Probably redundant, but still curious (Bellingham: fit in, cliquey, rent)

[FishRebellion]

Hello!

Yes, I know most of you Washington natives probably get fed up with answering questions regarding the weather and I've probably read a trillion threads about it but I'm paranoid so I'd just like to ask...

I'm 20, and living in Southern Michigan. I know the weather is pretty crappy out here, especially around winter. By crappy I mean, freezing, gloomy, and dark. However, I absolutely love Washington state. I've applied to go to school at Western Washington and am still waiting to hear back about the spring semester.

Well my only true concern is the weather. I am prone to depression/anxiety so I just want to look out for my mental well-being. I'm medicated so that's helped but if any of you can inform me, how does the weather in Michigan compare to Bellingham? I can definitely deal with the cold. And Michigan doesn't always get much sunshine this time of year but living with persistent darkness...? I guess I don't completely understand the sky in Washington. I was there in March. It rained everyday for that week but I fell in love with the scenery.

So what do you think? Can I handle it? Any information would be lovely. Not only in terms of the weather, but any comments surrounding Bellingham or WWU would also be helpful.

[StealthRabbit]

well... I'm no dr, and dealing with your issues will certainly depend a lot on your specifics. so...

Are you sure it is SAD? Are you using light therapy/ BTW, I Hear these are good, as well as cheap (on eBay / CL) Go-lite / Philips

We_t Washington WILL NOT do you much good if LIGHT is significant to your illness (go to Colorado, NM, AZ. There are some really NICE campuses there). (Summer in PNW or AK MIGHT be a good alternative, summer school is very cheap and small class sizes.

I highly recommend Bellingham as good school and (outdoor) environment. I have had a kid go there, as well as many friends / co-workers... I wish I would have too. You will need to be outgoing, and willing to find friends and outdoor activities you are willing to do in the rain.

There are lots of intramural sports AND a superb rec center on campus. (indoor soccer is under bright lights and very fun / active sport).

It could be a great thing. I would seriously look into your health and get somewhere that is BEST for you. My Colorado favorites are Carbondale (for the serious outdoorsy), Colorado Springs for city + quality of life / edu. Ft Collins, Boulder, or Golden (School of Mines) depending on your major. (all are decent places to live, I just prefer the less smog / traffic of Colo. Springs (the Olympic Training Center, AF Academy, Ft Carson...& GREAT sunny weather, brings a LOT of health consciousness to the community). The people are really nice in most of Colorado, I find the WA folks pleasant, but private. (25 yrs in each - Colorado and WA)

Weather is not similar to MI in any of the western destinations mentioned.

Winters are very moderate (in all but Carbondale..., more snow, more cold, but LOTS of sun)
Summers are wonderful, cool nights sleeping (50F) Long days w/o humidity. little rain (NO Thunder storms in Bellingham)

[FishRebellion]

I truly appreciate the reply! I don't suffer from SAD distinctly, so I can't say light itself is a major cause of my illness. It's clinical depression but I do worry about the gloomy days slowing me down. I mean, I definitely do plan on being involved in outdoor and extra-curricular activities so hopefully that keeps my mind astray from the weather.

You say your kid went to WWU...did he/she have trouble making friends? I noticed you said I need to be outgoing and willing to meet others. I most definitely fit that criteria. I mean I'm no extrovert but I do know how to make conversation and connect with others. Would you say the students there are somewhat cliquey? I don't know, I just hope I fit in well. I plan on living in the dorms my first year so hopefully that helps.

Anyways, thanks again!

[Hemlock140]

It's actually not that different from Detroit, where they get about 30" of rain, Bellingham is about 40". The highs and lows are almost identical and being so far north we also have the issue of winter darkness. I think you will find it very much like home but with better scenery with the mountains, water and forests.

[Freebird2007]

the only thing that will make you depressed in terms of weather here....is that it is often cloudy and gloomy during the winter. Whereas in other areas you might get a lot of sun even though its frigid.

Even so, I am staring outside my building at blue skies and clouds hugging the eastern mountains.

[FishRebellion]

Thank you so much guys! I guess the weather is pretty comparable. It gets dark here in Michigan around 4-5 PM in the fall/winter months and stays cold and snowy until March and April.

I still don't know if this Washington move is a sure thing, I'm still waiting to hear back from WWU. I've got my fingers crossed. But hopefully if I do move there, the scenery and nature will be enough to distract me from any gloomy skies.

[StealthRabbit]

My recognized benefits of WWU, is small classes / student body, with (some) GREAT programs / profs. + local environment is pretty grand. Nothing is perfect, especially in Academia... having lived in Europe and Asia, I am VERY down on USA academia... + I just finished a Masters program in USA and it was pathetic in content). ... note this is a personal problem of mine, as I come from a bloodline of educators. A view not shared by many, and fortunately not the experience of all.

