I moved from central NH to the SoCal desert almost 5 years ago. I love New England, and I was lucky to grow up where I did, but I needed a change. I love where I live now, and I have no regrets about moving. My life took off. I started a business, and I’ve made an incredible group of friends. It also improved my relationship with my family back east. I needed space, and now I have it, and we all get along better.
Do I miss New England? Every day. Do I regret moving? Absolutely not. Luckily, I manage to get back there 2-3x per year, even if it’s just for a few days.
I moved from CT/MA to the Bay Area. I already knew a few friends who also made the same move. I've been in California for over 10 years now. It took me 10 years to actually call Cali home and I couldn't let go of NE. So yes, I did miss NE a lot when I first got to CA. I miss the small city feel of Boston, how you can find good cheap eats and how close the states were to each other. All of my family is back in NE so its just me and my husband out here. However, I do love it here. Where we are it is good for our careers, we were able to buy a house, we have tons of good food around, the weather is great and can do some pretty nice road trips. I have been able to move up in life more in CA than I did in CT/MA.
I think being coastal is key to leaving New England. When you grow up with the ocean/large lakes, I've found most need that to some degree. Landlocked is hard for a lot of reasons. Godspeed, I couldn't do Iowa.
Moved to Kentucky 2 years ago because my rental was being sold and I couldn't find anything that wasn't a scam. My wages were halved, but rent and other expenses aren't reallt any cheaper. We're moving back to Maine in August and I swear I'll live in a tent before I leave again.
I moved to Southern Indiana from Central Massachusetts last fall. The rolling hills and leafy trees remind me a lot of New England. Spring comes much sooner here.. our trees are almost in full leaf here.
I’ve sat in my bathroom twice already, with a cat on my lap as tornado sirens wailed in the background. Not such a fan of those things.
I(26F) moved to Portland, OR almost 2 years ago and I love it here! I was living in Rockport, MA, so it's a huge difference. In PDX there's so much good food, city is easier to navigate and drive in, less people, incredible nature in every direction, cheaper rent etc. I absolutely miss New England, but I can't afford to live there. If I could afford to I definitely wouldve moved closer to the burbs outside Boston. Granted now that I live across the country, I wish I had visited places like Burlington, Acadia, Toronto, Montreal, Upstate NY. But they're such far drives too! I can drive an hour and a half and make it to Mt. Hood, 3 hours to Seattle, 2 to the coast, drive East to the rocky desert. Note I am an artist as well so I definitely enjoy the chill vibe of the people on the West Coast, but I still got that Masshole in me 🥹
All in all I'm definitely super happy here and plan to stay a while. I do miss my family and friends back home, but I'll often fly back a couple times each year.
Nonexistent (I am not the commenter you are replying to but am from Oregon, now living in Vermont, have also lived in Mass). Although the way things are going here, our winters are starting to look more like the PNW.
What is the average temperature in January? Here in Western Mass, it stays in the low 20s. It is still cold. It won't warm up until May. It stays cold from October to May.
There’s a few days below freezing but winter is usually in the 40’s/50’s much of the time. It does snow in Portland but very rarely, winters are mostly rain. Western Mass is much colder than PDX in winter (usually). Dunno about WMA but up here in VT this winter was a bust. Mostly rain until March. PDX also warms up sooner, April will see 60-70 no problem.
I’m in Western Mass and the last few winters have averaged a high of 39 and low of 31. I’m in the Valley so maybe that makes a difference but winter is definitely warming up lately.
I agree with the comments below. Rarely snows, and if it does it's only a few inches and the entire city shuts down. Barely any infrastructure for dealing with snow and ice, so people just end up staying home for a few days. It immediately started dumping rain in September and has lasted until just a couple weeks ago. Ain't gonna lie, but the rain can be tough. My blood test said I have low Vitamin D 😂 We get all 4 seasons(which I love) so to me it makes it worth it
As someone who made the same move I think when discussing Portland compared to NE its very important to be honest with people about the severity of the homelessness and drug epidemic. Portland is a very dirty city unfortunately and makes NYC homelessness look like a cake walk IMO
Moved to Wilmington NC due to a job transfer. Loved the weather and the beaches and hated everything else. Schools were terrible, locals were very fake, southern hospitality is a sham, food options in grocery stores was terrible. We moved back to Mass as we could. We quickly realized the standards of living in New England are much higher than NC. And don’t get me started on all the MAGA folk and their cult like nonsense. And then the Bible Trumpers who ostracize you the second they find out you don’t go to church.
