Torn about staying here -- any advice? (Portland: living in, cities)

[Lee151]

I know from my personal experience that you don't get just over SADD or even just hatred of winter gloom. I'm a native Oregonian but I grew up in Phoenix and if I hadn't married a man who refuses to consider moving I'd have been long gone. I've been back in Portland over twenty years and still dread winter and it's endless gloom every year.

If I were young and single I'd move somewhere else in a heartbeat. Try Austin TX for a similar vibe with better weather. Almost everywhere else in the country has more sunny days than Portland and Seattle even if they get more inches of rain or snow. It isn't the rain, it is the gray skies and endless drizzle.

[mk57]

I agree with you, Lee151.

[sundaysmile]

First of all, thank you sincerely to everyone who responded (even the poster who thinks I'm whining -- I do appreciate honesty! ). I apologize for not getting back to this thread sooner; I've been reading all the replies, but I haven't had the time to sit down and write again, as it's been a rather hectic week. I'm going to write some more thorough replies in a bit, but for now I just want to give a general "thanks!" to everyone who took the time to read and respond... it is wonderful to have this forum as a resource and I am delighted so many people offered their opinions. It helps TREMENDOUSLY

[roneb]

Leisesturm: "I hope the o.p. is not a 'he'. If he indeed is male then, yes, that post was whiny and would deserve all our scorn and contempt. From a female it is acceptable, if a little 'precious'."

Minervah: "Wow! Sexist much?"

Yes, it's good to know that gender stereotypes are alive and well. After all, no one wants to deal with a whiny, sensitive guy, right?!

[roneb]

[quote=Lee151;7479036]I know from my personal experience that you don't get just over SADD or even just hatred of winter gloom. I'm a native Oregonian but I grew up in Phoenix and if I hadn't married a man who refuses to consider moving I'd have been long gone. I've been back in Portland over twenty years and still dread winter and it's endless gloom every year.[quote]

I can relate. I also have a spouse (wife) who is a life long PDXer and refuses to consider moving. A little frustrating at times, given that she's never lived anyplace else, so has no basis for comparisons. I'll admit, if you have nothing to compare it to, the weather may not be an issue. Portland has many strong points, but it also definitely has the gloomiest climate I've live in.

[Minervah]

I have to agree about SADD. Some people cannot get over it. A friend of mine had to move back to Jacksonville Fla after living here eight years and finding the special lights stopped helping her after awhile. They work for some not others.

I am the opposite. I hate sunshine in large amounts if I were to live in a sunny climate I would be miserable. You might want to try the lights if you have SADD but moving to a place with more sunshine might be a better resolution to the problem.

[deegers]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I have to agree about SADD. Some people cannot get over it. A friend of mine had to move back to Jacksonville Fla after living here eight years and finding the special lights stopped helping her after awhile. They work for some not others.

I am the opposite. I hate sunshine in large amounts if I were to live in a sunny climate I would be miserable. You might want to try the lights if you have SADD but moving to a place with more sunshine might be a better resolution to the problem.

I have found I'm like you Mini! I love warm sunny days, but I love my cloudy stormy or gray days. Makes me appreciate the sunny days, but I also had extreme intense sun for LONG periods of time which I do not like. I'm glad I'm not the only one!

[checar]

Originally Posted by roneb

For some, the winter weather in PDX is not that easily dealt with. Light boxes and vitamin supplements are not a cure-all. To some of us, the very fact that you have to sit with a light box is a reminder of the fact that the weather here sucks in the winter!

Thank you for making this point, it is important to realize that having to use special light bulbs and pills to trick your body just underlines the problem.

Also, this winter has been much sunnier than usual (this is my 5th one), as someone pointed out. There's more to come, we'll see how the Spring and early Summer months play out - you can't count on lots of sunny days until July.

Take the above into consideration when assessing your experience here so far.

I share your dilemma about leaving this town, and if you appreciate the good things about it it's hard to find a substitute. It's just a unique place. Still, you may really like SF - you'll find more ambitious people there (plenty of slackers, too) and probably make friends more easily. Or what about Austin or Denver? Both have similarities to PDX but without the dreariness.

You can go anywhere at this point in your life.

Good luck.

[sundaysmile]

Alright, I have a few spare minutes (finally)! I'll try to address the major points that have been brought up in this thread; if I miss anything, let me know.

Thank you for everyone who mentioned getting SAD lights. Though I'm not financially equipped to buy anything more than about $10 right now (sigh) I'll definitely keep the lights in mind if I find myself here for another winter -- the lights sound like they may be very helpful.

Regarding the weather: I should mention that I grew up in Seattle, so I am no stranger to the rain and gloom. I moved to Arizona when I was 17, and did notice a huge improvement in my mood when that happened (I was one of those life-sucks-I-hate-the-world teenagers in Seattle). At the time, I thought this was just due to outgrowing the angsty, hormonal stage of youth and becoming somewhat of an adult. However, it could have been more related to a change in environment/climate than anything, because this winter has definitely brought out similar feelings of depression and hopelessness. As I think I mentioned, this seems to run in my family, as my father (usually an incredibly happy and optimistic man) always suffered from mood problems in Seattle.

Speaking of which: I'm very glad a few of you mentioned that this winter has been SUNNIER than usual. I assumed that with all the snow and such, it was uncharacteristically bad for Portland -- but if winters are usually gloomier than this, I think I am definitely too much of a weather-wimp to survive what is normal here.

Lastly, it looks like I am going to be leaving Portland, not by choice but by necessity! I work at a K-8 school, and won't be getting any income when the district goes on summer break. I just found out my old employer in Arizona needs teachers this summer and they offered me a job. It pays about twice as much as what I make now, and I'll be able to stay with my family in AZ to save on rent. I'm pretty sad about not getting to stay in Portland during the most beautiful time of the year, but this is a good opportunity.

Apart from that, after doing some soul-searching this week, I've decided I want to travel and see more of the world before I settle down in one place. Right now I feel like Arizona is calling me back, but after that, if my financial situation will allow, I might hit Europe and Southeast Asia for a while.

Also, I am a "she," for those who were worried I might be male!

Thank you again for everyone who chimed in with their experiences and opinions. It gave me a lot to think about and helped me see the situation better.

[Jimrob1]

When I read your post I didn't wonder if you were male or female. I didn't feel you were whining or complaining. I also did not feel the weather, the climate here in Portland was all that you were dealing with. If you noticed and I would think you would, at least 90% of the people that replied to this thread focused only on the the climate here. There was next to nothing that even mentioned other factors that you were dealing with, and you mentioned several in the information you provided. The fact that you have more on the ball than just looking at the affect weather has on a person is in your favor. Many factors have an affect on a person, climate being only one of them. You were very wise to look at all the factors. I think your doing the right thing for you. If you have to be on pills or light lamps to live in Portland especially when you don't have ties here, really what kind of life is that. I hope you meet many people in your new surroundings that you will have things in common with. Enjoy your life. You definitely sound like someone that has a future ahead of you.