I’ve always loved reading periodicals from outside my own region. In high school, I read British mags during my Anglophile phase, and in my 20’s I read in the locally produced newspaper from the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Lakota Sioux reservations in South Dakota (I had it mailed to Delaware).
Lately, I’ve been reading Sunset, a magazine whose tagline is ‘how to live in the west’, and it really makes me dream about moving to the west. The Mr. and I are kinda kicking the idea around for when Indie Fixx Jr. is done with college. The Pacific Northwest, the Southwest, Southern Cali and the Bay Area seem really appealing for different reasons. We are throwing Austin, Tempe, Portland around, and anywhere in California we think we could afford…which isn’t much. The natural beauty and cultural aspects of these places make them really appealing and reading Sunset and looking at all the photos makes me long for them in a totally fantastical what-if kind of way. I’m not sure that I could actually do it, move away from my family, but the more I read Sunset the more I want to take some vacations and explore the idea.
What about you, are you dreaming of moving? Is it a reality? Is it something that you will relegate to your wishful thinking world?
If you like Sunset magazine and reading about “the west” you should check out Arizona Highways magazine. It’s wonderful.
I saw this the same day I put up my post.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2010/07/22/128697635/twittermap
I live in Delaware, which noticeably stands out as happier than the rest of the east according to this.
michelle, that’s exactly what we are facing. the 1st time in a long time tat we could make decisions about our lives with just the 2 of us in mind. It’s exciting and scary at the same time.
Amber, that’s some of what I struggle with. What if I make the choice to move, but I miss my family too much and I don’t find any friends. What if I don’t like the place that we move to, but we’ve invested so much in the move that we’re stuck?
I wish I could be a little less of a worry wart…
Sara, good for you!
We live in NorCal (first because the military said so, then by choice) and even after 15 years, I still get the itch to travel around and maybe settle somewhere else, Seattle, Astoria, who knows? Our city gets a blissfully cool delta breeze (we’re south of Sacto) so we don’t roast in the summer but I crave the rainy and green coastal views I see in the magazines.
Sunset rocks, but doesn’t always tell the whole tale (Davis, for instance, is featured as a family and bicycle-commute friendly city, but they fail to talk about the heat, the heavy college population that relies on cars and the staggering cost of real estate.)
I still soak up their articles, especially the ones that feature local places so I can plan day trips, and keep some mags for articles on things I’ll “someday” do in my own garden, when I have one!
Oh my! I just came back from vacation that included both Seattle and Portland!!! There are really no words to describe how both husband and I feel about these two places!!! Beautiful people, happy people, friendly people, with my experience great weather- 0 humidity!-i am in NY. I would say that Seattle attracts mainly more people around the music scene and Portland gets all the artists and crafts people- Saturday and Sunday Market is THE handmade paradise!!!! The Pearl district is filled with local artists galleries and restaurants on the ground floor and converted warehouses to modern lofts and condos in the upper floors. Of course there is that famous Powells Bookstore where you can spent days in there. Seattle has a hugeeee public library, built with glass windows all around. Also both places are surrounded with mountains with many trails, where you can do weekend excursions for biking and hiking. Icould just go on for a while promoting both of these places. If I had the flexibility to move to one of the above, it would be a tough decision, but I would probably lean towards Portland. There is no traffic whatsoever, I considered Portland the ECO-friendly City, it has great wines,- you can get some land a funding to do your own winery!!! and it has a much more free spirit feeling over all. wow, and all of the above feelings I got by spending only a day and a half to each of these cities!!!
It is so funny that you should post this. I have been thinking about moving west for the past 2 weeks. I live in South Florida so I would be moving about as far away as I could. I love Sunset magazine and I want to move to Portland myself. Will I do it? Not sure as I’ve been wanting to move to Austin for over 5 years. Your blog is great and timely.
I’m not dreaming of moving right now, but I do love Sunset magazine… and I live in the Midwest!
we live in des moines, iowa and have two sons- one is going to be a junior and the other a freshman in high school. my husband and i are planning on moving to chicago when they both have graduated. we really want to live in a big city [not in the burbs but IN the city] and stay in the midwest. so only four more years and we’re off to the windy city! [and maybe we’ll give the boys our new address :D]
I have had this perpetual itch to move ever since I could remember. I live in Sacrament California right now and it’s 45 min from my parents and an hour and a half from my best friend, which is a nice visiting friendly distance. But I hate the heat here and I have been looking for a reason to move to Seattle or Portland for some time now. Every time I get the resources I lose the courage. I worry about what I would do with myself if I moved somewhere where I didn’t know anyone but then I think about what I do now in a town that I have lived in most of my life and most of my activities are done solo so what would be the difference? Just the fall back of knowing that the people I love are driving distance away? Or am I just afraid of the leap?
I recently visted Yosemite and absolutely fell in love. The gorgeous trees…the snow capped mountains…the rushing falls, made me want to quit my day job and become a park ranger!! This June marked a 30-year high for rain fall in the region, so needless to say, the waterfalls were out of this world.
I grew up in Minnesota, moved all over the state, jumped over to London + Dublin for about a year, then back to MN. The whole time I felt the west coast pulling at my heart (ever since I was 8, really, and went to Oregon with my family). In December I finally jumped all in. I had planned on moving to Seattle, but wound up in Tacoma, about 30 miles south of Seattle, and am 100% in love with it. It’s everything Sunset claims it to be and so much more.
i’ve never been to the oregon, but it seems like it would be magically beautiful to me. not sure if i wouldn’t miss the sun though?
that’s right, amy. forgot you used to work for sunset.
Yay, Sunset! I had such a great time interning there and it definitely made me fall in love with the West. Glad you’re reading it now too! 🙂
I come from Astoria Oregon. I absolutely LOVE that area. Maybe it is just because it is home to me. There is so much beauty there, and as I am entering more of the blog world of crafty goodness, I see a lot coming from Portland! My family has moved a few times in the last few years and it has been wonderful learning of new ways and seeing the country! We moved away from some family only to be by other family and now again by different family! haha! By the way. I love your blog!