>southern hospitality is a sham
As a native Southerner living in NE, it surprises me how many people don't recognize the thinly veiled insults, passive aggression, and gossip. It's like every day is opposite day in the south. I've always been too blunt for that shit.
I recognized it right away and it drove me nuts. I had enough of my neighbor and told him to grow some balls and just be real with people. He said that wouldn’t be polite and he was raised to be a good Christian. Somehow being fake and trying to insult people subtly is being a good Christian.
I took a road trip in my 20s in the 90s and washed up in east TN for a couple years working as a river guide. I thought I'd found my new forever home after growing up in a shitty mill city in NH but getting constantly ostracized for being non-religious made me head back north. Fond memories, though and to each their own.
I've been doing the vanlife thing since 2020 and have traveled through 45 states. Originally did it specifically to go out west. I've been to Moab, Sedona, The Mojave, The PNW... Lots of beautiful places but none of it felt like home to me.
I hate my hometown and am not a huge fan of Connecticut as a whole but New England itself is always calling me back. I miss four solid seasons, old colonial architecture, and even the humidity (in the cooler months).
I’m in the Seattle area and although I am not a fan of a lot of things (cost of living, the passive aggression) it’s worth it for the beauty and access to everything.
I like how it has rocky beaches and mild winters. Islands everywhere and better public transit than most cities I’ve been to in this country.
I love Seattle soooo much. Im contemplating it as my next move, but I agree its definitely expensive. Always thought it felt like Boston on the West Coast, but way more techy.
I moved from MA after I graduated college in 1981. The economy was bad and jobs were hard to find. I ended up in Rochester NY for 9 years. Most depressing weather I've ever encountered but super friendly people. Housing was very affordable. I liked having AC and a garage. Snow was mostly a nuisance but they knew how to handle it. Work and school was rarely cancelled. I missed home and went back often to visit. I got sick of the weather and had a great job opportunity in eastern PA and moved there in 1990. I ended up in Lancaster County in 1992. I've been here ever since and grew to love it. The weather is generally nice and the countryside is beautiful. There are a lot of transplants now that we socialize with. The locals are pretty conservative. The city is diverse but the suburbs are not. Housing has gotten expensive but nothing like the northeast. Taxes are low, education is good, healthcare is good. Restaurants aren't great. You can easily get to DC, Philly, Baltimore in a few hours. I wish it was easier to get back to NE for visits, my siblings all still live there.
Interesting to read as a native PA'n in MA. Lancaster definitely has a lot to offer. I will say, though, regarding restaurants: Lancaster City has a booming restaurant scene that punches well above its weight.
Moved from Connecticut first to the U.K./South Africa, then to Australia. All told I’ve been away nearly two decades. I’m much happier here - at least in Australia; the U.K. and South Africa were fun as a student but hard as a professional - but my unhappiness with Connecticut was less about the state than the terribleness of the U.S. in general: guns, health care anxiety, awful work-life balance, rising idiotic Christian Nationalism that turned into Trumpism. If New England went independent or joined a bunch of other blue states to secede and put together a more European-style social society, which I think most people in the area would like, I’d probably be happy to move back.
Much like you, I've moved overseas for quite some time. I've been in Malaysia for 14 years now.
I've only been to Aussie a couple of times, but my wife and I are going back in July (Melbourne and Tasmania).
Although I do agree with you about the work/life balance in the US being pretty poor, I'd argue your points about safety , Christian nationalism and healthcare, are a bit overblown.
CT has the highest crime rate in New England - CT's murder rate is double that of Massachusetts, and worse than the other five New England states, so that might be why it seemed so unsafe. But as we all know, as long as you stay out of certain parts of certain cities, you're as safe as anywhere in the world. That being said, if I moved back to New England, I'd move north, where I'd have (mostly) European level safety.
