winter vs. living near family (Milwaukee: friendly, best, pay)

[Milwaukee City]

I look back and say, "hey, I *lived* somewhere that was my favored vacation spot. Why not enjoy the 11+ months of living there solely, and then deal with my vacation time as additional bonus, versus the vice/versa of that?"

Great Post!!!

I love my family but I don't have to see them everyday, not to sound mean I just not a big family guy. Of course I'll miss my family terribly however what good am I if I'm always depressed and whiny in winter and I never leave my house to see them anyways. If I had brothers that I was close to maybe but I grew up without them so I never really had the brother effect. Plus I'm 27 and we don't spend time together anyways.

I'd rather move and find out that family does mean more to me once I'm gone and then I could move back, then winters won't be so bad and then moving will have been completely worth it. Because I found out what I truly have been missing.

This is my whole point^ you can always move back.

[jessysunshine]

Originally Posted by Milwaukee City

This is my whole point^ you can always move back.

That is true. You can always move again. However, in our case we have moved a lot, and we are at the point where we don't want to move a lot anymore, we want to settle somewhere to raise our family, and it would absolutely CRUSH my parents if we FINALLY moved there (after being gone 14 years) and then moved away again. If that ever happened it probably would've been better if we'd never moved back near them to begin with.

[Milwaukee City]

I just found a place for 795 within two blocks of petco with 700sq ft, but what do you expect right? And people say you can't find rent in SD for under 1500 they are nuts. I already live in a very small apt for the last 4yrs with my wife so if we can handle 650 sq ft in Milwaukee at 600/mo I think we can manage 795 for 700sq ft in San Diego.

[city_data91]

Originally Posted by jessysunshine

I am the OP of this thread, and I just have to chime in here and say, "WOW! It's so great to read all this input!" Thank you to everyone! It's been a pleasure to read all of your thoughts and stories.

I can relate to so much of what has been shared, and I have considered a lot of these things as it seems many of you have in your own struggles with this topic. It really is such a hard one, to which there are no easy answers, and I only wish I didn't have to deal with it. Ah, well. Tis my lot.

We, too, want to live where we love to live our everyday lives, which includes the weather. My husband is especially sensitive to weather, and SAD is a very real thing. We love to do outdoor recreational things, and we can relate to one of the posters when he mentioned living in SoCal and being able to go to the hills to hike or bike or to the beach throughout the year. We lived there, too, and that part of it was great. However, there are so many negatives about living there, and there's just no way we'll go back there. But yes, that part was great. And it's true, there is no perfect place. I just would like for us to find a place we both enjoy living and raising our family and that is close to my extended family, too, esp. for the sake of the kids and grandparents.

My husband does not have much of any family, and those he does have he is not close to, so he doesn't have the desire to live near family at all, the way I have that desire to be near to mine. He also is not from Wisconsin, and he doesn't care for much of the midwest, but he does like Milwaukee and all up along the coast there. He just doesn't want to handle the winters...and I don't think I can handle him not handling the winters. Seriously, we have to go where we both want to go, we're in this life together, and I don't want him to move somewhere just for me but then be miserable because of the winter weather. Yes, it is a state of mind, to a point, but the weather can have a real effect on you, postively or negatively, even if you try to "choose" to have a good attitude about it. I think many can relate from what I've read on other threads here on this forum.

I really desire to live within driving distance of family, esp. now that we have a child and one on the way. Flying is a hassle and a money-stealer, not to mention a time-stealer, and it really does bite to have to use your vacation time to see family all the time when you'd like to be able to go other places, too. But my family lives in a climate that six months of the year is so cold, and there really isn't a "warm" state near enough to there to live that is still within driving distance. So it's kind of...live there and deal with the winter weather or live within flying distance. Not great choices.

But a really good point was made on this thread that I hadn't thought of before...Live where your children will want to live when they are adults so they can stay close to you. I thought, "THAT is a really good point!" I don't want my daughter and other child to have to deal with this the way I have had to. And it really is enough to drive my husband insane, and I really don't want that for our marriage anymore. We just want to settle somewhere and be both be happy to be there.

