Hi all, we just need some advice for people who have moved to Boise or out of Phoenix recently.

A little background: We both mostly grew up in Phoenix and are now 36 and 33 with a 3 year old son and are thinking of changing states. We have never lived outside of Arizona and both are really hating the heat of the “summers” (6-7 months long isn’t a summer imo) and wanting something cooler. My family friend moved to Meridian from Seattle in 2023 and has been loving it.

The draw to Meridian/Boise:
Four seasons - being able to be outdoors a lot more

Bigger homes for the cost - although I’m beginning to think Meridian might not big much less affordable than Phoenix. We heard Meridian is similar to Gilbert, is this true?

Better education - Phoenix public schools are mostly terrible that we are thinking of homeschooling instead

Change of pace - we’ve heard it is a bit slower lifestyle pacing compared to Phoenix but unsure if this is true

Change of scenery - lived in the desert our whole lives, want to experience living somewhere else

Drawbacks:
Most of our entire family is in Phoenix (mostly a good thing) and help out with our son a lot when they can.

Jobs - obviously less opportunities than Phoenix but worried about finding work

Not knowing anyone - we just know my family friend and that is it, no other ties to Boise

For those of you who have either moved from Phoenix to Boise/Meridian, moved to Boise from somewhere else or moved out of Phoenix to somewhere else we’d love to know your thoughts!

Thanks,

in my specific situation i have hated living in my wife's hometown for the last 10+ years. i am desperate to make a move but not sure if that's selfish given her family is rooted here.

anyone care to weigh in?

My wife, our child, and I are currently living in California. We are planning to relocate to Costa Rica because both of our jobs are moving there.

We want to buy our own house instead of paying rent every month, but we don't have enough savings to buy a property outright.

I'm wondering if getting a home loan or mortgage in Costa Rica is a good option for us. Another option is to rent for a while, save more money, and invest our savings until we can afford a house.

For those who live in Costa Rica or have experience buying property there:

• Is it possible for foreigners to get a home loan in Costa Rica?
• How much money should we save for a down payment?
• Is it better to buy a house now or rent for a year or two?
• Are there any affordable options for a family on a limited budget?

All right, I’m 23 years old. I’ve lived in Boston for the last year and I’ve lived in the suburbs of Massachusetts my whole life. This past weekend I went to Chicago for the first time it was eye-opening. I went there and everything was just cheaper the industry I’m in is also relatively similar with base pay. I work in software sales.

I genuinely love the city of Chicago after this weekend. I went there, and it felt like everybody was willing to have a conversation compared to Boston, where everybody just kind of puts their head down. Overall, I also thought that there was more young people and as a dude I thought that there was some pretty girls there lol. Like absolutely beautiful gals. I am also very big into triathlon and running and I felt that having a nice long lakefront trail. There was something super cool and being able to swim there is sick. Nothing really is keeping me back home though. That’s the thing. EXEPT I have a lease until next September, which I think I could get it subleased.

I’m really not sure part of me that was just a little scared to leave home and all but I think that’s a big step in life and I’m also just a little nervous for the winter other than that. I love this city and I could see myself being there.

Anyone who has moved to Chicago recently I would just love your opinions or maybe if you’re young dude would love to hear how it is for you.

If i could find a suburb or a semi rural town that feels like Brooklyn where i can bike commute that would be ideal

Or even just good public transportation and near a national park or something

Has anyone ever heard of this mythical place?

I would like to move to Philadelphia since it’s the only northeastern city that seems affordable coming from a cheap place such as OKC. I’m 18 years old and work in fast food and will be able to do at most $1000/mo for rent. My musts are good transit access and an overall city feel. Which neighborhoods should I look into and how can I be smart about this transition?

I’m curious to hear from people who have relocated to a new city or state within the last year or two, especially those who moved for work or a new career opportunity.
Whether you moved to Dallas/DFW or somewhere completely different, I’d love to hear about your experience.
Looking back, what was the most frustrating, stressful, or unexpectedly difficult part of relocating?
Was there anything you wish you’d known before moving? Or something you ended up having to figure out completely on your own?
I’m doing some independent research on people’s real relocation experiences and would genuinely appreciate hearing your perspectives.
I’m especially interested in the challenges people don’t usually talk about when discussing a move, including things that may have caught you off guard even after settling in.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share! I’d love to hear your stories.

In the next 6 months I’ll be moving to Eau Claire from Ft Collins. I grew up in CO and have lived in Ft Collins for the past 10yrs. I LOVE Ft Collins and would never move if I didn’t have to for my husband’s work.

I’m 40yo, married, and have a 2yo little boy. I love mountain biking, trail running, paddle boarding, and road cycling horsetooth res + (30 mile ride with 1,000ft elevation gain average).

I’m super worried about moving to the Midwest with my current hobbies. Can anyone give me some hope/recommendations for areas, neighborhoods, or anything that is closer associated with the CO lifestyle when I move?

How can I find my outdoorsy and active community? And also foster an amazing outdoor lifestyle for my son when it’s so overcast and grey for so much of the year there?