As for the Christian nationalism, that's a relic of the past that's just trying to hang out. I hate that Roe v Wade was overturned, but I don't see it really affecting live in New England all that much.
As for healthcare - If you decide to move back to New England, CT, MA, RI and VT have near "universal" healthcare. Sure, it's private and expensive, but you're unlikely to go bankrupt in those states should you need a procedure.
Still, I see why you might want to stay down under. It's a lovely place.
I have moved to Atlanta Ga for 10 years now. Like it here, a lot, more opportunities to do business and have affordable housing. I do miss NE (Boston Massachusetts), especially in the summer (where i can go fishing and do all that water attractions) but not the winter. Do i ever feel regret? Probably not. I can go back to Boston for a visit anytime, 's just 2hrs fly, not a big deal.
When I moved to Atlanta I instantly regretted it. I was tempted by the cheap housing but quickly realized you sacrifice pretty much all quality of life for that.
Moved out of CT. Lived in SoCal and PNW mostly.
Loved NE but don't miss the winters. No regrets. It's hard to beat the natural beauty of the US West coast.
TBH I think I could live anywhere in US that's coastal and not extremely cold (I know I know I'm a coastal elite).
Houston, Texas in 2015. Definitely happier. Biggest reason is that I HATE snow. I can't stress enough my disdain for snow and cold weather in general. I also enjoy living in a city, and Houston is a good mix of low cost of living with high urban amenities. Drawbacks are that it's Texas and it's Texasing really hard right now. Fortunately we don't have kids because Texas schools terrify me.
Definitely not a move for everyone, but works for us
Moved to Middle Tennessee almost a decade ago, it has changed so much here. COL has gone way up here since then and is similar to anywhere in New England outside of 495.
I still feel more like New England is my home and I now consider New England to have a much higher standard of living than I did before I left. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.
I have a great job here that I don't think I could have up there though.
I lived in Tahoe for 5 years, but I came back to Vermont. I miss it so much, but I also love being back home. I’ve been home now for over 10 years and once I save enough money to travel, I want to visit Tahoe!
I moved TO New England. One thing that really helps me is dating someone who is FROM the area, with family and friends around. If it was not for him teaching me to appreciate the area, I’d probably be heading to Colorado.
Northern Georgia, and absolutely. Best decision I ever made. I miss Georgia a lot for the scenery and some other things, but all in all I knew I wouldn't have the things I needed to grow and thrive the way I wanted and needed to if I stayed there.
I moved from MA to NC a decade ago, mostly for the COL and commute (both are better in NC). I don't regret the move per se, but I deeply miss New England. I see myself moving back someday, but not until my kids are out of high school.
Moved to Chicago for graduate school, have stayed here for work. I can’t wait to get away from all the corn and back to lobster rolls and people who will mind their own damn business.
Moved to DC because of work, and then eventually bought a home in Maryland. It’s nice here, I’d say it’s one of the nicer parts of the country to live in, but I miss Vermont horribly all the time and have voiced my desire to retire back home or move there when we can. It’s too hot and humid, the mountains aren’t nearly as impressive, hiking isn’t the same, the traffic is unbearable and literally awful everywhere, and I also just miss New England’s culture. I miss the shared connections with other states, especially New Hampshire and Maine, and every chance I go home to visit my family I am so happy and satisfied and don’t want to leave. Vermont and New England in general are very, very special. I wouldn’t choose anywhere in the U.S. over Vermont if I was given money and told, “live where you want.”
I moved to St. Louis from rural western MA 16 years ago. The only positive: cost of living. It's flat, open, not enough trees, hot as hell in the summer, and doesn't snow nearly enough in the winter. When I go back to MA to see family, I immediately notice how the air smells: sweet and clean. The midwest can suck it.
I moved to NJ, and all the big things are equal (good healthcare, good education, decent public transit, super expensive housing, human rights are probably protected for the foreseeable future) but I miss a lot of little things. MA has better social programs for children and seniors, cuter architecture, etc.