Originally Posted by FishRebellion

...can't say light itself is a major cause of my illness. It's clinical depression but I do worry about the gloomy days slowing me down. .. I have to be frank, and suggest you get REALLY stable and definitely consider the 'Stresser' Chart... The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale - Stress Management from MindTools.com
Life Stressors Chart
Moving to a strange place, climate / culture (all alone) AND entering a demanding school program CAN tip you over the edge. BUT if you are very stable AND aware of warning signs and your personal remedies and keep a CLOSE and alert friend that is able to confront you and help you. It could be a wonderful thing. (That said I personally would also examine sunny alternatives; CO, NM, SD, AZ, CA would be my first choices for you, as they all have excellent smaller state *affordable schools in beautiful, crisp, mountain settings.

You say your kid went to WWU...did he/she have trouble making friends?
WWU Friends are Still a group of 'Best buds' (girls and guys) doing annual beach trips + holding center-field season tickets to 'Sounders'

...cliquey? Likely to an extent, but college is high time to get over that and make your unique place in society, regardless of socially insecure peers.

I plan on living in the dorms my first year... Hope you can deal with that...I Trust that you can get input form a recent WWU dorm dweller... I can PROBABLY get some ref's for you if you can't find any. (my contacts are a bit dated, but I might be able to get recent / current info from siblings of grads who are still there). Quite honestly I have not found negative comments from ~ 50 folks I personally know who went there, or sent their kids to WWU. I know nothing of dorm situation.

Ugh, I could never have done the dorm thing. (nor my kids) It is just not in our genes (not group'ees, and definately we have a HUGE aversion to age segregated friends / classes / activities. We are all very 'cross generational' and have wide variety of good friends in all age groups. (I was purposely with kids and 90 yr olds and all those between today),

My kids (as many in WA) did college instead of High School, so were full JRs at U @ age 18. They were each previously tutors at community college, so had lots of older / military / minority friends, They did not even consider the social burden of dorms. They roomed in 4 bdrm duplexes with 4 other friends they got in contact with.~$300-400 each bedroom) way spendy for my taste, and against my advice' which was " BUY a duplex, rent it out and live for free", After Graduation, sell the duplex and use the profit to pay off school loans. Worked well for the owner of the duplex they rented. (in addition to paying off his school loans, he was able to fund a year in Europe after graduating and selling the duplex).

Bottom line will be your mental health condition and awareness of how to mitigate the tendancy / impacts of depression, and to keep yourself above your circumstances (they will never be perfect). Consider WHERE (school location)you will be able to take LONG vigorous walks, or equivalent. Evidence shows exercise to be of equal benefit to drugs in recovering from clinical depression.

One activity I love (and is very easy to do at WWU) is lap swimming.
I can't swim in SWWA due to no cheap pools, but was in Black Hills on a snowy day. I swam over 200 laps (3 miles) in one session, it was very good for the body and mind. Unfortunately, I know a bit too much about clincal depression, but enough to know it can have a serious negative (trough) affect on your life and those around you. Be safe, be wise, be careful.

Best wishes for a 110% recovery and renewed life (wherever that may be) You are taking the right steps.

[Hemlock140]

Today is the shortest of the year, and it will most likely get light at about 8:00am and dark by 4:15. Still, if like yesterday, bright sun all day makes up for it. Currently it's 24F and the high is expected to be 43. When the sun goes down in winter here the temperature drops quickly. When I got to my car at 5pm it was frosted up just like in the morning. This winter sun we are getting this week is very unusual but very welcome.

[Sobefobik]

Originally Posted by FishRebellion

Thank you so much guys! I guess the weather is pretty comparable. It gets dark here in Michigan around 4-5 PM in the fall/winter months and stays cold and snowy until March and April.

I still don't know if this Washington move is a sure thing, I'm still waiting to hear back from WWU. I've got my fingers crossed. But hopefully if I do move there, the scenery and nature will be enough to distract me from any gloomy skies.

I have a friend who lives in Minnesota, and aside from the frigid temperatures, I guess the cloudiness factor is similar. The difference I can see, though, is that you do get more sun in Minnesota in the winter, and the "cloudy" there is more of a haze. (And the snow you get always brightens things up over there)

In Washington it's very cloudy and damp, almost like a mist at times. It also gets dark here around 4:00-5:00 in the winter. We also infrequently get snow, and when it does it doesn't stay long. This winter has been a wonderful exception and December has been sunny almost every day.

The grey/darkness really gets to me after a while, and sometimes I just don't feel motivated to do anything. It's really important to stay involved in regular outdoor activities to get yourself through. I find that frequent trips to the mountain and beach, and activities like kayaking and hiking, really help keep me afloat.

That said, our summers are absolutely beautiful, not to be compared with anywhere else.

[cjg5]

Also see: Washington State Weather