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depending on Industry, wages are lower in LA than in Seattle. Also, Washington has no state income tax, California does. There goes your rent equality.
But if you desire to be a "real housewife of orange county" by all means, never give up the dream. I'd plump up those lips and get some implants before you get here if you want to fit in.
People like you are what keeps the value of my house sky high
HA! No housewife **** going on here. I work from home part time to help pay the bills. I'm not chasing a lifestyle of riches or anything. I'd be happy to live in an apartment down there just like I do in Seattle, just so we can enjoy some sun more than two months a year.
Yes Washington doesn't have income tax so that's an area where it's obviously more costly to live in CA. But my husbands industry does happen to pay more down there, so there's that at least. But not that many job openings in general..
We have moved all over the country, generally living far from family. As a result, my kids don't really have a strong relationship with their cousins, but we do try to get together when we can. They do have a strong relationship with their grandparents as they come to visit sometimes and keep in touch in other ways. Growing up, I didn't have a strong relationship with my own cousins, either, so it doesn't seem odd to me.
Surely there is some sort of compromise that would keep you close-ish to family and give you more sun. After all, Eastern Washington has way more sun than the Seattle area-- are there similar places in Oregon? I'd do some research together on places that allow you both to compromise on what you want.
I hope you can make it to CA! I grew up in Virginia, lived about 3 years in Colorado, moved back to Virginia, and a few weeks ago I moved to Florida! Every year of my life since I was a child I've watched the calendar with dismay around this time of the year. I've always felt dread watching the summer slip away knowing that months and months of cold weather were coming. Not this year! I'll miss my family, but I've lived away from them before. With technology it's easy to stay in touch! It's really hard to overcome feeling blue over the weather. There's no substitute for warm temperatures and sunshine.
When my husband and I were starting out we moved away from family in the NE to the South. It has been fun seeing and learning about a different region and the South has a wonderful cheerful atmosphere. We stayed in touch with family through visits and phone. Now with other media it is easier. But...now my children are in other states and I am a widow. I have many friends and activities...but if I had it to do over, I would choose family because instead of having a cup of coffee with my mother or sister on a regular basis, I had a yearly visit or two. I didn't get to family weddings, birthdays, or funerals. My nephew and nieces didn't have an involved aunt. And now..I have to choose between an established life with no single family member or making a major move and all that entails to gain family as I age.
Last edited by Tama; 08-11-2016 at 05:15 PM..
Reason: Typo
California has the marine layer, too. Cloudy and overcast all morning. They call it the "June Gloom", but we have it now in August as well. Not always sunny here, and too cool for my taste!
OP, since you're soliciting off the cuff advice from objective anonymous people, I will chime in too....
I'd vote for family over climate. Are those family relationships unhealthy? Are they severed? Are they harmful or dangerous? Are you all estranged beyond reconnecting?
If the answer to all those questions is No, then you are far luckier than many people in the world. In any climate. You can't maintain those bonds when you only see them once a year or so, IMO. If you have a chance at maintaining close relationships with family members where you see each other routinely and participate in each other's lives, then you are very lucky indeed.
So, you either want to nurture that, or you're OK with letting it wither and die from neglect over the decades. Emails and Skype don't compensate for the long stretches of time where you become more and more distant to each other. Whichever, it's a choice.
Lots of people pick up and move cross country away from their families... across the world, heck... and sometimes they're forced to move by circumstance. Many pick up and go because they aren't leaving anything behind that they feel is worth holding onto. Some are deliberately running away from horrible dysfunction. Picking up and moving far away is an easy choice for them. So think about it carefully.
I'm kind of amused by the romantic fantasy that persists about long distance relocating. It's easy to forget that there are sacrifices and long term trade-offs.
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