Why did you move to San Diego, and do you want to leave? (amusement park, insurance)

[rxglasshalffull]

I originally had plans to go to an amusement park today, but its raining most of the day, so I figure, why not waste more time on this forum.

As I stated on this forum with my other posts, I am moving to San Diego next week. I had never throught about leaving this NY/NJ/CT tristate area, until I paid a visit to Southern California last year, since then, I have visited two more times, each time left me in tears because I just love the damn place, being an outdoor girl and a sucker for beautiful sceneries. I won't bore you too much with my love for California, let's talk about some other reasons why I am moving

1) Weather - I am looking forward to getting some sun this winter, without wearing 7 layers of clothes in below 30F weather

2) Outdoor activities - I am the kind of girl who needs to get out (not just out of the house, but outside) every day, and San Diego and coastal California offers year-round, endless possibilities in this category

3) Job Opportunity - I can't speak for other fields, but in my field, California pays $15,000 - 25,000 more a year than the tri state area, and after graduating in May, I failed to land a full-time job here. I had a per-diem offer (probably 24hrs a week, no 401k, no insurance, no guarantee, MAYBE a promotion to part-time if good performance) in my home state and a full-time offer in San Diego.

To be honest, it is very difficult for me to leave, because of family (only because of family), but those three reasons speak for themselves, especially the job aspect, I didn't paid $200k to go to school to work only per-diem.

[CALI BOUND 37]

Leaving San Diego is not a option. To be honest I cant think of another place in the world where I rather be.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by rxglasshalffull

I originally had plans to go to an amusement park today, but its raining most of the day, so I figure, why not waste more time on this forum.

As I stated on this forum with my other posts, I am moving to San Diego next week. I had never throught about leaving this NY/NJ/CT tristate area, until I paid a visit to Southern California last year, since then, I have visited two more times, each time left me in tears because I just love the damn place, being an outdoor girl and a sucker for beautiful sceneries. I won't bore you too much with my love for California, let's talk about some other reasons why I am moving

1) Weather - I am looking forward to getting some sun this winter, without wearing 7 layers of clothes in below 30F weather

2) Outdoor activities - I am the kind of girl who needs to get out (not just out of the house, but outside) every day, and San Diego and coastal California offers year-round, endless possibilities in this categories.

3) Job Opportunity - I can't speak for other fields, but in my field, California pays $15,000 - 25,000 a year than the tri state area, and after graduating in May, I failed to land a full-time job here. I had a per-diem offer (probably 24hrs a week, no 401k, no insurance, no guarantee, MAYBE a promotion to part-time if good performance) in my home state and a full-time offer in San Diego.

To be honest, it is very difficult for me to leave, because of family (only because of family), but those three reasons speak for themselves, especially the job aspect, I didn't paid $200k to go to school to work only per-diem.

This is the #1 reason I hear any northeasterer leave SD.

My wife was struggling like this at first when we moved out here from NJ. She comes from a massive family and there was this Irish guilt thing about 'leaving the family' like its losing an appendage. But the reality was when we were dating in NJ, I pointed out that she was sucked into the vortex of family and was a gloried babysitter for all the drama in the family. Everyone up in each others news etc etc. Basically no true identity outside the covenant.

Well, after almost a decade of living in SD, having a very rewarding life, owning our first home and having solid careers do does her family 'get it'. They dont fully understand the need to live so far away, but they see she is happy and are ok with that. Telephone conversations went from "when are you coming home" to telling the rest of the family "We wish you were closer, but you have a great life".
They only now understand that it was the best move she ever made. After about 6 years did it take to click, but the years prior were brutal. She was trying to create a life here and the parents just couldnt let it go and understand why she couldnt do it out there.

So in essence it really had nothing to do with the weather in San Diego for us moving out here so much as the job oppt that we moved out here for. The weather is truly magnificent and you will look at other cities and be SO glad you get to back to San Diego. Of all the cities I have had to travel to for work or pleasure, there is nothing like descending into SD flying over Balboa Park. From that viewpoint, you see how gorgeous it is.

We will likely never leave here (I am a never say never type). If we did, we would never sell our two houses.

I am pretty certain your family will miss you and you will probably have some ups and downs and questions, but try not to let it crowd your personal goals and judgment.

[ShelbyGirl1]

We retired here last year, and opted for SD because of our son living near by and of course, the great weather.
You will find, you will suddenly find relatives and long lost friends you never even knew you had, once they find out where you live, and they will all becoming for a visit. It's been a revolving door, ever since we moved here.

[kettlepot]

I grew up in northern California. Lived on the east coast, including the Tri-state area for a few years, then moved here for school.

I do love the weather, though, there are times I would like a little bit more 'weather,' especially thunderstorms.

