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I am going to be graduating from nursing school in about 6 weeks. I am currently in upstate NY for school, but originally from northern CA. I don't want to go back to CA because I can't really afford to live there anymore. I am single, in my early 30s, and hoping to make some good friends wherever I move. One of my main goals (besides getting a job at an awesome hospital!) is to start a family soon, so I need to move somewhere that has a decent amount of single men in my age range.
So... I heard Raleigh-Durham NC and Minneapolis have a good number of single people, and based on the research I've done, they have great hospitals. Now I need to decide which one to choose!
Here are some important issues for me:
WEATHER: I prefer cold weather to hot. I've actually really enjoyed the winter and the snow here in Binghamton NY, but the humid summer in the mid-90s was awful! I really don't like humidity. I've heard that both Minneapolis and Raleigh are really humid over the summer.
WATER: I truly LOVE anything to do with water, such as swimming, floating, wading, skiing, boating, rafting. I love lakes, rivers, oceans, streams... puddles! ;]
ATMOSPHERE: I want to live in a downtown area. I would like to leave my apartment and have people walking around, on the sidewalks. In the 'burbs it seems like so many people drive to go to a cafe two blocks away!. I like a city feel with a kind attitude.
PRICE: I know Minneapolis' cost of living is quite a bit more expensive than Raleigh's, right? But are the salaries reflective of that? I have not gotten information from hospital recruiters yet about pay.
HOSPITALS: There are several hospitals in both cities that look great. I am interested in eventually working in an Emergency Dept or in Pediatrics. Duke hospital and Univ of North Carolina hospital seem great in NC. MN Children's and Regions hospital sound great in MN. I would absolutely LOVE to work at the Mayo Clinic, but Rochester MN seems more like a family community rather than a place to meet a future husband! LOL
MOSQUITOES: I can handle any other buzzing, stinging, slithering thing (well, I actually hate roaches too), but I HATE mosquitoes! I got 45 bites on my 1-week vacation in Hawaii last year. My mom only got 4.
FRIENDS: I've heard that it is difficult to make friends in Minneapolis. I do have a friend that lived in the Raleigh area.
SOCIAL SCENE: I lived in the Dallas TX area for 1 year, and noticed that there was a much better social scene there compared to anywhere I'd been in CA. Maybe it was just that people enjoyed going out more... It was an event, and people got dressed up, etc. Many people played on local recreational teams. There were also whole areas in the cities (Dallas, Ft Worth, Austin) almost dedicated to the nightlife. It was really fun. What is it like in Minneapolis and Raleigh?
I know I asked a lot of questions... and if there is any other info you want to give, feel free! I appreciate any help. I have been having a hard time sleeping lately because I just don't know what to do. This is a very big decision, albeit an exciting one!
Hey Darcy. I can't answer for the other states, but NC is great. I've lived in MA, FL, and now here. It does get humid here in the summer, but compared to FL, it's nothing. Plenty of hospitals to choose from, not just Duke and UNC. If you're looking for big hospitals, also check out Wake Med. Haven't noticed a huge mosquito problem here. There's plenty do do here socially and from what I hear, you should be able to find a mate; although since I'm married and not looking I don't know for sure.
I briefly researched Austin. Pay attention to the weather which sounds exactly like what you DONT want based on your description. Non-stop hot-and-humid summer months. I think you need to move to the western desert states to avoid the humid summers. [/i]However, you'll be losing all humidity and living in a desert. But I've been in 105 degree NM heat and it was more bearable than 90's with maximum humidity. I'd think the lack of humidity and in general water would help negate your mosquito issue as well.
As well as Austin I briefly reviewed Colorodo. Tons of sun even in winter, and they do get cold and long winters but generally without much snow from what I researched in the non-mountain peak areas. You'd have to truck to the mountains to get the good snow. But that's based on mimimal investigation, I've never actually been there nor know anyone who lives there to give 1st hand accounts.