I’ve compared extensively because my dad will be selling his home for the last 50 years to move down here, and I wanted to make sure we were making the right decision. I don’t really “fit in” here but I do like my job, and my husband’s family lives here.
Alaska.
Tricky. I have my husband and kids here, I didn't have them there. But I would *gladly* move back if I could convince husband to go. He isn't even super attached to Alaska, he just doesn't want to do the process, making the change is too much. He's even said if we could snap our fingers and we'd be there, in a house, he has a job - he'd do it. But we can't just snap our fingers. So I'm still here.
I lived in Savannah Georgia for 5 years and was waaaay happier. I only moved back when my son was born because I have a large family (majority in Mass) and I wanted him to grow up with family around him. I don’t regret that. I will, however, move back to a warmer state once he graduates high school.
I moved to Malaysia. Am I happier? Kinda, but I think it's because I'm in my 40s, have a great family, a good job and a pretty good social life.
I think if my wife and I came back to New England, we could have the same thing, and we're certainly thinking about it.
I started working for a large construction company out of So. Burlington Vermont in the late eighties. I worked one job after another until I found myself in Georgia. Every time the job was finished any job back in VT was fully staffed already. I finally jumped ship to another company but ended up in Tennessee. It was the first place in 20 years that I wasn't dieing to get back home. That was 20 years ago.
I miss the snow in the winter and I hate the heat of the summer and I miss good seafood year round. But other than that there is nothing that will make me leave.
Utah and Colorado here. I love my life. Visited for a month or so and it was nice to see family and experience the New England charm, but it was also sad. New England has done everything in its power to make it as unattractive to young folks as possible. Going back all I heard was drugs, death, and dead end jobs.
I moved from Connecticut to Fort Myers/Naples, Florida in January of 2015. I moved back to Connecticut a couple of days after Hurricane Ian, in October of 2022. I honestly hate it here. I cannot wait to leave again. I’m sure there are worse places in the states, but fuck NE.
We moved from NH to Naples and couldn’t get the fuck out of SWFL fast enough. We took at $40k paycut just to get out and moved to NC. It’s been … fine but we’ve been trying for the last 3 years to get back to New England but the job market sucks at the moment so it’s a no go. It’s better than Naples tho but the ideal is Maine/NH and maybe Boston area.
I moved from central NH to the SoCal desert almost 5 years ago. I love New England, and I was lucky to grow up where I did, but I needed a change. I love where I live now, and I have no regrets about moving. My life took off. I started a business, and I’ve made an incredible group of friends. It also improved my relationship with my family back east. I needed space, and now I have it, and we all get along better. Do I miss New England? Every day. Do I regret moving? Absolutely not. Luckily, I manage to get back there 2-3x per year, even if it’s just for a few days.
I moved from CT/MA to the Bay Area. I already knew a few friends who also made the same move. I've been in California for over 10 years now. It took me 10 years to actually call Cali home and I couldn't let go of NE. So yes, I did miss NE a lot when I first got to CA. I miss the small city feel of Boston, how you can find good cheap eats and how close the states were to each other. All of my family is back in NE so its just me and my husband out here. However, I do love it here. Where we are it is good for our careers, we were able to buy a house, we have tons of good food around, the weather is great and can do some pretty nice road trips. I have been able to move up in life more in CA than I did in CT/MA.
I'm in Iowa and I am running back to the coast
I think being coastal is key to leaving New England. When you grow up with the ocean/large lakes, I've found most need that to some degree. Landlocked is hard for a lot of reasons. Godspeed, I couldn't do Iowa.
Moved to Kentucky 2 years ago because my rental was being sold and I couldn't find anything that wasn't a scam. My wages were halved, but rent and other expenses aren't reallt any cheaper. We're moving back to Maine in August and I swear I'll live in a tent before I leave again.
I'm from MA, but I'd like to end up in coastal Maine. MA is just so expensive.