Why would I leave? City-life. My dream is to live in an old city, with blocks and blocks of sturdy turn of the century architecture. Streets with tree-lined parkways, sidewalks, and neighborhood businesses. There are neighborhoods like this in San Diego, but they are very expensive. They carry a 20% - 50% premium over the soul-less tract housing of the suburbs. So, if I sold my San Diego house and moved to a non-NYC, non-Boston, non-Philly city in the northeast I could live in the kind of neighborhood I described.

On the other hand, I have lived here long enough, I really have community roots here. It might be too difficult to leave now.

[rxglasshalffull]

Originally Posted by shmoov_groovzsd

This is the #1 reason I hear any northeasterer leave SD.

My wife was struggling like this at first when we moved out here from NJ. She comes from a massive family and there was this Irish guilt thing about 'leaving the family' like its losing an appendage. But the reality was when we were dating in NJ, I pointed out that she was sucked into the vortex of family and was a gloried babysitter for all the drama in the family. Everyone up in each others news etc etc. Basically no true identity outside the covenant.

Well, after almost a decade of living in SD, having a very rewarding life, owning our first home and having solid careers do does her family 'get it'. They dont fully understand the need to live so far away, but they see she is happy and are ok with that. Telephone conversations went from "when are you coming home" to telling the rest of the family "We wish you were closer, but you have a great life".
They only now understand that it was the best move she ever made. After about 6 years did it take to click, but the years prior were brutal. She was trying to create a life here and the parents just couldnt let it go and understand why she couldnt do it out there.

So in essence it really had nothing to do with the weather in San Diego for us moving out here so much as the job oppt that we moved out here for. The weather is truly magnificent and you will look at other cities and be SO glad you get to back to San Diego. Of all the cities I have had to travel to for work or pleasure, there is nothing like descending into SD flying over Balboa Park. From that viewpoint, you see how gorgeous it is.

We will likely never leave here (I am a never say never type). If we did, we would never sell our two houses.

I am pretty certain your family will miss you and you will probably have some ups and downs and questions, but try not to let it crowd your personal goals and judgment.

Thanks, this is so helpful...really appreciate it. my parents are already making plans to visit later this year. the bf is visiting three weeks after and he will move too in may.

[Pedro2000]

it's always tough. As another poster said, people will throw out guilt trips or remind you that you left them behind.
Sometimes it's tough and in the bigger picture, not having family around is a loss. No matter what people say, family and friends are still family and friends. Seeing them 1-2 times a year means you lose that. And if you are close and have a big family, you sacrifice that for a different kind of life. And regardless of how many friends you make, it's different. You have to accept that and not just pretend that it's not a big deal.

But saying all that, I just don't get the "I'm an outdoor person and love...." People use that as a reason to love or move to San Diego and it just sounds like it's full of crap. I was an outdoor person in NJ, in NY, in Philly, in Seattle, in Miami, in Colombia, in Illinois, and so on. No matter where I've lived, I'm an outdoor type of person who finds places to hike, to go, to visit, to explore. Yes the weather might suck in some of those places, but you figure ways to do what you want no matter where you live. I mean go a few miles inland in San Diego and the summer it's like 90 degrees+ in half the places. Go even further and you get hit with 100 degree desert weather. Who the hell wants to hike in that.

But again, I don't comprehend this philosophy that "I'm an outdoor person" except it seems many people aren't that at all, they just visit san diego for a few days and did a couple of things, and then go back home and never leave their houses. I'm not saying the OP is or isn't, but when I hear the "outdoor" comment it's kind of annoying. Like I said, no matter where I've lived, I've always been the same person. I never had problems finding outdoor activities in NJ. So if you're not doing many outdoor activities now, why would you suddenly become that person in San Diego?

[Encinitan]

Let's see, I guess I moved to San Diego in 1969 after having lived the previous nine months in my mother's womb.
I don't ever plan on leaving.

[skeke]

I moved to San Diego because my husband was transferred here. It was a HUGE improvement over Phoenix AZ where we moved from. I wouldn't leave now. I've been here on and off since 1976. I have grandchildren here. I have no plans to leave and though I believe there are many lovely places to live I am content here. Since I don't like heat and my spouse doesn't like cold it would be hard to find two many other areas in the contiguous 48 states where we would both be content.

[earlyretirement]

We absolutely LOVE it here and would never dream about moving. I absolutely know 100% we won't move from San Diego. I have having lunch yesterday with a business colleague that also lives here in San Diego and I told him that I could get offered the CEO at Facebook and I would turn it down no matter how much they paid me.

My family loves it here just as much as I do. Moving to San Diego surpassed my wildest expectations. Absolutely will not leave San Diego.