It amazes me when people assume I want what they want. Case in point: lately, I've been toying with the idea of moving to Michigan. I have some good friends there in Grand Rapids. My finance and I went to visit them last month. We enjoyed it a lot. The cost of living is much lower, there's plenty to do, and traffic and congestion are almost non-existent compared to northern Virginia. Grand Rapids is also "Beer City, USA", which is a great fit for my love of hand crafted beer.
Don't get me wrong, I like Virginia. I very much prefer it to New Jersey, a place I will never live again. I've gotten several job offers and contacts about jobs back in New Jersey, but I refuse to live there again. New Jersey and I are not compatible. I might consider doing work for a company in New Jersey if I can telework from a better place to live.
Virginia is far from perfect. The cost of living is very high. Traffic often comes to a complete stop. Commutes are off-the-charts terrible. I currently live about 55 miles from work, a journey that can take an hour in the absolute best of conditions, and 2 hours in normal conditions. Fortunately, I haven't encountered the occasional 4 hour commute, but I have had a few 3 hour commutes.
There is a lot to do in Virginia too, but most of it is a pain in the ass to get to or get home from. All it takes is one accident on I-95, and you might as well be 1000 miles from home.
Virginia is the same swamp climate as the south part of New Jersey. It gets very hot and humid.
Some people hate the idea of red states. In my case, blue states are off my list. I have no plans to ever again live in states like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, The People's Republic of California, Tax-achussettes, and so on. It's not just political inclination, high taxes, and unreasonable gun laws though. I'm not living in Tornado Alley either. It makes no sense to me to live in a place where your house can be destroyed at any moment.
Anyway, when I mention to people that I'm looking at a possible move to Michigan, they do one of two things.
1) They equate the entire state of Michigan with the city of Detroit, no doubt the premier shithole/failed leftist experiment on the continent. I have made this same mistake myself, but through research and actually visiting the state, I find that Detroit is a fairly isolated experience, much like Camden is in New Jersey. Camden and Detroit often compete for the top spot on the Number 1 Shithole list.
2) The tell me "You don't want the cold Michigan winters!" That's exactly where they're wrong. I do. I love the cold. I like snow. It's the heat I don't want. I don't like the 100 degree humid days Virginia gets.
So I usually tell people "No, you don't want the cold Michigan winters. I do. I also want the mild summers."
I don't get why people project their own preferences onto me. When people complain to me about the cold winters in Michigan, I usually want to say "Please, tell me more about this wonderful place!"
Don't get me wrong, I like Virginia. I very much prefer it to New Jersey, a place I will never live again. I've gotten several job offers and contacts about jobs back in New Jersey, but I refuse to live there again. New Jersey and I are not compatible. I might consider doing work for a company in New Jersey if I can telework from a better place to live.
Virginia is far from perfect. The cost of living is very high. Traffic often comes to a complete stop. Commutes are off-the-charts terrible. I currently live about 55 miles from work, a journey that can take an hour in the absolute best of conditions, and 2 hours in normal conditions. Fortunately, I haven't encountered the occasional 4 hour commute, but I have had a few 3 hour commutes.
There is a lot to do in Virginia too, but most of it is a pain in the ass to get to or get home from. All it takes is one accident on I-95, and you might as well be 1000 miles from home.
Virginia is the same swamp climate as the south part of New Jersey. It gets very hot and humid.
Some people hate the idea of red states. In my case, blue states are off my list. I have no plans to ever again live in states like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, The People's Republic of California, Tax-achussettes, and so on. It's not just political inclination, high taxes, and unreasonable gun laws though. I'm not living in Tornado Alley either. It makes no sense to me to live in a place where your house can be destroyed at any moment.
Anyway, when I mention to people that I'm looking at a possible move to Michigan, they do one of two things.
1) They equate the entire state of Michigan with the city of Detroit, no doubt the premier shithole/failed leftist experiment on the continent. I have made this same mistake myself, but through research and actually visiting the state, I find that Detroit is a fairly isolated experience, much like Camden is in New Jersey. Camden and Detroit often compete for the top spot on the Number 1 Shithole list.
2) The tell me "You don't want the cold Michigan winters!" That's exactly where they're wrong. I do. I love the cold. I like snow. It's the heat I don't want. I don't like the 100 degree humid days Virginia gets.
So I usually tell people "No, you don't want the cold Michigan winters. I do. I also want the mild summers."
I don't get why people project their own preferences onto me. When people complain to me about the cold winters in Michigan, I usually want to say "Please, tell me more about this wonderful place!"
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