Anyway, there is no easy answer here, but I do thank all of you for your input. It gives me a lot to think about, and I appreciate that you take the time to share your thoughts and your own stories.

Blessings.

I know I am responding late. But, I happened to find this thread and I have an idea that just might work. If you want to be somewhere (relatively) warm, but be close to family, here are some places to look into:

Tennessee
Kentucky
southern Missouri
southern Illinois
southern Indiana
southern Ohio

Tennessee is the mildest of these places. Some of them aren't necessarily warm, but warmth is relative and they're much milder than Wisconsin. The drive will not be short, but it might be doable.

Nashville to Milwaukee: 9 hours
Springfield, Missouri to Milwaukee: 9.5 hours
Saint Louis to Milwaukee: 6.5 hours
southern Illinois to Milwaukee: about 6.5 to 7.5 hours, depending on where you are
Evansville, Indiana to Milwaukee: 7.5 hours
Cincinnati to Milwaukee: 6.5 hours
Kentucky to Milwaukee: about 6.5 to 8.5 hours, depending on where you are

[annkathryn]

Originally Posted by PhotogGal

I used to live near Chicago and hardly ever saw my two stepsons and their families because they were living in Florida, and I never liked it there so didn't even want to visit often. A couple of years ago (after excessive heat and two hurricanes in a row), they both decided to move. One headed up near Raleigh, NC and the other other here to Greenville, SC. I came for a visit and not only fell in love with the city and surrounding area but became totally enraptured by my now toddler grandchilden.

I made a couple more quick visits and had packed and moved within the next five months. I don't regret it for a second, though I do miss my friends back home. Being close to family again and watching my grandkids grow up is better than anything I had going on in Chicago.

Now, having said that, I think it's far easier to move to be with family if your family is living in a warmer climate than Milwaukee or Chicago. If I had started out living in Greenville and they wanted me to move to Chicago, I'm not sure I could have made that move as readily.

You're sooo lucky you are where you are. If I didn't have children and grandchildren here, who I'm trying to get to move, I would NEVER be in Wisconsin. It's not even the weather, it's the rude unfriendly, cliquie people. Noone talks to anyone! It's not a happy place by any means. I have lived in Texas, Florida and Colorado and there is no comparison, people-wise.

[karfar]

Originally Posted by annkathryn

You're sooo lucky you are where you are. If I didn't have children and grandchildren here, who I'm trying to get to move, I would NEVER be in Wisconsin. It's not even the weather, it's the rude unfriendly, cliquie people. Noone talks to anyone! It's not a happy place by any means. I have lived in Texas, Florida and Colorado and there is no comparison, people-wise.

You are beyond boring. Please, go on another forum w/people who actually CARE what you say about them. Bye bye! Sayonara! Good riddance!

[Milwaukee City]

I love my family but if San Diego knocks on the door, I'm sorry but I'm outta here!

[Milwaukee City]

You know I used to say we in WI had 3 months of summer but not anymore. June the last 3 years has been cold or cool. I can't even keep my windows open over night, I must admit I live about 2 blocks from the lake and it's also very windy in the 5th Ward aka Walker's Point. Now I can say in WI we have two months of summer: July and August. June is spring and September is fall. I really do wish we had global warming. I feel like I live in SF with all the fog and fog horns going off in Walker's Point and the wind and the cool lake breeze.

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by karfar

You are beyond boring. Please, go on another forum w/people who actually CARE what you say about them

She ran out of those

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by annkathryn

You're sooo lucky you are where you are. If I didn't have children and grandchildren here, who I'm trying to get to move, I would NEVER be in Wisconsin. It's not even the weather, it's the rude unfriendly, cliquie people. Noone talks to anyone! It's not a happy place by any means. I have lived in Texas, Florida and Colorado and there is no comparison, people-wise.