leaving wisconsin survey (quality of life, place to live, shop)

[KateDaum]

That is so interesting. People always talk about San Diego being close to the perfect place to live. I have been there and thought it was beautiful but I am not a warm climate person so I would never want to live there.

[BacktoNE]

Originally Posted by KateDaum

That is so interesting. People always talk about San Diego being close to the perfect place to live. I have been there and thought it was beautiful but I am not a warm climate person so I would never want to live there.

I agree. Everything we hear about San Diego makes it sound like paradise. I haven't been there but have a couple of friends who've been repeatedly. They always talk about the perfect weather and the beautiful coastline but say that the COL is outrageous. Guess they haven't seen the 75% that is not-so-perfect. I'm not a warm climate person either so I don't feel the need to go there myself.

[skvorp]

We left for jobs after college in ‘94. We’re not unhappy with where we are now, but of course miss things about WI where we were both born & raised (22+ yrs.). Every place has plusses/minuses & each region in WI (like anywhere) has its own vibe/flavor. Is unfair to generalize an entire state based on one area where you lived/what exposed to, but someone reading this will appreciate other's insight/input (both good & bad). Just try not to have a “this is how I/we do it where I’m from” attitude and move/go somewhere else expecting those folks to understand/not look at you disdainfully. Whether intentional or not, may have been a slap in the face/put down to them, their culture, way of life, etc. MINGLE & ABSORB what you can & will. And if it’s not for you – move on… at least you tried! Most of life is what you make it, though some things are beyond anyone’s control – but overall, a person’s attitude has much to do with everything. Having kids also adds a different dimension to one’s outlook; has changed a lot of what we wanted/looked for before. Most of all, everyone is entitled to their opinion and, therefore, everyone will not agree on everything (toMAYtoe… toMAHtoe) – thank goodness! How boring would THAT be? So, having said all that, here’s a list of some things we miss & don’t based on our experiences:

Miss:

• Seeing our family & friends on a regular basis
• Top-notch schools/education; there are good schools elsewhere, but WI consistently ranks fairly high overall
• HOCKEY! Yes, Ft.Wayne has the Turner Cup & Colonial Cup champion Komets (currently in the IHL) and awesome die-hard fans, but for the most part people don’t get into hockey here. Indiana is all about basketball (remember the movie, “Hoosiers”?)
• The accent! Yes, I can admit it now… there is one & I absolutely adore talking to our family & friends on the phone just to hear it. And amazing how being back “home” for a mere weekend brings my “cheese” back out. J
• Verbiage battles between east & west side of the state; pop vs soda… bubbler vs water fountain… fryer vs grill… front room vs living room… davenport vs couch/sofa… oh yah vs yeah
• CHEESE CURDS!!!
• Hearing “Da Turdy Point Buck” song when deer hunting season opens
• Crystal clear lakes & rivers
• During the holidays Tom & Jerry’s made w/brandy (have found hardly anyone drinks brandy outside of WI, much less heard of it)

Don’t miss:

• People driving in the left/passing lane going slower than the right lane; it’s the PASSING LANE, people!
• Like everyone else, the loooong (& typically harsh) winters
• My allergies (were much worse in WI than are in IN)
• Weak job market outside the bigger cities; too many minimum wage jobs, which unfortunately is becoming the norm most places now
• Property taxes
• Crazy I-94 traffic from Illinois border thru Baraboo (further north in the summer)
• Seeing so much more roadkill *shudder*

Having lived in three geographically different WI cities ourselves, family located all over the state, & traveling/visiting most of what WI has to offer, we know most of it fairly well. There are places we can say we definitely would/wouldn’t live, but overall it is the winters, taxes, & jobs that keep us from returning. We miss WI in so many ways, but being "away" has definitely given us a better appreciation for so many things we took for granted. And just remember, the grass may be greener - but it still needs to be mowed!

[IndigoAmour]

The cost of living is the ONLY positive thing I can say about this place. Housing is cheap. Not worth the loss of lifestyle though.
I would rather live in a shack in Seattle than have a nice place here.
I could go on and on about what I don't like about this place. Most of it has already been posted.

SOMEONE ACTUALLY SAID THE TOPOGRAPHY IS NICE HERE....TOO FUNNY!!!

I am from the most beautiful state in the US, Washington. Unfortunately so many people agree and are moving there that they are destroying the beauty of it. Sigh!

Selling my house in Oshkosh in the Spring. I just hope to God someone buys it so I'm not stuck here for another HORRIBLE winter.

[JoshB]

Originally Posted by IndigoAmour

The cost of living is the ONLY positive thing I can say about this place. Housing is cheap. Not worth the loss of lifestyle though.
I would rather live in a shack in Seattle than have a nice place here.
I could go on and on about what I don't like about this place. Most of it has already been posted.

SOMEONE ACTUALLY SAID THE TOPOGRAPHY IS NICE HERE....TOO FUNNY!!!

I am from the most beautiful state in the US, Washington. Unfortunately so many people agree and are moving there that they are destroying the beauty of it. Sigh!

Selling my house in Oshkosh in the Spring. I just hope to God someone buys it so I'm not stuck here for another HORRIBLE winter.

You really need to open your eyes. I notice you have a bad attitude all together. Maybe if you stopped complaining and started socializing and joining clubs et cetera, you'd see how much fun it is here. You really do need to change your attitude however.

[FormerCaliforniaGirl]

Originally Posted by IndigoAmour

The cost of living is the ONLY positive thing I can say about this place. Housing is cheap. Not worth the loss of lifestyle though.
I would rather live in a shack in Seattle than have a nice place here.
I could go on and on about what I don't like about this place. Most of it has already been posted.

SOMEONE ACTUALLY SAID THE TOPOGRAPHY IS NICE HERE....TOO FUNNY!!!

I am from the most beautiful state in the US, Washington. Unfortunately so many people agree and are moving there that they are destroying the beauty of it. Sigh!

Selling my house in Oshkosh in the Spring. I just hope to God someone buys it so I'm not stuck here for another HORRIBLE winter.

I traveled all over Washington state a couple of years ago. I was in Seattle in mid-August, and it was the most dismal place I've ever seen. Not once did the sun come out, and it rained almost every day. And this was in August!!

If you don't already suffer from depression, spending some time in Washington will bring it on, believe me.

[KateDaum]

Washington is not for people who can't live without the sun. I have been there in winter and it is horrid. Days and days of rain. Yuck. And the housing prices are outrageous.

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by FormerCaliforniaGirl

I traveled all over Washington state a couple of years ago. I was in Seattle in mid-August, and it was the most dismal place I've ever seen. Not once did the sun come out, and it rained almost every day. And this was in August!!

If you don't already suffer from depression, spending some time in Washington will bring it on, believe me.

You've got that right. And the people are just about as rainy as the weather...and it's PEOPLE who really make a place. WA is the pits. GIve me WI any old day...

[susancruzs]

I love visiting California but never in my life could I imagine wanting to live there, let alone the fact I could never afford it. I had a friend that left CA and moved to Georgia. She sold a tiny, tiny house in Cypress and was able to buy a very nice house in Jonesboro, GA.

I can deal with all types of weather, I have to live where there are 4 defined seasons. I don't want endless days of fog, clouds and rain and to me that would be Seattle. I've been there but not for an extended visit like two weeks or so then again I don't want to visit for more than a few days.

One time I changed planes through there, weather was getting foggy, I was on my way to Hawaii and all I could think of was please don't let me be trapped here.

[Drover]

Monday Night Football: Green Bay v. Chicago. 2 degrees out, and there are 60,000 people in the stands. Gotta love it.