Should I leave everthing behind and move 3,000 mi to Seattle? (Pacific: extended stay, appointed)

[tripod]

Since traveling all around the country 5 yrs ago and visiting Seattle for 2 days I've been feeling sort of a tug ever since to just pick up and move everthing from the nyc area to Seattle. In the back of my mind the Denver area and perhaps Minneapolis is calling but not nearly as strong. What I like most about Seattle is the natural beauty that surrounds it and the city itself but the rainy-ness concerns me and I like a cold new england winter like Boston's. I'm getting ready to move out of my area soon and right now have plans to move about 1-1/2 hr away which is still a big deal since I've lived all 40+ yrs of my life in a 5 mi radius but Seattle nags at me to make the big change and no other place beckons like it does. I get the feeling I'd be moving somewhere very good as much as leaving somewhere I'm very tired of but the big 3,000 mi move seems daunting. What you guys think?

[allforcats]

You know by now that the only true paths you can take in life are the ones that call you, push you, urge you. Your voice is the only, and best, voice you must listen to, right?

The Pacific Northwest, from the perspective of someone who spent the first 30 years of her life in NYC and 23 years here:
- peaceful, kind, absolutely non-confrontational people
- high literacy
- lots of cultural activities but not pretentiously as in New York (for example, the TV commercials for Seattle Opera's Wagnerian Ring Cycle are hysterically funny!)
- green green green, which means 9 months of intermittent mizzle (more than mist, less than drizzle :-) which makes the green things grow
- flowers in January!!!
- snow rarely in the lowlands (maybe twice per winter, and gone in a day or less) but tons and tons of snow in the nearby foothills and mountains (paradise for skiers and snowboarders, photographers, poets and dreamers)
- something in the air that is healing and nurturing and embracing, even rejoicing.

I’ve lived in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Japan, Oregon, Arizona, Montana and Alaska. And Washington is what I love.

You can find tons of factual info at:
The Official Site of Washington State Tourism: Home Page
and
http://www.idcide.com/citydata/wa/index.htm

I'm sure lots of posters will jump in here to talk about the weather -- folks always do. If you like smart, lovely people, rain and green, mountains and forests, rivers and lakes and oceans, keep leaning west :-)

[Fallingwaters]

Originally Posted by tripod

Since traveling all around the country 5 yrs ago and visiting Seattle for 2 days I've been feeling sort of a tug ever since to just pick up and move everthing from the nyc area to Seattle. In the back of my mind the Denver area and perhaps Minneapolis is calling but not nearly as strong. What I like most about Seattle is the natural beauty that surrounds it and the city itself but the rainy-ness concerns me and I like a cold new england winter like Boston's. I'm getting ready to move out of my area soon and right now have plans to move about 1-1/2 hr away which is still a big deal since I've lived all 40+ yrs of my life in a 5 mi radius but Seattle nags at me to make the big change and no other place beckons like it does. I get the feeling I'd be moving somewhere very good as much as leaving somewhere I'm very tired of but the big 3,000 mi move seems daunting. What you guys think?

Where are you coming from and what are your expectations? If the only driving factor is the scenery, then it's hard to beat Seattle for that.

If the rain is a big concern, then it's not a secret that Seattle is overcast and rainy much of the year. The summers are clear, but much of the rest of the year looks a lot like you're living under a big cloud layer (because you are). You get sunny days here and there in the winter, fall, and spring, which make for great photography opportunities and sightseeing, but they're the exception to the rule.

Will you be by yourself or moving a family? Would it be hard to leave friends and extended family behind? How well do you think you'd adjust to a culture that's much different from much of New England (Maine may be an exception)?

These are all questions to consider. Again, and as allforcats I think alluded to, you can really only answer the question for yourself.

[larrykcragun]

Real Estate in the Denver and Minneapolis is very different that Seattle. Have you checked this out?

[ILUVMAINE]

Originally Posted by tripod

Since traveling all around the country 5 yrs ago and visiting Seattle for 2 days I've been feeling sort of a tug ever since to just pick up and move everthing from the nyc area to Seattle. In the back of my mind the Denver area and perhaps Minneapolis is calling but not nearly as strong. What I like most about Seattle is the natural beauty that surrounds it and the city itself but the rainy-ness concerns me and I like a cold new england winter like Boston's. I'm getting ready to move out of my area soon and right now have plans to move about 1-1/2 hr away which is still a big deal since I've lived all 40+ yrs of my life in a 5 mi radius but Seattle nags at me to make the big change and no other place beckons like it does. I get the feeling I'd be moving somewhere very good as much as leaving somewhere I'm very tired of but the big 3,000 mi move seems daunting. What you guys think?