I’m lowkey done with Maryland and it’s the worst place to live in. I was doing some research about Washington state and liked how the weather is(don’t like sunny days and prefer cold days) and about education and employment rates cuz I’m in college and already got accepted there. I also got a friend who lives there so I won’t be alone that much and planning to move in January. Do y’all think Seattle is worth it right now and things to know before moving?

Help!

I have an opportunity to move to Melbourne for the winter, rent free with a relative, should I take it? I'm a female in my mid-twenties, not really looking to party much, or really meet many people, just want to work and chill out, is this a good place for me? Not wanting to spend the winter in the north.... TIA !

We are in our 70s, and comfortable financially.

We stay because our entire family, 3 children and 5 grandchildren, lives within a 30 minute drive. Four of the grandchildren are quite young.

Recently, one of our offspring and family have made the decision to move to Portland, but this is not somewhere my spouse will consider (for a variety of reasons I prefer not to get into here). We are unsure of their timetable.

We are nature and travel lovers stuck in central Texas. We hate the heat and humidity and complain about it from May to October. We have created a nature oasis of sorts in our yard, but it's not the same as going on a hike and seeing diversity of wildlife and scenery. We travel now to get this.

Moving obviously means starting over. At this age, finding the "right" place, friends, and doctors is a big deal.

TLDR; how does one weigh staying vs moving in one's golden years?

A little background I had my first child kind of young at 25 years old and moved back to my hometown with my husband. My mom and grandma helped me in a very vulnerable time in my life, and I am forever grateful to them. Fast forward 4, almost 5 years and I have 2 kids now. Was a Stay at home mom but recently received a huge job opportunity in my field that I am nervous about and some of my family thinks I am selfish for leaving especially since it means the kids will have to go to a new school and they’ll be far away from their family. Anyone who’s moved their family to another state, or any moms who still chose to chase their dreams with kids can you please comment and share your experience/thoughts?

Like the title says, I'd like to hear your takes on one of, or all three, states based on your actual lived-in experience without talking about what everyone already talks about***.***

I've done all the basic research on school systems, hospitals, infrastructure and weather already. So I wanna hear what you personally love and hate about either of these states for a more personalized understanding of the experience.

Again, I don't wanna hear about weather, infrastructure, or schools. Not because it doesn't matter to me, but because I have already read through hundreds of posts that detail those aspects for each state. I'm looking for more of the nitty gritty daily living things that you can't get in a quick Google search.

Appreciate any and all insights! Thanks.

Edit: PLEASE provide some context if you’re just commenting to bash one of the states. Totally understand if you hate one of them, but I’m trying to get some insight into the WHY. Thanks!

Hello Digital Nomads… I am considering making a move to NorCal from SoCal… I am looking at areas around the golden triangle and also Portola.
I am wondering what your thoughts are on each area in general and the people! I’ve heard Garberville used to be cool in the 70s but now it’s dangerous? To me it seems like an amazing area with a great climate. I want some land to grow food and just relax some. But I don’t want to jump into an unsafe area. I’ve heard it’s kinda sketchy up there?
Portola seems pretty great as well but much colder and not as much opportunity to grow food and crops. I love the proximity to Tahoe and Reno for recreation and medical services.
I also need high speed internet as I work remotely as a film and video editor. I know Portola has internet. Does garberville?

Both seem like great places. I just need to get back to nature. What say you?
E

im a 23f trying to find cities that mix a strong tattoo market and reasonable cost of living. most likely a mid-size city with arts scene. I’d prefer warmer weather, younger crowd, and concert availability. any suggestions/ advice welcome.

So both me and my spouse are trans and live in a hard red State. It is pretty much a desert when it comes to any decent healthcare, let alone gender affirming care. I myself am autistic and currently cannot drive due to medical issues and have struggled holding pretty much any job I have had without proper support. I am also trying to get a degree on the hope of getting decent work. My wife is a disabled veteran, but even she has a hard time getting some of her healthcare without having to drive an hour just for her PCP.

We have two kids, both neurodivergent in some way. My oldest is the more disabled between the two, being non-verbal with possible OCD (the constantly repeating tasks kind not "clean freak" version) and some minor motor skill issues. The youngest is doing okay in a general ed class but is getting evaluated to see if he is eligible for "Special Ed" services. I think my older son is mostly in a self-contained "Special needs" class with some short rotations in general ed, but I have yet to see any work from a general ed class for his grade level.

Basically, I am thinking about relocating to a State that is more trans friendly in the sense that we could get gender affirming care through Medicaid if we still qualified, plus somewhere the school system would be really good for the kids. What I kind of struggle with is finding somewhere with a good school system for MY children, as most places are graded on test scores and I just want them to have an appropriate education where they will have their unique needs met and be able to succeed. There isn't a lot on how well a school handles their special needs programs so that is mostly why I am asking here.

I don't think we will relocate anytime soon, but I figured I could try to get some information so we can start planning for a move. I know a solution for the school issue is homeschooling, but me and my wife have no support system besides each other so public school is one way for us to have that support with our children. Is there any State anyone could possibly recommend for good trans affirming care plus good education for disabled children? I also am concerned about "affordability" with moving North with us living off VA disability, so any added resources on that end would be very helpful as well. I just want us to live as our authentic selves and be able to give our kids better opportunities.