From my research on the Raleigh area the weather seems like a good mix though you are bound to get 6-8 weeks of the hot-and-humid with it generally being 10 degrees hotter than the NY summers you've experienced. But there's some winter-like time with nice long spring/fall which I've heard is perfection. Water in Raleigh is fairly gross from my short visit there last weekend. Brown mud holes is a better description. I didn't see anything resembling the clear lakes and rivers of NY, though NY does have it's share of murky water as well. I personally only swim in water I can see through so that limits me greatly to pools and Skaneateles lake which you can clear bottom 100' from shore.
If you really like snow, then I'm afraid Raleigh isn't for you. This past winter it snowed just twice. Each time we got about 1 inch of snow & it was gone within a day. We rarely even have to scrape frost off of our windows on winter mornings here.
During the summer, it gets hot & muggy. Yes, it isn't as muggy as Florida, but that hardly means it's comfortable. As for temps, there are many weeks where the high is in the 90s & there are a handfull of days that linger near or above 100F. But that's why God invented air conditioning!
As for water, there are beautiful beaches just over 2 hours away! Not on your doorstep, of course, but close enough for a day trip. And there are a couple lakes near the Triangle, too.
There are a few places in the area where you could live and walk to restaurants & entertainment. Durham & Raleigh are working to revitalize their downtown areas (including the development of some pretty swanky condos), so it may not be quite up to your standards yet, but it's bound to improve. It's important to remember that there isn't one central downtown in the Triangle; it's split up between the various cities. This is good because it creates more options, but it also means that you really have to have a car.
We definitely get our fair share of mosquitoes (they love to nibble me, too), but I don't know of a single place where you can escape them in this country. They're everywhere!
The people here are very friendly, in my experience. People in our neighborhood wave to eachother as we drive past. At the stores, people will strike up conversations with strangers. Because of the local universities, there are bound to be plenty of single men. One of the grocery stores I frequent even has a singles night!
I can't offer any advice about the job situation. I know that the country as a whole is in desperate need of more nurses, so I imagine you're lucky in that respect!
I briefly researched Austin. Pay attention to the weather which sounds exactly like what you DONT want based on your description. Non-stop hot-and-humid summer months.
Austin doesn't feel as humid as the piedmont of NC but August in Austin is certainly hot.
I can't speak for the weather since I am still in CA (YUK!), but as far as the mosquitoes biting you, please give Avon's Skin So Soft a try. No, I don't sell Avon, but I have a friend who moved to Raleigh over a year ago who has the same problem. She got some SSS and tried it and now swears by it. She knows it works since one day she missed a spot on her neck - and got five bites there. She says she is like a light beacon to those little bugs. Plus she said SSS smells really nice. Worth a try. Char
I can't speak for the weather since I am still in CA (YUK!), but as far as the mosquitoes biting you, please give Avon's Skin So Soft a try. No, I don't sell Avon, but I have a friend who moved to Raleigh over a year ago who has the same problem. She got some SSS and tried it and now swears by it. She knows it works since one day she missed a spot on her neck - and got five bites there. She says she is like a light beacon to those little bugs. Plus she said SSS smells really nice. Worth a try. Char
Thanks for the advice, Char! From what I hear, both Minneapolis and Raleigh are pretty thick with mosquitoes. I do hate using chemical bug repellant -- it stinks, and I feel like it's got to be clogging my pores and seeping into my cells! -- but I will use it to keep the bugs at bay. Not only do I attract the bites, but I am so bad at resisting to itch the little red bumps. So I will DEFINITELY try the SSS.
Mango, this may sound strange, but have you considered Salt Lake City? It doesn't perfectly match your desires, but it might be worth checking out.
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But I've been in 105 degree NM heat and it was more bearable than 90's with maximum humidity. I'd think the lack of humidity and in general water would help negate your mosquito issue as well.
Hey MangoCeylon
