Itchy Feet

Hendersonville. Brevard. Charlottesville. According to FindYourSpot.com these are the top three places where I should be living. I'm not sure what it is about this time of year that gives me itchy feet. But for the last few years the waning days of winter have made me seriously contemplate where I'd rather be living.

Two years ago I thought that I really wanted to be living in the Pacific Northwest. I'd been through the region a number of times and it seemed like the kind of place where I could live. One of my brothers lives in Seattle, and family is a huge factor in deciding where to live. However, economic considerations along with a hard-nosed look at what I'd like to be doing in my spare time have caused me to question whether the Northwest is where I'd rather be.

Last year really helped tip the balance toward a likely move back to the east coast. We were lucky enough to take six vacations last year. Only later did I realize that three of our "escapes" were to the east coast. The fact that we so thoroughly enjoyed our east coast vacations to Vermont, upstate New York, and Williamsburg was quite revealing to me.

The central Atlantic coast offers proximity to more of the things in which I have interest. The idea of being within a days drive of our nation's capital, the beach, the mountains, and historic sites too numerous to mention excites me. The idea of being able to afford to enjoy these things excites me even more. The lower cost of living of select places along the eastern seaboard compared to Colorado is a huge factor in my mental calculus. How significant is the cost of living difference? For housing, I think the difference is considerable. I'm curious to learn whether there is a noticeable difference in medical and other insurance costs.

Of course, the bogey that always comes in to play when contemplating a move is jobs. (Sorry Dubya, I know jobs is a sensitive topic for you...) The aforementioned places, along with the balance of my "top spots" -- places like Mount Airy, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Asheville, Morganton, Fredericksburg, Hickory, and Salisbury -- don't typically come to mind when you think computer systems process and management consultant. Despite the increasingly varied economies of some of these places I have been unsuccessful (so far) in identifying anyone who might be interested in someone with my resume.

Then again, with all the outsourcing of jobs in my industry, maybe now is the time to abandon my resume and contemplate a career change to coincide with a domicile change. Either that, or if I'm going to go where the jobs are, maybe I should be investigating coastal cities in India.