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I have moved a lot in my lifetime, (being a military brat, it's what I've done my whole life), and not until recently have I ever questioned where I moved.
I don't regret moving to this state, not at all. I do, however, regret that I didn't pick my first choice of towns/cities when moving.
It's only a two hour difference in location/distance but there are so. many. more. opportunities if I had stopped the car two hours earlier.
I LIKE where I live. I LOVE it. But, the opportunities here are not as plentiful. There have been many times I have asked myself, "Why the hell did you not just go to your first choice of towns/cities in this state? You would have had so much more to do and choose from!"
Even though it's only two hours away, now I don't have the money to move so I'm trying to make the best with where I am.
It's not that where I live is horrible, because it's not. It's that I severely limited myself by going north an extra two hours.
Oh well.
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you're in the Bangor area, and you wish that you had stopped in Portland..
Yes. Husband and I were in the Army and stationed in Portland, OR where we bought a house and were planning on getting out after our 5 year commitment. We loved OR, we loved our neighborhood. When our tour approached the 3 year mark, we decided to stay in. We were transferred to the Washington, DC area which I personally can't stand. When we packed our cars for our trip across country, I cried. I had tears in my eyes for quite some time. Leaving OR was heartbreaking for us.
I can't say that I regretted staying in the Army since I have my military retirement but I sure regretted that one move.
After college, I took a job in Florida and moved across the country.
I regretted the move in the end; my only prior experience with FL had been an occasional trip to Disney World or the Keys, and never during the godawful, hot, humid summer.
I HATED the summers -- and summer was very long! I don't mind hot weather, but I truly had no idea just how badly the humidity was going to affect me. While the winters in FL were quite nice, I had zero quality of life in the summer. And my electric bill was atrocious from running the AC so much.
The lesson I learned was, when you're thinking about moving somewhere with a climate very different than what you've ever experienced before, don't make a snap judgement when the weather is in the mid 70s.
I regret coming to Texas. This is the rudest state with the laziest, rudest employees I have ever encountered in my life and I have been in many states. I cannot wait to go back to Illinois or anywhere else when my lease is up.
After college, I took a job in Florida and moved across the country.
I regretted the move in the end; my only prior experience with FL had been an occasional trip to Disney World or the Keys, and never during the godawful, hot, humid summer.
I HATED the summers -- and summer was very long! I don't mind hot weather, but I truly had no idea just how badly the humidity was going to affect me. While the winters in FL were quite nice, I had zero quality of life in the summer. And my electric bill was atrocious from running the AC so much.
The lesson I learned was, when you're thinking about moving somewhere with a climate very different than what you've ever experienced before, don't make a snap judgement when the weather is in the mid 70s.
Never make a decision to relocate based on a vacation !
I have lived in DC, any move away from that city is a bonus. You won't believe how much more pleasant life can be...in a small town...no malls, no traffic, no metro...
Yes, I am from the DC area as well....and there are also things you might miss if you go to an another area, especially if it is not close to a major city. ONE the people....DC is a very diverse area full of interesting and intelligent people....TWO restaurants....you can find great selections of every ethnic cuisine imaginable, THREE Good medical care....I now have to travel one to two hours for my medical care. FOUR good vet care...I warn you here from experience...I moved away from DC and my dog unexpectedly became chronically ill....so for the past 3 years I have had to travel AT LEAST an hour to get to a specialist, and there is only ONE specialist to choose from and frankly it is no where near the quality of care I am used to getting for my dog and the price is at least as high as DC. FIVE culture, there is an endless supply of things to do in DC and the museums are free (Smithsonian) and excellent...whatever you are into, you can most likely find fellow enthusiasts. SIX because of competition, some things are actually cheaper in the DC area...for instance Yoga classes cost move where I live now. SEVEN Grocery stores....DC has them all, as well as great farmer's markets.....where I moved there are only 2 grocers and frankly both suck. EIGHT Climate....DC has 4 distinct seasons. Nine PUblic Transportation....if you live in DC and close suburbs it is pretty good....where I moved it is a total joke. TEN Make sure you include EVERYTHING when calculating the total cost of living. When I do that, I can see my mistake....I am paying now an equivalent of the same cost to live in DC due to VERY high utilities and lack of a washer and dryer in my house....so please factor in everything.
In general I find folks who have become accustomed to big city amenities, diversity, and choices have a hard time when they move to an area without all that. Just make a list of what you personally like and dislike. A trial period is ideal. If I did that I would not have made the HUGE and expensive mistake of moving here. Some things (good or bad) just have to be experienced to be discovered and one man's paradise is another man's hell. That being said, you sound young, unencumbered, and resilient so give moving a shot (after you do your homework). Good luck!
After college, I took a job in Florida and moved across the country.
I regretted the move in the end; my only prior experience with FL had been an occasional trip to Disney World or the Keys, and never during the godawful, hot, humid summer.
I HATED the summers -- and summer was very long! I don't mind hot weather, but I truly had no idea just how badly the humidity was going to affect me. While the winters in FL were quite nice, I had zero quality of life in the summer. And my electric bill was atrocious from running the AC so much.
The lesson I learned was, when you're thinking about moving somewhere with a climate very different than what you've ever experienced before, don't make a snap judgement when the weather is in the mid 70s.
Wow, you and me both....another fun fact is that Florida's intense sun is a real downer if you suffer from migraines!!!! For this super small house my AVERAGE electric bill is about $400 a month, and that is not keeping it really cold and I have no washer and dryer. After nearly 4 years I am cutting my losses and running.....to a cloudy and cooler environment. FLorida, great for vacay....but don't stay!
Yes, I deeply regretted the move to South Bend. We moved so that my wife could be closer to her family and I am truly happy that my sons were given the opportunity to spend some of their formative years living down the street from my wife's parents. I also was happy that were so close to easier trips to Chicago where my brother lives and also close enough to the Dunes of Lake Michigan to take day trips without being entirely exhausted from the drive.
Other than those 3 things I regretted every other aspect of the move. My job soon showed itself to be a dead end in such a small market when compared to the same job in my previous city. Because of the high unemployment rate in surrounding counties and lack of facilities she was unable to find a job within her degree field and settled, which of course led to her being depressed and led to issues at home. The school system is a bit iffy, but the special needs department is solid so that falls into the positive and negative category. And the housing market is very difficult to get a handle on right away, areas that seem ok are within blocks of areas that you would need bars on the windows and a pistol in your hand to survive in. Also bars, liquor stores, and check cashing places on every other corner should be a good warning to just about everyone.
Overall this just wasn't the move for me and luckily I was able to earn a promotion in another market and will be moving in less than two weeks. I hope I am not making the same mistake and I am pretty sure I am not, but who knows I might be posting on this thread again.
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