6 yrs living here, I can't help but miss the ocean and greenery! (Flagstaff: to rent, camp)

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by Discovery1

Have you ever experience missing everything about the old place where you came from and moved back. not once but 3 times and end up moving away again ? A place does change over time caused by people.

It's happening to a lot of people including myself so my advice would be try to think of the real reason why you moved away from it in the first place ?

Good point. It's common to think a previous location was better if you are not totally happy with the new place. In some cases it may be true.

[beachbuminAZ]

Originally Posted by sandy6879

I'm also from the East Coast and the longer I'm here, the more I miss it.

To those saying go to San Diego, Mexico, etc - - no offense, but you just don't get it. When you can drive to the ocean in 30-45 minutes, it is a MASSIVE difference than a 6 hour drive just to get there. 6 hours back home, I could have gone, spent the day, and been back home in my own bed that night, getting the downtime and serenity I needed for the day, not having to go and fight other tourists for the beach, the hotel costs, the parking costs, etc.

The one thing I have discovered since I've lived here - I'm not cut out to be landlocked. We're planning our next move. If you're not happy, the one piece of advice I have is move. We only have a certain number of years on this planet - may as well be where you're happy.

I could not agree with you more! As a young adult, I would drive down the shore and have my toes in sand by 8am, pack up and leave around 2:30, get home, shower and be at work by 4pm (evening shift at the mall) I lived the life.

It's too much of a production and costly to drive to SD, with the hotel costs, eating out, gas, schleping all of the kids' stuff everywhere. And to be honest, I did not care for Mission, Pacific, Ocean beach. La Jolla was nice but crowded, Coronado was nice and calm...but the water was too calm. The Atlantic ocean is a polar opposite of the Pacific.

[beachbuminAZ]

Originally Posted by jaredC

One common theme on this thread, and in every thread about the oppressive heat, is that everyone keeps saying to get a pool. While I can understand having a pool is great, its by no means an escape from the crushingly oppressive heat. I grew up with a pool here in Phoenix. The novel wore off after a few years and then you realize that despite how OCD you were about sunblock, it was always never enough and still got sunburns. So, you then resorted to swimming at night, which was fine, but still made summer days boring. I grew up mostly here in Phoenix, but up until the age of 16, Tucson is where I spent my early childhood. I have the best memories of my childhood in Tucson. Where a short trip up to My. Lemmon could alleviate all cabin fever.

I've got a little one on the way and would like nothing more than for my baby girl to spend her summers playing outdoors, preferably not here in Phoenix. I've spent quite a few summers in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The summers have me yearning to go back. The winters were bitter cold, but you could still go outside for hockey or whatever.

This is exactly why I'd like to move and raise my girls somewhere more inviting during the summer months. If kids were off from school in the winter, it would be completely different here.

My Mom has a pool, by mid August we are over it. You can't sit out there and enjoy lounging by the pool since the heat is so oppressive, dry and relentless. Plus the flies.

[Bungle]

Just move. Arizona clearly doesn't sound like it's for you or your family.

[beachbuminAZ]

Originally Posted by ajonesaz

Sounds like you are a major contributor to those "crappy summer memories". Get a $10 play pool, my 3 year old loves it. Played outside on the patio all of Sunday. Had the misters on while I was out there with him BBQing and the misters made it pleasant for me. The heat will only ruin your summer if you let it.....

What about water parks? Let them run through the sprinklers. The river technically has sand beaches (although the crowd can be questionable). Rent a boat and go out to your own personal sand bar. My kids love going to their own "personal" sandy islands at canyon lake.

I have amazing memories of summer here and I don't even have a pool (wouldn't have one until all the kids are old enough to respect the dangers).

Don't make your kids be shut-ins all summer.

I am not making them be shut ins at all, quite the opposite. I beg my 3 year old to go play outside. She doesn't want to. She gets red and sweaty being outside unless she is in the water.

I have to put ice packs in the car seats to prevent their legs from being scorched from the buckles.
We can only go grocery shopping early in the morning.

We don't have misters, I've done the kiddie pool...but I can't force her to be in it. Thankfully she starts Pre-K in August.

[beachbuminAZ]

Originally Posted by Bungle

I see a few people in this thread regretting moving here from beach communities. What made you move here?


This is what I moved from and hope to never see this again.

We moved here because:

We followed family out here.
The property taxes are 1/8 the amount they are in Jersey
of the Sunshine and mild winters
We could own a brand new 1800sqft house for less than we paid for our 600sq ft rented apartment in NJ

I enjoy the winters here, I love the cool down. Some nights when you have to wear a jacket in Dec, it actually feels like Christmas. The summers are taxing on me.

And now that I have two kiddos (born here) I am thinking more long term.

[beachbuminAZ]

Originally Posted by stevek64

I was specifically referring to some of the posts who seem to miss a great deal about the old place of residence from the weather, the green/ocean, sense of community, etc. They don't seem happy living here. Why remain where one is unhappy/just talk about it instead of taking action to move to a place that is more to one's liking ?

Which is precisely why I am doing my research on where to move. I'm not a complainer, I'm a do'er. I just have two daughters now and a boat load of student loan debt. My hubby and I can't just quit our jobs and move somewhere like we did here. I want to put down permanent roots and make the move mathematically.

I also bought high and won't make a huge profit with a resell, so everything has to be perfectly planned and laid out as we won't be sitting on a large stack of cash ready to find a new home.

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by beachbuminAZ

Any tips on overcoming me missing the ocean, beach, greenery, mature trees? Originally from NJ where I was 30 mins away from NYC, 40 min to the ocean and 20 min to hiking trails.

I've done a Sedona trip, but it just doesn't cut it. I don't like that my kids are growing up indoors during the summer, instead of playing outside with neighborhood kids.

Am I crazy to think about leaving AZ, when so many desire to move here?

IF you want to leave, then leave. Missing the ubiquitous "greenery" is a persistent complaint, but strangely the people who seem to complain about missing it the most, are always the people who have to put up with 6 months of gray skies, rain, and monotone gray grass, trees, and plants. If that's your thing, by all means, go for it. I don't like the endless eastern winters myself, but some people don't care.

I guess the bottom line is that not everywhere is for everyone. That's really what it comes down to. I don't know why people move here if they miss the ocean, but maybe they misread a map or something.

Also, you can always go north to the Mogollon Rim northeast of Payson if you need to get more green than you can imagine. It is so green there right now you'll think you are in Vermont.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by beachbuminAZ

Any tips on overcoming me missing the ocean, beach, greenery, mature trees? Originally from NJ where I was 30 mins away from NYC, 40 min to the ocean and 20 min to hiking trails.

I've done a Sedona trip, but it just doesn't cut it. I don't like that my kids are growing up indoors during the summer, instead of playing outside with neighborhood kids.

Am I crazy to think about leaving AZ, when so many desire to move here?

Unfortunately, BeachBuminAZ . . . there's just no perfect place to live.

There are positives and negatives with each and every place in the world. Considering everything, I firmly believe Arizona has more positives than any other place I have ever lived which includes just about every corner of this country plus.

Also, a frequent characteristic is to remember only the good points back home when a little homesick.

[jmac1]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Unfortunately, BeachBuminAZ . . . there's just no perfect place to live.

There are positives and negatives with each and every place in the world. Considering everything, I firmly believe Arizona has more positives than any other place I have ever lived which includes just about every corner of this country plus.

Also, a frequent characteristic is to remember only the good points back home when a little homesick.

As a whole