Am I Crazy??!! (Sterling Heights, Lansing, Bay City: home, vacation, job)

[dagnabit9]

I flew back to Michigan a couple of weeks ago for family (I was born in Bay City and grew up in Fraser and Sterling Heights, among other places there) and found I couldn't get moving back there out of my mind.

I live in Albuquerque (New Mexico) and have a decent job, but I've never quite felt at home out here. My kids are grown, so there is no concerns there really. If someone would offer me a job, I would come out there at the drop of a hat. But my wife, after I thought was warming up to the idea, told me that she doesn't really want to move back because of the weather. I don't really remember it being THAT bad! It's kind of like the choice between two extremes: heat and wind in the summer (NM) or cold and snow in the winter (Mich).

Am I starting to lose it? Is my la-la meter fully pegged? Help..!!

- Dagnabit9

[Brent85]

I find a certain hunger for Michigan when I'm away too. There are 7 nice months(April-October), and 5 months of cold/gloomy weather(November-March). Do what your heart tells you to.

[Sparrow_temp]

NM is exactly where I'd like to be rather than MI. So, yes you are crazy!

If you came here between Nov and Mar, you might have a better feeling for what you left with regard to weather -- cold, snow, and almost constant cloud cover. And then there's the bad economy in MI -- good luck finding a job at this point.

[Manox]

I lived in Holland, Michigan for a time. I live in Colorado now and I will tell you I fantasize about living in michigan a great deal. Especially west michigan. No area can compare to it's geography. I am originally from Colorado but my heart is in Michigan. If I can get back to Michigan, I will never leave!

[Sparrow_temp]

Wow -- living in Colorado and prefer Michigan's geology. Lifelong Michigan resident and I don't get it....

[TaxBait]

Originally Posted by Sparrow_temp

Wow -- living in Colorado and prefer Michigan's geology. Lifelong Michigan resident and I don't get it....

Not surprised. I spent 6 years there myself. The mountains are nice, but most of eastern Colorado is essentially high desert. Denver has considerable smog. They say every tree in the city was planted. Grass must be irrigated to grow. Many counties require very large tracts of land to have the right to drill a water well. Without municipal water fed by mountain snow pack the place would return to dust. Overall, it's a much harsher climate to live in than the sunshine statistics would indicate.
The greenery and abundant water in MI are easy to take for granted. The trick is to find some way to feed the insatiable leaches in Lansing and have enough time and money left to enjoy what we have. I found that much easier to do in Colorado. If I could only have CO pay and taxes and live in MI.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by dagnabit9

I flew back to Michigan a couple of weeks ago for family (I was born in Bay City and grew up in Fraser and Sterling Heights, among other places there) and found I couldn't get moving back there out of my mind.

I live in Albuquerque (New Mexico) and have a decent job, but I've never quite felt at home out here. My kids are grown, so there is no concerns there really. If someone would offer me a job, I would come out there at the drop of a hat. But my wife, after I thought was warming up to the idea, told me that she doesn't really want to move back because of the weather. I don't really remember it being THAT bad! It's kind of like the choice between two extremes: heat and wind in the summer (NM) or cold and snow in the winter (Mich).

Am I starting to lose it? Is my la-la meter fully pegged? Help..!!

- Dagnabit9

One thing that's easy to miss is that spring fever feeling when you've been living in a place that is always like spring.

Next year you should go for a vacation in the early part of January and see if it's still what you want.

[cardwellave]

Seems like people are saying this more and more. Michigan has a character all its own.

May I ask what industry you are in? May affect how readily you'll find a job, and where do you want to live in Michigan?

[tjay]

Originally Posted by Sparrow_temp

Wow -- living in Colorado and prefer Michigan's geology. Lifelong Michigan resident and I don't get it....

there's no lakes!!!!

colorado is nice, but i have to have my water.....and not just the great lakes but the thousands of smaller lakes as well.

i had to move to missouri and i dream about michigan ALL THE TIME, now that spring is here i miss it so bad. this will be my first summer away from home and i feel like i'm missing out

[1eyedjack]

Have a sister thats been in CO. for 18 years. Don't know if she'll ever come back here to live. When she is here she says other than family, how she misses the "green", the woods, trees, grass,etc. Like another poster said "do what's right for you and your family". Oh ya, she has snow days too.