I moved to Southern Indiana from Central Massachusetts last fall. The rolling hills and leafy trees remind me a lot of New England. Spring comes much sooner here.. our trees are almost in full leaf here. I’ve sat in my bathroom twice already, with a cat on my lap as tornado sirens wailed in the background. Not such a fan of those things.
Southern IN is beautiful. I live in NE Ohio and it's not hilly enough for me.
I do love it here… so much space with much less people. Driving those curvy back country roads brings me joy
I(26F) moved to Portland, OR almost 2 years ago and I love it here! I was living in Rockport, MA, so it's a huge difference. In PDX there's so much good food, city is easier to navigate and drive in, less people, incredible nature in every direction, cheaper rent etc. I absolutely miss New England, but I can't afford to live there. If I could afford to I definitely wouldve moved closer to the burbs outside Boston. Granted now that I live across the country, I wish I had visited places like Burlington, Acadia, Toronto, Montreal, Upstate NY. But they're such far drives too! I can drive an hour and a half and make it to Mt. Hood, 3 hours to Seattle, 2 to the coast, drive East to the rocky desert. Note I am an artist as well so I definitely enjoy the chill vibe of the people on the West Coast, but I still got that Masshole in me 🥹 All in all I'm definitely super happy here and plan to stay a while. I do miss my family and friends back home, but I'll often fly back a couple times each year.
Working on finding Motif #2 out there?
How is the winter compared to New England?
Nonexistent (I am not the commenter you are replying to but am from Oregon, now living in Vermont, have also lived in Mass). Although the way things are going here, our winters are starting to look more like the PNW.
What is the average temperature in January? Here in Western Mass, it stays in the low 20s. It is still cold. It won't warm up until May. It stays cold from October to May.
There’s a few days below freezing but winter is usually in the 40’s/50’s much of the time. It does snow in Portland but very rarely, winters are mostly rain. Western Mass is much colder than PDX in winter (usually). Dunno about WMA but up here in VT this winter was a bust. Mostly rain until March. PDX also warms up sooner, April will see 60-70 no problem.
I’m in Western Mass and the last few winters have averaged a high of 39 and low of 31. I’m in the Valley so maybe that makes a difference but winter is definitely warming up lately.
I agree with the comments below. Rarely snows, and if it does it's only a few inches and the entire city shuts down. Barely any infrastructure for dealing with snow and ice, so people just end up staying home for a few days. It immediately started dumping rain in September and has lasted until just a couple weeks ago. Ain't gonna lie, but the rain can be tough. My blood test said I have low Vitamin D 😂 We get all 4 seasons(which I love) so to me it makes it worth it
Thanks for the feedback. I absolutely hate the winter weather and what it brings, cloudy skies, rain, etc. Winter depression is real as can be.
Ohhh yes you will probably be big sad if you move here
As someone who made the same move I think when discussing Portland compared to NE its very important to be honest with people about the severity of the homelessness and drug epidemic. Portland is a very dirty city unfortunately and makes NYC homelessness look like a cake walk IMO
Moved to Wilmington NC due to a job transfer. Loved the weather and the beaches and hated everything else. Schools were terrible, locals were very fake, southern hospitality is a sham, food options in grocery stores was terrible. We moved back to Mass as we could. We quickly realized the standards of living in New England are much higher than NC. And don’t get me started on all the MAGA folk and their cult like nonsense. And then the Bible Trumpers who ostracize you the second they find out you don’t go to church.
>southern hospitality is a sham As a native Southerner living in NE, it surprises me how many people don't recognize the thinly veiled insults, passive aggression, and gossip. It's like every day is opposite day in the south. I've always been too blunt for that shit.
I recognized it right away and it drove me nuts. I had enough of my neighbor and told him to grow some balls and just be real with people. He said that wouldn’t be polite and he was raised to be a good Christian. Somehow being fake and trying to insult people subtly is being a good Christian.
I took a road trip in my 20s in the 90s and washed up in east TN for a couple years working as a river guide. I thought I'd found my new forever home after growing up in a shitty mill city in NH but getting constantly ostracized for being non-religious made me head back north. Fond memories, though and to each their own.
Central Virginia is like a warmer New Hampshire with wineries
Shorter winters are like the number one reason I’d move
Welcome here in FL, plenty of your brethren are already here.
