Something is coming. For us as a family, it might be a huge thing. For several months we have contemplated trying for a promotion which would mean a move from Suburban Pittsburgh to Rural Georgia. With wide open doors and everything seeming to fall into place towards this job, last week my DH applied when it was finally posted. Unexpectedly soon, 3 days ago he was scheduled to interview today. As I write, he is interviewing for this HUGE change.
The scary part is, as general as I have to be in describing it, and as unofficial as I have to be in announcing it (even the news that we applied to the job I had to take off Facebook!) the job is almost a done deal. DH is really good at what he does and anyone would be blessed to have him on their team. He should be the lead engineer for this job. And we have always wanted to move south…
Not everyone here WANTS to leave Pittsburgh, even if it means a promotion. Most of the families I know have several generations-both sides of the family!- in town, sometimes next door or across the street. As a mom of 4 kids under 9, the free babysitting angle is crazy attractive! DH’s family is just under an hour away from where we live now and you can’t put a price on having grandparents involved in loving and raising your kids. Since we moved here almost 4 years ago now, they have been so helpful (ex: we got to go on a second honeymoon for our 10th anniversary…alone!) and generous (Grandma has a job mostly so she can bless her grandkids at Christmas); it is hard to imagine being THAT far away from them. I would especially miss my SIL and her family. So I get why people wouldn’t want to leave. But we have ALWAYS lived in Pennsylvania.
Haven’t you ever wanted to try living somewhere different? I can tell you first hand it isn’t as scary as it feels when you first think about it. I grew up in Bethlehem, PA but went to college in Erie-an 8 hour drive, all the way across the state. During college I did an internship near Boca Raton, FL and fell in love… No not with DH, with the climate! I have very dry skin in the winter, but in Boca I only thought about sunscreen. They get thunderstorms almost every day at the same time of day in the summer-I Luuuuuuv thunderstorms. And the SUN! You don’t have to know me long to hear how much I heart Florida. If God grants me life past retirement, you will find me on a beach in FL in my latter years!
Anyway, ever since I got a taste of a different climate I have been trying to get out of this two-horse state and try living somewhere else, ANYWHERE else. It helped drive me to our first real job as a couple near Harrisburg (lived for 5 years there) and again when DH wanted to move to Pittsburgh I said let’s try it. So of course when DH said we might have an opportunity to move (on the company dime) to Georgia, I am at peace with trying.
Go ahead and guess how fast I Map Quested the distance to Florida.
So shout out here. I want to know where you want to live when you retire. Do you think I am insane for even considering a move from the great mothership, Pittsburgh? Don’t worry, I will always root for the Steelers. Even from my bungalow in West Palm Beach.
The scary part is, as general as I have to be in describing it, and as unofficial as I have to be in announcing it (even the news that we applied to the job I had to take off Facebook!) the job is almost a done deal. DH is really good at what he does and anyone would be blessed to have him on their team. He should be the lead engineer for this job. And we have always wanted to move south…
Not everyone here WANTS to leave Pittsburgh, even if it means a promotion. Most of the families I know have several generations-both sides of the family!- in town, sometimes next door or across the street. As a mom of 4 kids under 9, the free babysitting angle is crazy attractive! DH’s family is just under an hour away from where we live now and you can’t put a price on having grandparents involved in loving and raising your kids. Since we moved here almost 4 years ago now, they have been so helpful (ex: we got to go on a second honeymoon for our 10th anniversary…alone!) and generous (Grandma has a job mostly so she can bless her grandkids at Christmas); it is hard to imagine being THAT far away from them. I would especially miss my SIL and her family. So I get why people wouldn’t want to leave. But we have ALWAYS lived in Pennsylvania.
Haven’t you ever wanted to try living somewhere different? I can tell you first hand it isn’t as scary as it feels when you first think about it. I grew up in Bethlehem, PA but went to college in Erie-an 8 hour drive, all the way across the state. During college I did an internship near Boca Raton, FL and fell in love… No not with DH, with the climate! I have very dry skin in the winter, but in Boca I only thought about sunscreen. They get thunderstorms almost every day at the same time of day in the summer-I Luuuuuuv thunderstorms. And the SUN! You don’t have to know me long to hear how much I heart Florida. If God grants me life past retirement, you will find me on a beach in FL in my latter years!
Anyway, ever since I got a taste of a different climate I have been trying to get out of this two-horse state and try living somewhere else, ANYWHERE else. It helped drive me to our first real job as a couple near Harrisburg (lived for 5 years there) and again when DH wanted to move to Pittsburgh I said let’s try it. So of course when DH said we might have an opportunity to move (on the company dime) to Georgia, I am at peace with trying.
Go ahead and guess how fast I Map Quested the distance to Florida.
So shout out here. I want to know where you want to live when you retire. Do you think I am insane for even considering a move from the great mothership, Pittsburgh? Don’t worry, I will always root for the Steelers. Even from my bungalow in West Palm Beach.
I had no idea you were such a fan of FL. Even with all the humidity?? That would kill it for me.
ReplyDeleteIf family wasn't a consideration, I would love to move south a bit. Far enough that the weather is milder, but not humid. Like Virginia maybe. Or on a beach somewhere. (Hmmm or maybe GA if it's not too humid.) But since family is a consideration I will probably always be in this general area.
You can move to the desert if you don't like humidity. There is a reason people live in California! Avoid the east coast!
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed that so many people are in love with Florida! I was in Pensacola for about 3 months & that was 2 months & 2 weeks too long!
ReplyDeleteI do not miss burning my fingers on the seatbelt or steering wheel of my car in May, but oh, how I miss the feel of the south-westerrn Arizona sunshine! So, the warm & sunny part of FL I get, but I say you can keep all that humidity!
I am still searching for that fictional place where nothing grows that I'm allergic to that stays between 45 & 75 degrees the majority of the year with less than 40% humidity where I dream of retiring if there is ever actually a day when I will no longer have to work. (That is difficult to imagine!)