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Having moved around many times, and knowing many other families that have - I can tell you that more often than not kids adapt faster than adults no matter how they feel before the move. ...
Yes, and it's especially true here where new people are coming in all the time and parents switch kids from school to school (or the school district does it for them). When we moved both of my older kids were one of 5 new kids in their classes. That would never happen where we lived in NY - I think we had 2 new kids the whole time we lived there.
I think Tompope said it perfectly. I'm from WI and was fed up with winters, crime, and cranky people. We moved last summer-it was a KILLER-hotter and more humid than I ever remember-and WI has hot humid summer days-but you get breaks and temperature fluctuations, not here. I found I cant be outside in the summer due to the mosquitoes-I get eaten alive going to the driveway.
I was hoping for a great neighborhood with a lot of friendly neighbors. I have yet to meet the woman next door (10 months here now) but her husband came over to say hello, and not more than a faraway occasional "hello" from others. But, a neighbor just moved not 10 minutes away and has already met all of her neighbors-they all came over to say "hi" and have invited them over already. I guess its the luck of the draw with neighbors. Yes, we feel safe. Many people leave their garage doors open during the day-although I did read a crime report that there were many car break-ins in the neighborhood last spring-but that's everywhere. Heck, we chased people out of our yard and garage in Milwaukee in broad daylight on more than one occasion!
Overall, I'm happy here, the kids are adjusting well-they say the kids here are more accepting and less snobby, and we did NOT have to shovel at all!
How do people afford taxes up north???? I know their salaries are higher, but sheesh! My mom's cousin makes a six-figure salary as a kindergarten teacher up there!!!! But wouldn't they have to take a pay cut to move here?
YEP! Most of the teachers I work with are from the north and we all took huge paycuts to escape. Now, am I happy I am here: yes. Am I happy with the workload as a teacher here taking home 50% of what I made up north? No....I figured with what I make here, I can do other random things (tutor, clean houses, sell on ebay) and not have to put in the 9 hour days plus hours of paperwork nightly! Living here with less money is a difficult adjustment, but money doesn't buy happiness. (ask me if I'm still saying that when I don't have money for food!-hopefully, it wont get that bad)
Having moved around many times, and knowing many other families that have - I can tell you that more often than not kids adapt faster than adults no matter how they feel before the move. Whether they make new friends in the neighborhood, at school, church or wherever - they usually adapt easily despite whatever complaining may accompany the move.
Not always...we moved while my brother was in middle school and he hated it here for a long time. As an adult he accepts it, but doesn't love the Raleigh area.
You will be absolutely miserable here in the summer -- from June to November -- compared to Minnesota.
If you don't mind running from a constantly air-conditioned home to air-conditioned car to air-conditioned employer, you'll be fine.
If you don't mind NOT having the windows open during all that time, you'll be fine. (It's too hot.)
Some people love the hot weather. Maybe you will. I have a friend from Buffalo who easily does 60-mile bike rides in wicked-hot nasty humid weather. I would not survive such a thing.
The mosquito situation here is far worse than anything I ever experienced up North. If I quickly open the door to let the dog out, within ten minutes or so, mosquitoes find me and bite me -- while I'm in a room on the other side of the house. Forget about sitting outside in the evening. Screened porches are a necessity. Or spray yourself with lime juice -- mosquitoes don't like lime juice. You can always use chemicals, too.
I have found no difference on a crankiness level from western New York and here. Most people are friendly in both places. I would think the same would be true of Minnesota.
Minnesota has beautiful lakes (as does western New York). There are only man-made lakes in the Triangle area, and nobody lives on them. No restaurants with great views. They are too murky for swimming. (Except Jordan Lake, you can swim at Jordan Lake. N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation: Jordan Lake State Recreation Area - Activities They have a pic of Fort Macon on that website, and that's near the coast, not here.) Jordan Lake can get very crowded.
We are 2 hours from the ocean, and that's generally where people get their recreational water fix. So budget for that.
Our real estate taxes have barely risen in the 20 years I've been here and are far less than those I paid in New York. I am grateful for that.
I love seeing (and planting) pansies that bloom in the dead of winter.
I love not having to wear hats, gloves, and boots.
I love not seeing snow most years.
I love that downtown Raleigh has "grown up" the last 20 years and is flourishing.
I love that we're so close to other towns and cities and can easily take advantage of their resources (e.g. concerts, festivals, plays, restaurants) if we want.
I miss family and lifelong friends. That's been the worst. Budget for at least annual visits back home.
Make the decision with your eyes wide open, knowing that there are good and bad things to any location, and you'll be fine.
Some things about Raleigh that make me happy include:
Trees, beautiful trees!
Char-Grill (if we ever leave Raleigh, I will miss eating a Char-Grill steak junior and fries (ideally with choc milkshake on Hillsborough St))
Having four distinct seasons (yes, summers are hot and very humid but spring and fall are glorious and winters are mild compared to much of the country)
An abundance of parks and lakes (Pullen Park especially if you have young children, Umstead, Hemlock Bluffs)
Lots of nice venues for outdoor music - RedHat amphitheater downtown and especially Koka Booth at Regency Lake....the summer symphony series is great
Plenty of other venues for entertainment - RBC Center (Carolina Hurricanes, concerts, kids events, other (like Cirque du Soleil), DPAC, Meymandi
Artsplosure (coming up soon!)
The Cree shimmer wall at the convention center (trees!)
Nice walkable shopping centers like Cameron Village and North Hills
Charming neighborhoods - especially those ITB
Reasonably close proximity to a lot of other nice places - beautiful NC beaches (2 hours), Wilmington, Biltmore House, NC mountains, DC, Charleston, Savannah, *Palmetto Bluff* (near Hilton Head in SC low country)
I am a cold weather person and would love the temperature to stay at a sunny 73 degrees during the day, with 55 degree nights. I had a bit of trouble acclimating to the summer temps in the south but now don't mind them as much. The thing that has made the most difference is that I now use the pool with my kids almost every day. Side benefit...cardio workout.
Our back yard has grown in and the amount of shade has increased significantly. There is a noticeable difference in temperature between my back yard than my less-shaded front yard.
Whereas you may have had cabin fever during the winter, you may have it down here June - August.
In the warmer months, one of my favorite things is seeing green frogs attached to our patio door in the evenings. I've already seen them this year. They look like this: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_IHX9rxGuW...0/treefrog.jpg
Or spray yourself with lime juice -- mosquitoes don't like lime juice.
DON'T DO THAT!! Yes, I'm yelling. Lime juice can cause severe burns in the sun. Bad, bad idea. There are plenty of safe natural mosquito repellents, but lime juice is not one of them.
Avon's Skin So Soft is now doing double duty as a mosquito repellent and sunblock. My mom got some for my DD last year because the mosquitoes just love that child. They loved me too, till I had kids...weird, huh?
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