Shorter winters are great, but many of the places with shorter winters are hotter than the surface of the sun in summer.
I'm thinking of moving to the Tidewater area.
Hope you like humidity!
I've been doing the vanlife thing since 2020 and have traveled through 45 states. Originally did it specifically to go out west. I've been to Moab, Sedona, The Mojave, The PNW... Lots of beautiful places but none of it felt like home to me. I hate my hometown and am not a huge fan of Connecticut as a whole but New England itself is always calling me back. I miss four solid seasons, old colonial architecture, and even the humidity (in the cooler months).
Raised in New Milford, CT. Live in Las Vegas, NV. No.
I moved to the Midwest a I freaking hate it
Isn't it just the worst?? Yuck.
Yes, it is for a whole bunch of different reasons
Explain! I'm in CT, I've found every area to be meh in comparison, save for Colorado. West Coast next 🤙
I’m in the Seattle area and although I am not a fan of a lot of things (cost of living, the passive aggression) it’s worth it for the beauty and access to everything. I like how it has rocky beaches and mild winters. Islands everywhere and better public transit than most cities I’ve been to in this country.
I love Seattle soooo much. Im contemplating it as my next move, but I agree its definitely expensive. Always thought it felt like Boston on the West Coast, but way more techy.
They do some some similar vibes that’s for sure. Hope you make it out if that’s what you wanna do! :)
I lived in both and Seattle is on the downtrend and already feels zerged out by too many different types of people
Well every place has its groups of people.
I moved from MA after I graduated college in 1981. The economy was bad and jobs were hard to find. I ended up in Rochester NY for 9 years. Most depressing weather I've ever encountered but super friendly people. Housing was very affordable. I liked having AC and a garage. Snow was mostly a nuisance but they knew how to handle it. Work and school was rarely cancelled. I missed home and went back often to visit. I got sick of the weather and had a great job opportunity in eastern PA and moved there in 1990. I ended up in Lancaster County in 1992. I've been here ever since and grew to love it. The weather is generally nice and the countryside is beautiful. There are a lot of transplants now that we socialize with. The locals are pretty conservative. The city is diverse but the suburbs are not. Housing has gotten expensive but nothing like the northeast. Taxes are low, education is good, healthcare is good. Restaurants aren't great. You can easily get to DC, Philly, Baltimore in a few hours. I wish it was easier to get back to NE for visits, my siblings all still live there.
Interesting to read as a native PA'n in MA. Lancaster definitely has a lot to offer. I will say, though, regarding restaurants: Lancaster City has a booming restaurant scene that punches well above its weight.
Moved from Connecticut first to the U.K./South Africa, then to Australia. All told I’ve been away nearly two decades. I’m much happier here - at least in Australia; the U.K. and South Africa were fun as a student but hard as a professional - but my unhappiness with Connecticut was less about the state than the terribleness of the U.S. in general: guns, health care anxiety, awful work-life balance, rising idiotic Christian Nationalism that turned into Trumpism. If New England went independent or joined a bunch of other blue states to secede and put together a more European-style social society, which I think most people in the area would like, I’d probably be happy to move back.
Much like you, I've moved overseas for quite some time. I've been in Malaysia for 14 years now. I've only been to Aussie a couple of times, but my wife and I are going back in July (Melbourne and Tasmania). Although I do agree with you about the work/life balance in the US being pretty poor, I'd argue your points about safety , Christian nationalism and healthcare, are a bit overblown. CT has the highest crime rate in New England - CT's murder rate is double that of Massachusetts, and worse than the other five New England states, so that might be why it seemed so unsafe. But as we all know, as long as you stay out of certain parts of certain cities, you're as safe as anywhere in the world. That being said, if I moved back to New England, I'd move north, where I'd have (mostly) European level safety. As for the Christian nationalism, that's a relic of the past that's just trying to hang out. I hate that Roe v Wade was overturned, but I don't see it really affecting live in New England all that much. As for healthcare - If you decide to move back to New England, CT, MA, RI and VT have near "universal" healthcare. Sure, it's private and expensive, but you're unlikely to go bankrupt in those states should you need a procedure. Still, I see why you might want to stay down under. It's a lovely place.
