here. Nothing irritates me more than the folks on boards here-you know the ones:

"State X is a dirthole, State X can't get anything together, I can't wait to leave City Y in State X because the people are shallow and superficial and it is SO much better outside this state...I'm 18 and have never lived outside City Y. But I visited City Z once for two weeks, so I KNOW!"

Where I live now, northern KY (part of Greater Cincinnati), the grass is greener for me in many ways than where I was raised, central KY. I didn't care much for the Frankfort/ Lexington area (although Frankfort itself is a nice town, but I wouldn't live in the area again,) and I HATED...I mean, HATED Louisville. That said, the drivers are surprisingly rude, impolite and incompetent here--then again, so were drivers in Lexington. I thought drivers in L.A. and Atlanta were no worse than the drivers here, for example.

Also, while there are plenty of good, friendly people here, most don't go out of their way to make you feel like you're a part of their community--then again, that's been my experience living all over Kentucky. And I'm a friendly, chatty guy who can carry an intelligent conversation, but I've given up trying to convince myself that maybe there's something wrong with me. While small talk isn't always a factor of true friendliness, more people initiated small talk with me in one week in Texas or three days in SoCal (City of L.A. excluded) than in five years in Kentucky. No joke.

I did use to harbor that teenage high school brat "well things have to better here because I know so" mentality. But today that attitude, due to maturing and more exposure to the outside world, has transpired into confidence; it is a confidence that is prompting me to get out and see what's out there.

While Texas and coastal CA are my main picks, there are other places I'd consider. These are Oklahoma City, b/c of the similarity to Texas culture, and New York City for the fascination factor alone. I could possibly do Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, Tulsa, Seattle/Tacoma, Sacramento, or the state of Hawaii.

[Jwo85]

I have been trying to move out Michigan. There are no opportunities here in the state. It seems you can’t make a difference because of being outnumbered by the old timers who don’t want change. The state also has been touting automotive jobs which have crippled the state since I have been alive.

High school kids don’t want to work in a factory so they end up going to college and getting a degree, which Michigan pretty much has no job opportunities for those programs that are offered in college because everything is focused on a dead industry in the largest populated area of the state. Many young college educated people have moved out of Michigan already and those families follow too.

[redjan1225]

I was born and raised in Orange County, CA. I left there when I was 27 and moved up to a small town north of Sacramento, CA. I left there after 2 years for Phoenix, AZ and haven't looked back. I miss the farming communities of Northern California, and miss some of the cities like Chico, Redding, Auburn, and Nevada City. But I do not miss Southern California in the least. I try to visit as little as possible, but when I go, I practically have an anxiety attack.

To sum up one reason I hate SoCal, I got in an accident in the I-5 where I was rear ended by an Arab man and my car was bumped into the car in front of me being driven by a Vietnamese man, neither of whom spoke English. It was an absolute mess that I won't go in to details on. I guess I sort of don't miss that extreme diversity.

I also don't miss the SoCal traffic. While visiting last month, I noticed you get to drive just long enough to get to the next light in Orange County before the light turns red and you stop again. Then it is off to the next light to sit and wait. Not to say we don't have traffic in Phoenix, but it is nothing like that.

I have a more lucrative job in Phoenix and met my husband here. I moved here for friends and not the housing boom which I think is one of the big reasons I am still here and still loving it.

So many people I went to high school with have never left the OC and never intend to. They intend to raise their children in the same town attending the same schools we attended, etc. Very few of my graduating class-mates have moved away from the OC. I think this is kind of sad. Sure, it was a nice safe place to grow up, but there is so much more to life.

[yankinscotland]

I left Michigan in 1990 - reason was solely based on my hatred of cold, snowy winters. I moved to East TN and for the most part I loved it there. Left there after 10 years to move overseas. Not moving back.