Just a Thought (fit in, rent, movers)

[Artsywoman]

I have been living here in Tampa, Florida for a year. I moved here from Northern Virginia, which is my hometown. I have never lived anywhere else and it has been difficult to settle here in Tampa. The South is very different from the North. I am finding that I really do not want to stay here and have thought of moving back recently. The homesickness comes and goes, but lately it has stayed. Has anyone ever moved from the Nova/DC area and then moved back?

[JLK706]

Hi Artsywoman,

I have done it! I wrote a thread awhile ago and I think you even replied about how I moved south and was homesick. I moved to NC and I was very homesick even though there were things I loved about the new area too.

I guess it depends. For me the reasons I went down there did not work out and moving back made sense but before that even happened I wanted to move back. I had lived here my whole life and wanted to experience something different but it took moving away to really appreciate how great this area is. The hardest part was missing friends and family but now that I am back I am appreciating how great this area is as well. Good luck with whatever you decide. There is no shame in moving home!

[mlv311]

We did too. We moved to Seattle in 2003 and returned to NoVA in 2007. I can't tell you how content I am to be back. I've lived in different states and even other countries. How well you adjust to a different place will depend on how well you fit in. If Tampa isn't for you, don't be scared to come back. At least you tried something else. Good luck with your decision.

[VEIK]

Back from Seattle, oh wow.
What did you not like about Seattle?
I was there few months ago, and really liked the city vibe, and proximity to Vancouver makes it an interesting place to live.

I guess everyone is different.

[JLK706]

I have a lot of family in Seattle and have spent a lot of time there. I thought that was one of the places I really wanted to move. I never did because I didn't want to leave my immediate family on the East coast but from what I understand the months of drizzle and gray weather can be very depressing for people who are not use to it.

But I do love Seattle and think it's a great city. I also loved Charlotte where I just moved back from and thought it was a great city. So like I said it all depends. Just because it's a great place doesn't mean you are going to be happy there if you belong somewhere else.

[Artsywoman]

Originally Posted by JLK706

Hi Artsywoman,

I have done it! I wrote a thread awhile ago and I think you even replied about how I moved south and was homesick. I moved to NC and I was very homesick even though there were things I loved about the new area too.

I guess it depends. For me the reasons I went down there did not work out and moving back made sense but before that even happened I wanted to move back. I had lived here my whole life and wanted to experience something different but it took moving away to really appreciate how great this area is. The hardest part was missing friends and family but now that I am back I am appreciating how great this area is as well. Good luck with whatever you decide. There is no shame in moving home!

Thanks. You are right. I answered your thread and I thought I would throw one out to see what others had been thru it. I just don't know what to do really. The only good thing is that the rents here are low. I wonder were the practical details difficult? I am pretty much alone, but have friends at home. I really could not stay with them however. Any suggestions are welcome and thanks again. I appreciate it.

[AnalyzeThis]

Artsywoman I am confused as to what kind of advice you are looking for? Seems to me that if you are serious about moving back then you need to start looking for employment in this area. Once you have secured a job then you can decide where you want to live and at that time explore your living options (i.e. rent or buy). I don't know what field you are in but certain agencies/companies would be willing to cover your relocation costs if you negotiate with them. If this will not be the case for you then you have to decide if you have enough money to pay movers to move you, if you want to load your goods in a UHAUL and move it yourself (I have done this and I am a woman so it isn't impossible), or if you don't have alot of goods then sell off your furniture pack your personal belongings in your car and drive on up. What other suggestions are you looking for? If you are more specific then we can answer you better.

BTW I lived in Tampa for half my life and LOVED It there. But I agree with you, the South and North are VERY different and Tampa vs. NoVA are WORLDS apart. Personally, I can't say I prefer one over the other but for the same of my career and social life I am enjoying NoVA more right now :-)

[CaseyMac]

I have never lived anywhere else, really....but I can recognize how cool things are here. That being said, I'm very jealous of your ability to drive across that big causeway they have in Tampa and go to the beach. Have you considered joining any social, religious or other groups of interest to meet people? You may really be suffering just from a lack of familiarity and the first task of moving to a new place, besides taking care of all your administrative obligations is to make the place familiar. So go listen to live music in Downtown St. Pete, find your favorite beach bar or go to the weekly library book talk. Just suggestions.

Best of luck either way.

[JLK706]

Well I was in a unique situation to move back. A relationship had ended for me and he helped finance my move back, I also own a home in this area and my employment was transferable so everything just fell into place.

If all that had not happened I am not sure how easy it would have been to just pick up and move back. I can say I am happy I am here though.

Without knowing your circumstances it's hard to say how a transition back would go.