Southern gal moving north

[Wheatridger]

Originally Posted by thatguy950

I have lived in the South briefly, and I agree that it has its problems, but it's really not fair to say Seattle is a "tolerant" and "open-minded" place; it isn't. It's simply another side of the same coin of close-mindedness, it's just human nature I suppose. If you happen to agree with the "Seattle side" of that coin, then of course it'll seem plenty open-minded, but I find it's the opposite here (even more so than the South TBH, just in different ways), Seattleites love to ban and censor plenty of things they don't agree with, too.

As a Southerner moved to Colorado, I've witnessed the traditional Dixie culture and the wide-open Western approach, so I know of what I'm saying. It's not just two side of a coin. If you're tolerant of intolerance, that's you'll get: a bigoted, judgmental culture. If you're intolerant of intolerance, on the other hand, you might get some of the irritations of political correctness, but that's not going to lead to blacklisting, lynching, and the rest of the harm possible with the other approach.

The bigger difference the OP might notice in moving Out West is the increased social distance in routine encounters. Western folks are cordial and smile when they interact, but they're more comfortable with not speaking or interacting with strangers unless some common identity is shared. You're more on your own out here, in a way only an ex-Southerner might detect.

Nevertheless, make the move. You won't regret it.

[Mini-apple-less]

Originally Posted by Wheatridger

As a Southerner moved to Colorado, I've witnessed the traditional Dixie culture and the wide-open Western approach, so I know of what I'm saying. It's not just two side of a coin. If you're tolerant of intolerance, that's you'll get: a bigoted, judgmental culture. If you're intolerant of intolerance, on the other hand, you might get some of the irritations of political correctness, but that's not going to lead to blacklisting, lynching, and the rest of the harm possible with the other approach.

The bigger difference the OP might notice in moving Out West is the increased social distance in routine encounters. Western folks are cordial and smile when they interact, but they're more comfortable with not speaking or interacting with strangers unless some common identity is shared. You're more on your own out here, in a way only an ex-Southerner might detect.

Nevertheless, make the move. You won't regret it.

Don't you think the two are connected? I don't think it's so much that Westerners are bleeding hearts, quite to the contrary I think we tend to be hard-asses towards people who are perceived as being non-self reliant. It's more we just don't care about what others do. We aren't out to save your soul, and we don't care if you are a different color because we probably aren't going to befriend strangers anyway or concern ourselves with what they are doing.

[WANative]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Sotherngal, I'm from Miami originally, been here 26 years and love it. Don't worry, you'll be fine. You won't miss the humidity

Huh? Seattle is one of the most humid cities in the nation.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by Ira500

I spent some time in Mississippi. I thought it was beautiful. It was December, and it was warm and sunny in Mississippi, during the great Seattle snow of 2008. The people were nice, the food was good, the drivers were polite. Ocean Springs and Hattiesburg. Real nice places. But as far as being able to hang out outside, Seattle beats all kinds of places. Not too hot. Not too cold. Very little snow. Not a lot of hard rain. Lots of big trees, cool air, hiking, and high housing costs. You'll figure it out.

I've been to Biloxi. How does a town on the water look so ugly? The water was brown and murky. I think the casino we were at is gone, pushed in the drink by one of the hurricanes.

[CajunCovergirl]

I'm from Louisiana and I'm also moving to Seattle in the next few months. I've visited the area quite a few times but I wouldn't say it's some "euphoria" or vastly different than the South. A bit more homogenous than where I'm from but other than that people were friendly if spoken to and they had some decent food spots. I think you'll like it! See you soon fellow Southerner

[portlanderinOC]

Originally Posted by WANative

Huh? Seattle is one of the most humid cities in the nation.

Maybe so, but it's not the same kind of humidity you experience in places like Florida.

[erikandreas]

I've only driven through Mississippi so I can't say much based on anecdote, but I can confidently assure you, having lived in the Seattle area for quite a while, that it's a fantastic place. The weather is to my liking, as well. Many people don't realize that Seattle gets less rain per annum than the entire eastern seaboard of the United States on average (because it's in the rainshadow of the Olympics), precipitation just shows more seasonality in the Pacific NW (very heavy in the winters), although it is true that it's not sunny very often with the exception of summers, which are consistently sunny and feature 70-75 degree weather.

The skyline in my opinion is among the most beautiful in the world along with Toronto, Hong Kong, Vancouver, Sydney, a few other places. There are also boundless outdoor activities -- mountain biking, skiing at Mt. Baker (even Whistler is relatively close), hiking, camping, etc.

The job prospects in Seattle are quite good as well, especially if you can get a foothold into the tech industry, which, granted, isn't the easiest thing to do. It has quite a diverse economy and weathered the Great Recession better than most places.

Also, get used to being around a lot of Koreans and Indians.