Okay, go forward in time 20 years! Would you be disappointed if you hadn't moved to Seattle? If so, easy answer. None of us are guaranteed even to wake up in the morning SO live each day as if it were your last!

[tripod]

Thanks guys, it would be just myself moving there and not knowing anybody and the only people I'd miss back home is my parents but aside from them I have absolutely nothing holding me here. I guess if there comes a day that god fordid they're not around anymore it would be almost a no brainer to pick up and move there. For some reason the pacific northwest and seattle has seemed a bit alluring to me going back to when I was around 20 yrs old and then when I traveled all parts of the country for the first time a few yrs back and stopped in for a couple days it has been in the back of my mind ever since. I would like to get out of my area sooner or later and keep thinking about all the possibilites there are and seattle just stands out the most for some reason. I guess the combination of a top-rated smaller city and plenty of natural outdoors beauty has a lot to do with it and come to think of it I remember back in the mid/late 80's coming across quite a number of media sources proclaiming seattle as the best city to live in and that no doubt left an impression on me.

The only other places I think about is perhaps the denver area or minneapolis and that's just when considering smaller cities that I THINK might be appealing and offer quality outdoors life nearby. Any thoughts on comparing these 3 places might be helful too.

[Fallingwaters]

Originally Posted by tripod

Thanks guys, it would be just myself moving there and not knowing anybody and the only people I'd miss back home is my parents but aside from them I have absolutely nothing holding me here. I guess if there comes a day that god fordid they're not around anymore it would be almost a no brainer to pick up and move there. For some reason the pacific northwest and seattle has seemed a bit alluring to me going back to when I was around 20 yrs old and then when I traveled all parts of the country for the first time a few yrs back and stopped in for a couple days it has been in the back of my mind ever since. I would like to get out of my area sooner or later and keep thinking about all the possibilites there are and seattle just stands out the most for some reason. I guess the combination of a top-rated smaller city and plenty of natural outdoors beauty has a lot to do with it and come to think of it I remember back in the mid/late 80's coming across quite a number of media sources proclaiming seattle as the best city to live in and that no doubt left an impression on me.

The only other places I think about is perhaps the denver area or minneapolis and that's just when considering smaller cities that I THINK might be appealing and offer quality outdoors life nearby. Any thoughts on comparing these 3 places might be helful too.

Do research, lots of research. You can do everything from looking on city-data and the forum to reading the local papers online.

I'd start here:
Do you want to live in the city or the suburbs
If the city, which part
If the suburbs, what kind of commute are you looking at?
Cost of living
Are you employable here? Jobs in your field?
Weather -- maybe come out here for longer than just a few days between October and March. That will give you the best idea. Don't just visit in July and say "awesome" and make your decision on that.
Have a back out plan if you're here for 6months to a year and decide you want to move back (holds true for any move).

And that's it. Whether you'll like Seattle or not is up to you. But being prepared will lessen the likelihood that you'll be disappointed.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

What you see on vacation in a place even if its for a longer time is very different from what you will see living there. I think I would take some time and think about it before you make such a huge change in your life.

Is there a reason you are wanting to get out of New York?

I know when my Father died, I made some stupid decisions based on the grief I was feeling at the time. No matter where you want to move, think about why you are choosing to make such a drastic change at this time.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by tripod

Since traveling all around the country 5 yrs ago and visiting Seattle for 2 days I've been feeling sort of a tug ever since to just pick up and move everthing from the nyc area to Seattle. In the back of my mind the Denver area and perhaps Minneapolis is calling but not nearly as strong. What I like most about Seattle is the natural beauty that surrounds it and the city itself but the rainy-ness concerns me and I like a cold new england winter like Boston's. I'm getting ready to move out of my area soon and right now have plans to move about 1-1/2 hr away which is still a big deal since I've lived all 40+ yrs of my life in a 5 mi radius but Seattle nags at me to make the big change and no other place beckons like it does. I get the feeling I'd be moving somewhere very good as much as leaving somewhere I'm very tired of but the big 3,000 mi move seems daunting. What you guys think?

No you shouldn't. Seattle is a great city, but you have to be prepared to live there. Keyword "prepared". It's expensive.

[irvm]

Originally Posted by Lindsey_Mcfarren

What you see on vacation in a place even if its for a longer time is very different from what you will see living there. I think I would take some time and think about it before you make such a huge change in your life.

Thinking is good, but can you not go there and rent (maybe one of those extended stay hotels) for a while? I have been to new places which I HATED - for the first few weeks. After that, they started to grow on me, and after a while, I didn't want to leave.
I can't guarantee you'll like it there, but I can guarantee you'll regret it later if you never try.