Hi folks.  Long time, no see.  I've been in Maryland for 15 months now.  I can't say I entirely love it, but it is definitely different and I really needed a change at the time I left AZ.  That being said... I have come to realize that I do miss Arizona quite a bit.  My job in MD is almost intollerable.  Houses are so expensive.  Townhouses in Columbia, MD start in the $400K's.  That's not an exageration.  The whole AA thing is still going strong.  I just celebrated 5 years of being clean and sober.  My parents came to a meeting and heard me tell my story.  Being closer to them for this year has been nice.  I really feel like my amends to them was edified by having them in attendance as I achieved my 5 year milestone.  I've made some friendships, but they do not feel as solid as the ones I left in Phoenix.  The renters have moved out of my house in Phoenix so $$$ is a little tight for the time being.  The extra dough I am making out here at a job I don't enjoy is simply going towards a mortgage for a house I don't live in while I am crammed in a one bedroom apt (which is more expensive than my mortgage) wondering if my Duc will still be in the parking lot every morning.  It's weird... I just don't feel acclimated.

That being said, I have a lead in on a job in Phoenix, doing much the same work I was doing when I left.  The thing is, that I was able to negotiate the hiring range a little but it pays less that what I am currently making and only slightly more than what I was making when I left.  The one perk is that I have been extended an option to recieve free tuition for my Master's degree if I decide to enroll.  I love the work.  I know the people.  I'm not sure if they'll cover moving expenses, but should find out this week.

I don't have it entirely in the bag yet, but feel confident in that they have already adjusted the hiring range for me.  I'm beginning to feel like some of the things that drove me out of Phoenix (neighborhood demographics, etc) were more based on pride and ego (everywhere has it's worser elements) than necessity, and others (career, family) have been explored and settled.  I miss some things about Arizona.  I will miss others about MD should I return.

I'm having difficulty with this decision.  Has anyone dealt with anything similar?  What's your experience?  Advice?

Hey Ryan...was just wondering about you the other day.  Probably not very helpful, but here's my 2-cents:

The grass is always greener.... Problem is, as we get older, and more "mature", we start to realize that that grass also needs to be mowed, fertilized, weeded, aerated....and it makes the decisions hard for big changes.

I hear where you're coming from with being close to family also.  I have been thinking of moving to the northwest to be closer to my family, but am so spoiled by Arizona that I procrastinate even working out the details.  It's important to have your family accessible.  It's also important for you to live your life in the pursuit of happiness.

So in conclusion, if you were thinking of moving back just to hang out with me at IHOP, just remember nothing lasts forever, and there's probably an IHOP (or equivalent) in MD. 

Congratulations on the 5 years. It is good to hear you are doing well. Sometimes a change of scenery can make all the difference when in a rut. It sounds like you have givin it some good thought and maybe already know what you are going to do. I don't like to give people advice because I know my decisions aren't always the best. Maybe someone with a more decisive opinion will chime in.

No decisive opinions here, at least not the kind that look like advice.  Ryan -- I'm a recent transplant from Maryland (last few years down in Glen Echo then an idyllic little ramshackle shack near Great Falls Park in Potomac) to Prescott. For me, being back West and in a place I felt comfortable was worth giving up a lot in terms of my career, income & even that splendid little shack on the river. For a lot of the reasons you mention, the DC area just never felt like home, though I was there for 20 years, and still count some of my closest friends there. Though there was a cost, I don't regret the decision at all. That's how it worked for me; good luck in finding the right answer for you!

Good to hear from you Ryan! I'm sittin here in Southeasten CT now. For at least the next year. So far, so good. The crime isn't bad here, and the cost of living is decent. Hell, the gas has dropped below $3 for the first time in 8 months.

Won't be an issue for you, but I'll have to wait and see what the winter brings....

Dang, I'm going to CT!  Haven't heard Nakid that positive... ever!   

It's a tough call in my book.  I've been getting restless lately regarding all kinds of things.  Well, actually just two things -- work and proximity to family as we all get older.  I'm feeling kinda like a schmuck for living so far from my parents (TN) and my wife's parents (IL).  Neither of us have any family within 1500 miles.  Sometimes that's nice, but more and more it's not feeling right.  Sure, AZ is great, but I will be sad if my kids move 1800 miles from us and we only get to see them and their kids maybe twice a year.

Obviously, my perspective has a lot to do with the fact that I already have kids.  In hindsight, we probably should have stayed in AZ until our first child was on the way, and then immediately headed for familiar pastures in TN or IL.  Now, it's getting kinda late to uproot the kids (6 & ...

I'd say, wherever you go -- especially if it's away from family -- just make sure you don't get so anchored there that you can't easily head back when your situation changes (if it changes).

ON the other hand, money-wise, I'd take $50K in a happy place and a tiny house over $100K in a tolerable place and a nice house ANY day.

But as the Butthole Surfers said -- it's better to regret something you did do than to regret something you didn't do.

Quote from: DucDucDave on October 14, 2008, 05:00:37 PM
But as the Butthole Surfers said -- it's better to regret something you did do than to regret something you didn't do.

true. 

Be on the lookout for a yellow 620, passing into oncoming traffic near you... early December.   

Cool!  Is that to stay, or just for the holidays?

Quote from: rule62 on November 05, 2008, 09:43:23 PM
Be on the lookout for a yellow 620, passing into oncoming traffic near you... early December.  

I'll keep my radar detector switched to yellow bike mode.

Quote from: DucDucDave on November 05, 2008, 11:39:24 PM
Cool!  Is that to stay, or just for the holidays?

to stay   

Cool!  We'll have to go out for a (root)beer sometime...and get some rides in.  IHOP here we come...now that you're a bit older and wiser I'm not sure if you'll still be able to order off the kids menu, but you can always try.

I'll be in Phoenix the week of December 15th.  Let's all meet up somewhere.

So... has anyone ever driven a 16' moving truck across the country with a car in tow behind it?  Looks like that is the way I'll be hauling it all.  The company is not fitting the bill this time and I'm trying to keep the cost as low as possble.  Any pointers?

Well, I drove a 27' truck with an auto transporter with my F150 and bike in the back. It was a lot of weight to haul. If you cross the GW bridge in NY, they will charge you $4 per axle, regardless if the axle is on the ground or not.  Take your time, see the sights. Get plently of rest....