[I_Want_Snow]

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[Sharks With Lasers]

The "stickiness" surprised me a bit at first, but now that I think about it, Michiganders have a lot of pride in their state compared to a lot of other places. It's not quite as evident as it is for Texas or California, but it's definitely there - notice the heated discussions that result whenever anybody bashes the state. I live out of state now, and I notice this whenever I run into other people from Michigan - a lot of discussion about the state culture that we all know and (hopefully) love.

[Sparrow_temp]

I'm in the same industry and would highly recommend you do NOT leave your current job before finding another one. You may have a difficult time finding the next one and when you do it may be at a lot lower salary due to the H1B phenomenon.

Originally Posted by I_Want_Snow

I did the same thing back in Jan 05'. I was born and raised in SE MI and lived there for 30 yrs. I left to head to the Gulf Coast of FL. I wanted the beautiful white sand beaches, the never ending sun, and of course the warm weather.

Well after being there for 3 1/2 years, ironically I got fed up with the 'constant' weather. There really wasn't any variety. The same thing day in and day out. I moved to GA June 08' for work. I have been here for about 18 months and absolutley hate it!! It is god awful hot and humid. Although FL had the same type of heat and humidity, at least I could go to the beach. But even that gets old after a while. I thought I would never miss the cold, snow, rainy cold days in November, but boy was I SO wrong. You truly never can appreciate something till you no longer have it. I also miss going to my parents cabin in Oscoda.

So I have been saving up for over a year, and I am going back to MI this coming June 2010. I am going to start applying for jobs in Jan and even if I don't have a job I am heading back. I will have 2-3 yrs of living expenses saved up and I have ZERO loans or credit cards. The only bills I have that are reoccurring are my car insurance and my cell phone and I pay my car insurance 12 months in advance.

I work in I.T. as a Network Engineer. Been in I.T. for over 12 years now and have a few advanced certifications. I have also added Telecommunications experience to my resume (2 1/2 yrs experience working for a major communications company here in GA) and I am also studying Network Security. I also have very good references and letters of recommendation from previous employers.

I am hoping that I will be able to find a job before my 2-3 years of living expenses run out. If not, my child hood best friend said I can always come back and work on the farm again till I find something.

So in about 201 days I will be coming back home to THE BEST STATE in the Union Michigan!!

[mindbodysynergy]

Both my SO and I are of the "born and raised" in Michigan crowd. There have been times when we looked into moving to other places (TN, NC) but when it all comes down to it, we love the four distinct seasons and all the beautiful lakes. We live in Michigan and even choose to vacation to other areas within Michigan. We've lived in several different areas in SW Lower Michigan over the last 17 years and would love to move further north, but stay within Michigan.

It's true that the economy is tough here. We feel that almost every day. It's sad to see happening all around us. However, for those of us who were born and raised here and have not been forced to leave to look for work, I do believe this great state of ours is worth weathering the storm for. It's tough in a lot of places and while it's sometimes tempting to go looking for greener pastures, the fact remains, at least for us - that Michigan always has been and always will be home.

[northstar22]

Really, leaving for work is futile right now. Everywhere is feeling the strain of the recession. Why not stay in Michigan and try to make it a better place to live?

Michigan will always be home to me, too. Even though I want to move to Alaska soon (always wanted to live in Alaska), I still see myself returning to Michigan at some point. This is my home, it's where I'm from, and it's where my heart is.

[sizeofyoursteeple]

I like Michigan because it's always cold so we get to stay in the house for most of the year. The only times we leave are to eat, shop, or go to work.

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by sizeofyoursteeple

I like Michigan because it's always cold so we get to stay in the house for most of the year. The only times we leave are to eat, shop, or go to work.

Well...good for you!!

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Yeah, all of this is true. This is one of the reasons I LOVE Michigan. The ostentatiousness of the South, East Coast, and West really bother me, and I really prefer the down-to-earth, hard-working Midwestern values. Michigan is a great place to be. I just wish there were jobs here.

I can understand what you are talking about from the perspective of having a father who was born and raised in the Midwest(Milwaukee,WI though). He misses the Midwest(he prefers Chicago though). He is currently living in the South as I am now.

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Really, leaving for work is futile right now. Everywhere is feeling the strain of the recession. Why not stay in Michigan and try to make it a better place to live?

Michigan will always be home to me, too. Even though I want to move to Alaska soon (always wanted to live in Alaska), I still see myself returning to Michigan at some point. This is my home, it's where I'm from, and it's where my heart is.

A buddy of mine moved there from up north. He said he would NEVER ever consider coming back. He loves it there. Big outdoors man and grew up in Gaylord. But he loves Alaska. So maybe you'll do the same.

[Bluefly]

Originally Posted by sizeofyoursteeple

I like Michigan because it's always cold so we get to stay in the house for most of the year. The only times we leave are to eat, shop, or go to work.

That's really sad, actually. You should get into cross-country skiing or snowshoeing or dogsledding or something. Embrace winter!