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If you find the right, awesome job in AZ, but nothing elsehwere, don't let that get you discouraged. I live in PHX and YES it's hot!
But, I only find myself stuck inside 3 months a year. 9 months is plenty of time to enjoy outdoor activities. And if you are working full-time, 3 months out of the year not camping, hiking, etc isn't that bad. And some of that time you can go up north and it's not as hot as the Phoenix/Tucson area.
I do get everyone's point though. But a lot of people here don't want to be in the PNW because they don't want to be outdoor in the gloomy rain so many months either, and it's great here in the winter because we don't have to get up early and scrape snow off of our vehicles, drive in blizzards, or deal with months of winter. It's just your preference - you may be stuck inside 3 months here, but often up north you may be stuck in at least 3 in the winter (depending on how you do. Heck, some people still hike here in the summer in the early hours, and I'm sure some still hike in the dead of MT winter).
Just don't think that if AZ gives you guys great jobs, that you can't make it work here in AZ. I would probably go for Denver too, but my husband has family here and a great job opportunity that got him started here that wouldn't have really worked out elsewhere, so this is where we landed. Is there a way you could visit a few areas first before you make the decision?
Again - I get everyone's point against AZ. I'm not gonna argue it, but I'm just saying if you get great jobs here and everything else seems to work for favor in AZ, don't let the weather be the only thing that stops you and you stay in NJ if it makes you unhappy.
I actually do have some family in the Seattle area. I could probably go out and see them at some point and visit both Seattle and Portland. And define "dreary winter". For me Jersey has a pretty miserable winter. Gets down to about 20 degrees at worst, snow comes and goes. I know it could be colder elsewhere in the country, but for me the winter is miserable because of how short the days are not necessarily because of the temperature.
I was going to suggest Portland or Seattle. If you can find solid work in Portland, I'd go for that. Portland is a young person's town. Everyone, it seems, is into some sort of outdoor activity. And you don't drive far to find it. You can ski at Mt. Hood, wind surf in Hood River, visit the Coast, climb any of several mountains, boat on the Columbia. Or you might like Bend, OR. I'm told that is a different climate, and I presume the winters are cold and clearer than in Portland.
I moved to Vancouver, WA to be close to family, but I love Portland. If I could, I'd live there.
Dreary winters means rain, snow infrequently, ice sometimes, rain. But the place is green the year around. The trees are tall. I'd rather live here than anyplace else.
You know the New Jersey coast, right? Imagine the Pacific Coast with no development. Imagine a pristine coastline that is open to anyone, anytime. That is the Oregon Coast. But the water is too cold to swim in.
Thank you for the advice, everyone. I only have one question for you. Would you recommend me any books I can read up on in the area? (Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho). I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday and all I could find were travel vacation books for these areas. Are there any books written about moving out there?
Thank you for the advice, everyone. I only have one question for you. Would you recommend me any books I can read up on in the area? (Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho). I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday and all I could find were travel vacation books for these areas. Are there any books written about moving out there?
Check out the "newcomers handbook *insert city*" series. They can be found on amazon and tend to be helpful in listing resources, laws, etc.
Having lived in Montana, I'll throw my 2 cents in on it. I lived in Butte, have been to Missoula several times. Montana is pretty, and there are plenty of outdoor things to do. But there is no night life to speak of. Young people upon graduation from College or High School tend to flee Montana. There's just not much to do outside of hunting, camping, and those type of activities. Not many jobs either. And the jobs that are there, don't pay well. I was a social worker and manager in Butte. $10/hr. No sales tax was nice, but I didn't find that rent was that cheap compared to the wages. I never did get my own place and lived with friends the entire time. After 3 months I was bored out of my mind. Couple with low wages, I had to get out. Granted, I've never cared for small town living, but I think the exodous of young people speaks for it's self. I was in my mid 30's at the time if that tells you anything. Montana is an awesome place to visit and I'd say even retire. And I encourage anyone to visit it, as there is much to see. But unless you are a reclose (sic?) or a complete introvert, you may find living there in your 20's to be a bit mundane or boring.
Watch portlandia for parody of Portland. I've lived there and think its hilarious. Right on in some cases and exaggerated in others. Cool place. But grey! Have you thought about somewhere like San Antonio? I have lots of friends who moved there (and to Austin of course) and love it
Albuquerque, New Mexico. Four seasons, a ski slope on the Sandia Mountains and a good chance of getting a job in your field. Personally, I would find a job first, which shouldn't be too hard for a CPA.
Since you don't plan on moving soon I'd suggest some trips out west to determine what and where will work for you both. I'm partial to Oregon because I was born and raised there.
Start making some lists about what are musts for you and then the nice to haves. Each area will have pluses and minuses. Many have difficulty with the PNW and all the grey...read about SAD. I'd also start looking at trends in your skill areas and try to match them to the areas where you want to live. Keep in mind that many towns might not be big enough to support your skills like "wealth Mgmt". So I'd be looking at the larger towns and metro areas. Also, commutes are different out west...look at a map you think you can commute from one town to another but it goes over a Mt range...that's where this forum will come in handy for local knowledge.
Don't wait too long, if you both have marketable degrees you might find what you want sooner than 5 years.
I'd also note that living out west can be a very different culture than what you are used to.
And this is not to run down any of the other place folks have mentioned. Each one has it's own beauty, it's own appeal. Our diverse likes and dislikes are reason for all of us to celebrate and appreciate what others have.
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I'm partial to Denver
