somewhere else « verdure
somewhere else
Sunday, February 15th, 2009

In less than a week, we will be on our way across the country, with nearly everything we own in our two vehicles.  Mike’s already done a modern day Oregon Trail journey, from NC up to me in WA, but he’s also been hopping across the continents for nearly 15 years, so I think the move is a bigger deal for little me, who has never lived outside of the state.

It’s a great shocker at work when asked how I’m doing, how is the new position going.  They ask why we’re moving, and I list out our reasons (population density, beaches and wildlife, cost of living, climate for Mike), and they appreciate our mobility or say that I’m brave, and then tell me about all of the alligators and hurricanes.  Florida seems a world away to most of them, exotic, a destination fit for vacationing.  But a permanent move?  I may as well be switching hemispheres.

I don’t know yet if I’ll like Florida.  But that’s the point, that it’s not like here, since here is not working for us.  It’s almost taboo it seems to say you don’t like living in Seattle.  But oh, the public transportation! (with the freaks and perverts in your face or worse), and nature at our doorstep! (so popular that it’s a rather long drive before you can find any peace and solitude with your nature), and culture! (with little to no parking to be found, or which costs enough to significantly increase the overall price for your evening).  Not that everything is bad.  I’m going to miss my easy access to Odwallas and the goodness of Trader Joe’s.  And on clear days, the surrounding mountains are really beautiful.  Most of my complaints are around forced interaction with too many people, and in that respect, Tampa will probably still be too big for me.  But perhaps we can find something of the feel of Bellingham in one of the surrounding towns.  Downtown Dunedin looked inviting.  It is a trade off anywhere.  We hope that the mix will be more favorable to us where we are going, and if not, we’ll try somewhere else.

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