Moving to Seattle

“i am getting major cold feet about this move and it ain't just the weather here in the midwest...”

“Really?
What's the concern?”

“14 years of living in the midwest... i thought it would be easy to leave. not.”

“Ah yes.
I still miss aspects of Florida. But for now I'm better off in NC.”

“see i know people say, "we'll visit" and i sasy "i'll visit" and we all say "we will keep in touch on the internet" but i have been there and know it doesn't happen like that. i guess it's not so much the midwest as a place as a network of dear people that i am distressed to leave. washington seems so far away from everyone.”

“and yes i am drunk right now”

“It is far away.”

“Report to the posting drunk thread immediately!”

“There are plenty of dear people in Washington, you just haven't met them yet. I prolly couldn't have pulled off my move to CA at this point in my life if my wife didn't have family here. The people element is very important. But I'm a descendant of pioneers and I enjoy finding a new place to call home. I've done a lot of moving and have lived in CA & WA before, so I wasn't making a blind leap.

I'm also inspired by the natural beauty of the ocean, beach and coastal mountains on a daily basis. My lifestyle fits the local culture here better than Texas as well, so I feel more at home.

Washington is such an incredible place - it was top of my short list of places to leave Texas for. I'm sure you'll choose correctly for you and your family and be happy about it.”

“We really will visit. I never got a Top of the Pot donut or to see the Olympic peninsula when there in June. And have you gone and sat in the Japanese garden yet? I need to do that one more time.”

“Being from a culture of movement, I understand your issue....In the four years I was in high school, I lived in seven different states and attended 14 separate high schools....(Damn Revenuers kept finding Pa's still...) THEN I joined the army, and got a little stability in my life...Moving every 2 years on average....

Don't think of the friends you are leaving, but the friends you are yet to meet, the places you are yet to visit and the experiences you are yet to have....

(Yeah crash, I'm still in the process of curing cancer here....

Yogi, the same road that'll take you to Washington will bring you home.... Military folks bust a move on a three day weekend...driving hundreds of miles to get home for a few hours....

Get a place a little larger than you might need...you are now a destination for your friends....and if you think about it, everywhere halfway between you and them is a possible destination for backpacking....

it takes work to keep those friendships strong but that's nothing new, the same applies if the friends are across the street.

Wishing you luck...”

“i wasn't drunk i was only drinkin'

thanks for the words of encouragement and things to think about. i am sort of committed to the move based on my professional word, but i know if i was going to be miserable and told them so it would change matters. it is ironic that my family, that i had to sell on the move, is now pushing me forward and i am the one that needs selling. i know in my heart this will work out and be a defining year in our family history. i just have to stick to the plan and not wimp out.”

“Unload the moving truck naked. That should generate interest from your new neighbors.”

“You will not regret the move for the hiking and outdoor opportunities. The hard part will be finding a house that is not too expensive and not too far from work.

When its overcast, you can bop over Snoqualmie pass and get some sunshine hiking in, 9 months of the year.

Olympic Range
North Cascade Range
Snoqualie Pass area
Alpine lakes area
Stuart Range
Rainier
Lake Wenatchee area
Stevens pass area
Goat rocks area
rock climbing at Vantage
volcano climbing: Rainier, Glacier, Baker, Hood, Mt. St Helens, Adams, Shasta
downhill skiing on Snoqualmie Pass
cross country skiing on Blewett pass, and Leavenworth”

“At least you'll be closer to Adak, out in the Aleutian Islands. To me, Adak is the pearl of the South Bering Sea.

http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Adak-Island
I didn't see any mention of Lake Betty, which supplied Adak with water during WW-II. Nor did I see anything about Razorback Mountain. The name, alone, excites me as a backpacking challenge.

WELCOME TO SHEMYA AIR FORCE STATION THE BLACK PEARL OF THE ALEUTIANS
http://www.hlswilliwaw.com/aleutians/Shemya/pdf/WelcomeToShemyaAirForceStation1960.pdf”

“Get your fill of Portillos before ya leave.”

“Adak sucks.”

“It looks great after looking at Siberia week after week.

But it might make Seattle look better to someone moving there.
last edited: 1/05/10 2:48:59 PM”

“Get your fill of Portillos before ya leave.”
ChinMusic
1:05:31 PM
1/05/10

lol”

“Were you looking at Siberia with Sarah Palin?”

“Nope!”

