Hey, I could live here! (Charlotte, Raleigh: amusement parks, headhunter, homes)

[findingmesomeday]

My husband and I have this little running joke between us. Keep in mind since we've been married (almost 19 years!), we've lived in Portland, OR, San Francisco, Seattle, NoVa and Boston. (Won't even get into the corporate relos BEFORE I met him and got married!)

Anyway, our joke is that whenever we visit somewhere and we really think the community has something going for it, he'll say "You know, I could live here". And then WHAM! Usually inside of 6 months, something will happen (usually a job offer or transfer) that takes us there.

When we were dating, and planning our wedding, we lived in Oregon. On a trip to SF one weekend, we were having a blast as we'd both lived there before we knew eachother. But it was fun to be there together. He turned to me and said "wouldn't it be fun to live here with you?" About 2 weeks later, a headhunter called me about a position in SF. I got the job and we moved down there about 3 months after that.

Well, SF wasn't all it was cracked up to be the second time around. We were both homesick for the PNW but didn't really want to go back to Oregon. In Seattle one weekend he asked me if I'd move back (I'd lived there before) and I said "yes". He said "you know, even though I hate the Huskies, I could live here too". Within a month, I was contacted by someone within my company asking me if I'd be interested in taking a job transfer to Seattle.

About 5 years later, we were expecting our second child, and we took a trip back east to visit my family. We took a side trip to Washington DC. We were having a great time there and he said (yup), "boy, I don't think much of the East Coast but I like the feel, the power of DC. I could live in this area". Out of the blue he was contacted by a company in the District and within a few months had accepted a job with a big raise and jump in responsibility. We moved to NoVA.

The adjustment to NoVa after the PNW was hard. But we muddled through. During our second summer there he had decided he'd had it with the entire East Coast and that every city was a pit compared to the West, where he was raised. I suggested a vacation in New England, where he'd never been and a trip to Boston along with it as I'd gone to college there. We had a great time. He was amazed how different NE was from the rest of the East Coast. And he absolutely loved Boston. So guess what he said?

And no sooner than he said it (within a month or two) a recruiter called him out of the blue about a job in Beantown. We moved up here 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, all has not been roses here, though it hasn't been terrible but we'd really like to make a change. We've thrown it all against the wall: going back to the PNW, back to NoVa, back to CA (NO!) and we've decided that NC makes the most sense to us right now. We like Raleigh better than Charlotte but are willing to keep our options open if we must (that includes Greenville, SC, too!).

So here's the conundrum. He's flying to Tennessee on business this week. He changes plans on the way home---in Charlotte. He says he should walk into the terminal, stop and say "I could live here" so that something will break for us. I told him that if he said that, we'd wind up in Charlotte, and not Raleigh. So he countered with "well how about if I say I could live in *NC*?" I'll be standing in Charlotte but maybe the moving gods will know we want Raleigh.

LOL. I'm trying to figure out if I can change his flight to connect through RDU.

[ME43]

What if he decdes he "could live here" while in Tennessee?? Actually, four families in my neighborhood here in New England have moved there (Nashville) in the last few years...maybe that's where the "moving gods" are going to send you next ...in any case , best of luck to you!!!

[fridleygal]

nchomesomeday - ha what a great story - with powerful thoughts like those, I'd change his flight - see you there!!

[findingmesomeday]

I think TN is too far inland for us lifelong coastal dwellers (East and West). Although he says the part of TN where he is going is very pretty, there's also not much there. I think it's right where W Va, NC and TN meet (haven't looked at a map, but that sounds right).

I'm not sure I can get him home through RDU He's traveling with another guy from work and the flights through RDU are a bit inconvenient. But we talked it over last night (yup, we take this stuff seriously ) and decided it's worth a shot in the CLT airport!

[MrsSteel]

NCHomeSomeday, that's a really great story. I giggled all through it! I love the quirky little stories of life, don't you?

ME43 makes an interesting point. My best friend moved to Nashville for a job a number of years ago and LOVED it. Unfortunately she was only able to be there for about a year, but she and her husband have slowly been working towards getting back there ever since.

Best of luck! And be prepared! Hubby might decide that he could live in Tennessee next!

[findingmesomeday]

Thanks. Somehow, I just don't think TN is on his radar but you never know!

[southward bound]

I've heard so much good about Nashville, that I intend to take a drive out there to look around. I'll have to try that "I could live here" line when I find a place I really think I could live. (Where we are is not bad, actually. I just want to try the line to see if it has any special magic).

[momof3grls]

I think y'all are going to end up in Tennessee...in Knoxville. I have a friend whose husband is all about living at the beach but they ended up there (he's from NY, she's from WV, they moved there from NM and FL) because there are SO MANY LAKES thanks to the TVA. That's a growing area with a little bit of something for everyone...mtns, lakes, amusement parks, shopping, history, and jobs.

[jello212]

You and your husband have better luck than I did. I used to travel a lot for work and while I had no intentions on moving, I'd always evaluate a city and say if I could live there or not.

The only place I said I wouldn't move to was Pensacola, Fl. And guess where I lived for 4 years. I did meet my wife there, though, so not all bad.

[findingmesomeday]

Originally Posted by jello212

You and your husband have better luck than I did. I used to travel a lot for work and while I had no intentions on moving, I'd always evaluate a city and say if I could live there or not.

The only place I said I wouldn't move to was Pensacola, Fl. And guess where I lived for 4 years. I did meet my wife there, though, so not all bad.

LOL. Perhaps your line should have been "I could get married here!"