[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

I'll be working on the far east side of Madison, so I'll end up living closer to Sun Prairie. I love the Downtown and university area and the fact they have a Trader Joe's!

Georgia O'Keeffe's home town.

[Clay385]

Originally Posted by canudigit

Having lived in AZ and having lived through this miserably hot summer both made me realize that, while many of us gripe about our Michigan winters, we would honestly be lost without four distinct seasons. I am SO sick of waking up to temps already in the 80s by 7 am and the sun beating down like a laser beam on the brown, crunchy grass! When I woke up yesterday the rain and temps in the 70s felt like a gift from God, so how anyone survives in places like FL and TX is beyond me, and I don't intend to find out.

I figure it like this: Michigan weather at least varies, and if we do get anything extreme, it never lasts more than a couple of months. Some of the best universities and medical facilities in the country are in Michigan. We also have some of the most gorgeous scenery, and of course, the beautiful, one of a kind, Great Lakes. Michigan is filled with down home, down to earth people who are content to be where they are and are surrounded by family, one of the leading indicators for happiness in life for most people. Best of all, Michigan is highly underrated by so many people who have no idea what it is like to live here, that it isn't crowded and full of transplants from other parts of the country telling us, "that's not how we do things back home", which seems to be a recurring complaint on the forums of various sunbelt states here on C-D. All in all, MI is a great place to call home, and I am quite contented to live out my years here as long as my spouse feels the same way and, as Coldjensens pointed out, our kids stay somewhat close by. I also have no intention of living hundreds or thousands of miles away from my kids and grandkids, so yeah, I would move to be close to them, but that's about the only reason that I would at this point in my life.

I was thinking about moving to Phoenix with my family but the heat and conservatives turned me off!

[Clay385]

Originally Posted by DONNIEANDDONNA417

Why move when you have a degree? Your opportunities should be endless.

a degree doesn't guarantee you a job anywhere.

[Clay385]

i hate to bring it up but race has a lot to do with it for me. I am African American so i MUST keep that in mind when thinking abut moving to other places. There are some pockets in Michigan that i wont go near BUT for the most part its not a bad place. I stay in metro Detroit (novi) and its a nice area. I wouldn't go in northville or Plymouth though. Bad experiences. I dont really feel comfortable going up north eaither and its ashame because i hear its gorgeous up there. I would hate to follow the rest of the black people to atlanta...WAY too crowded. Places in the south/southwest aren't for me either so Michigan is just a good fit. Plus all of my family is here, we have the most fresh water, AND close to canada if i ever need to escape lol but seriously michigan gets a bad rap. Glad to hear some fellow michiganders express their love for the state. I just hope we can find another industry to bring home to the state and boost the employment rate.

[Luzette]

My brother was just home for his vacation, and he has lived in Honolulu for a long time now. The last thing I said to him before he left was that he would always be a "Michigan Man." His reply was "yup."

[notdeconcentrate]

Originally Posted by Clay385

i hate to bring it up but race has a lot to do with it for me. I am African American so i MUST keep that in mind when thinking abut moving to other places.

I have to agree with you--this is absolutely a factor. For what it's worth, I've never had a problem "up north". Actually, there are places where I've expected to have an issue and didn't, like WV where my brother lives and very rural Kentucky where they just stared because they hadn't seen black people in their grocery store before.

Originally Posted by Clay385

I would hate to follow the rest of the black people to atlanta...WAY too crowded.

Please stop it!

[LivoniaMi]

I left 2 years ago for work. Moved to NC. I was there first then my family came down. They didn't really like it so they moved back. I waited until our lease was up in NC and I came back. I recently took a job as an armored car driver. Doesn't pay great, but it'll do until I find what I want.

[danielj72]

Unfortunately it is possible I will have to leave Michigan, job issues of course. I have not given up on a Michigan solution yet, but we will see. Tennessee, Georgia or even Arizona in the SW have been discussed. If I leave a nice state like Michigan for work I will not accept living somewhere I dont like at all for a job. TN and GA are nice places so I could live there, but no job is worth leaving Michigan for somewhere nasty. I am just praying that I dont have to leave at all.

[jaynarie]

I left for a job in 2007. I tried to come back this summer, but it didn't pan out. I will be trying again next summer.
(I am a teacher and I had to report back to my current school in NC on August 13.)

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by jaynarie

I left for a job in 2007. I tried to come back this summer, but it didn't pan out. I will be trying again next summer.
(I am a teacher and I had to report back to my current school in NC on August 13.)

I find it encouraging that you want to return so badly, because so many people who have always lived here in Michigan seem to think that living in one of the Carolinas would be the Yellow Brick Road to eternal happiness, so it always piques my curiosity when I find someone who wants to come back here after living there.