“Three possible problems:

overcast a lot in the winter
hard to find housing that is not very far away
roads are clogged with traffic

If those are worked out, its a wonderland of great places for outdoor activities,and there are plenty of like minded folks. You have no idea of the variety of geography that will be available to you.”

“I lived near Ft Lewis (south of Tacoma) for three years. Both my kids were born out there.

I didn't mind the numerous cloudy days. I got to see Rainier often enough. It is a GREAT area.”

“congrats JimmySan!
sounds like a blast (after all the work of the move of course). Ive lived on the west coast in oregun and its quite awesome. The road trips I found to be especially awesome out there. drive a few hours in most directions and youre in an epic location!
Enjoy”

“Sounds like we need to have a midwest TT trip to that area...I've never been to Washington and it's on my hitlist. Make sure you new house has enough room in the backyard for a bunch of tents...and extra showers.”

“yogi, as sass said we will come visit. No doubt.”

“It sounds great. Has anyone set a date for this gathering?”

“just got back home from a week working out west. today was clear enough that all the mountains came out to say goodbye to me as i rode to the airport and flew home. what a sight with all the snow!”

“those mountains get into your blood...”

“WASHINGTON-No state personal income tax. Your income goes up 3% just from moving from Illinois.

Your week end forecast for your Chicago suburb is rain to snow with temperatures in the 30's. Seattle's forecast include temperatures in the 50's.

Your Washington ex-governors are not all in prison or headed there. When you move, they will keep voting for you in Illinois, so the elected politicians will think you still live here.”

“Ah, cone on now. Chief of Police Prendergast assured us, "There is no organized crime in Chicago!"
last edited: 1/23/10 5:35:37 AM”

“...just like there's no corruption in Congress!”

“oh i am a'going if i can find a place to live. i went house hunting last thursday and struck out for the most part. an entire day and only one real viable candidate and it was wicked expensive. there is no reason to jump on a given listing right now... it's a buyers market and the one i found wasn't priced to move. i'll be out shopping again next week...”

“hey, i am going to be in seattle area this weekend and all of next week. any recommendations for a quick backpacking trip... nothing too extreme but still backpacking. i gotta get outside! i am going nuts...”

“Find Kleet'em and go squirrel stalkin'.”

“them mtns are all snowed in.”

“gotta be a place, even for just car camping for a few nights...”

“the city is fun to walk around”

“Yogi, there are probably foothill rivers (I don't know the area well enough to recommend) and then there's always the Olympic Peninsula.

Dude, time to start amassing your guidebook collection!”

“Going to Goat Lake (Monte Cristo) on Saturday and on Sunday driving to the desert to see the White Bluffs of the Hanford Reach. Find that kind of variety driving out of Chicagoland, I dare you!”

“Hmmm, OK, no problem. The Indiana Sand Dunes State Park has it. There are long, sloping sand dunes, which some people can run up and down. Or roll and jump on the way down. Below is beautiful Lake Michigan and along the shore line are high, almost white buffs with some homes at the top. There even is a nine mile hiking trail, maybe more.

To boot, you don't have to drive there, but you can. The place is served by the Illinois Central electric rail line.

All this is just a short distance from Chicago.”

“yeah but you gotta drive through gary to get there. if you don't get carjacked you'll lose 10 years off your life from the stench of the air pollution.”

“You could always go skiing on your way east.”

“If you stay on the interstate, just drive fast and duck to avoid incoming fire.”

“hehe wk

toejam, my skis haven't made the move yet or i would for sure be doing this.

i am slotted to climb mt st. helens in april. that will be a hoot.”

“I like to say Mt. St. Helens is the biggest sand dune I've climbed. April is a good choice if they plow the road to the trailhead.”

“Con-grad-u-la-tons. And Welcome to the Dark Side.

:]”

“well i have been out here full time a month now. see, i always thougth it was cool how n TT the forum got really quiet on the weekends because people were out backpacking. now i know why i never saw anyone from the pacific northwest hardly ever post... because EVERY day is a weekend. i have done more dayhiking and climbing here in a month than i probably would do in three. it's scary how much there is to do out here. i mean you could do something different every weekend and it would be years before you had to go back and do something a second time.

taking a mountaineering first aid course this month that is been super cool. lots of resources for outdoor people.

i sure do miss all my friends in the midwest, however. the job change has been tough and i have had to move pretty fast to keep up.

i hope you are all well. it think about tt all the time. i follow many of you on facebook and am always glad for good news.”

“things are working out”