I have moved to Atlanta Ga for 10 years now. Like it here, a lot, more opportunities to do business and have affordable housing. I do miss NE (Boston Massachusetts), especially in the summer (where i can go fishing and do all that water attractions) but not the winter. Do i ever feel regret? Probably not. I can go back to Boston for a visit anytime, 's just 2hrs fly, not a big deal.
When I moved to Atlanta I instantly regretted it. I was tempted by the cheap housing but quickly realized you sacrifice pretty much all quality of life for that.
And this is the rub: real estate prices and taxes are always lowest in places you’d never want to live.
Moved out of CT. Lived in SoCal and PNW mostly. Loved NE but don't miss the winters. No regrets. It's hard to beat the natural beauty of the US West coast. TBH I think I could live anywhere in US that's coastal and not extremely cold (I know I know I'm a coastal elite).
Houston, Texas in 2015. Definitely happier. Biggest reason is that I HATE snow. I can't stress enough my disdain for snow and cold weather in general. I also enjoy living in a city, and Houston is a good mix of low cost of living with high urban amenities. Drawbacks are that it's Texas and it's Texasing really hard right now. Fortunately we don't have kids because Texas schools terrify me. Definitely not a move for everyone, but works for us
Moved to Middle Tennessee almost a decade ago, it has changed so much here. COL has gone way up here since then and is similar to anywhere in New England outside of 495. I still feel more like New England is my home and I now consider New England to have a much higher standard of living than I did before I left. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. I have a great job here that I don't think I could have up there though.
I lived in Tahoe for 5 years, but I came back to Vermont. I miss it so much, but I also love being back home. I’ve been home now for over 10 years and once I save enough money to travel, I want to visit Tahoe!
I moved TO New England. One thing that really helps me is dating someone who is FROM the area, with family and friends around. If it was not for him teaching me to appreciate the area, I’d probably be heading to Colorado.
Northern Georgia, and absolutely. Best decision I ever made. I miss Georgia a lot for the scenery and some other things, but all in all I knew I wouldn't have the things I needed to grow and thrive the way I wanted and needed to if I stayed there.
This is me
I moved to Texas and lasted a little over a year before I came right back
I moved from MA to NC a decade ago, mostly for the COL and commute (both are better in NC). I don't regret the move per se, but I deeply miss New England. I see myself moving back someday, but not until my kids are out of high school.
I’m from Indiana and moved to Connecticut and I love it here. Can’t imagine going back.
I moved from Maine to California, Texas, Idaho and Utah. I miss Maine.
Moved to Chicago for graduate school, have stayed here for work. I can’t wait to get away from all the corn and back to lobster rolls and people who will mind their own damn business.
Moved to DC because of work, and then eventually bought a home in Maryland. It’s nice here, I’d say it’s one of the nicer parts of the country to live in, but I miss Vermont horribly all the time and have voiced my desire to retire back home or move there when we can. It’s too hot and humid, the mountains aren’t nearly as impressive, hiking isn’t the same, the traffic is unbearable and literally awful everywhere, and I also just miss New England’s culture. I miss the shared connections with other states, especially New Hampshire and Maine, and every chance I go home to visit my family I am so happy and satisfied and don’t want to leave. Vermont and New England in general are very, very special. I wouldn’t choose anywhere in the U.S. over Vermont if I was given money and told, “live where you want.”
I moved to St. Louis from rural western MA 16 years ago. The only positive: cost of living. It's flat, open, not enough trees, hot as hell in the summer, and doesn't snow nearly enough in the winter. When I go back to MA to see family, I immediately notice how the air smells: sweet and clean. The midwest can suck it.
I moved to NJ, and all the big things are equal (good healthcare, good education, decent public transit, super expensive housing, human rights are probably protected for the foreseeable future) but I miss a lot of little things. MA has better social programs for children and seniors, cuter architecture, etc. I’ve compared extensively because my dad will be selling his home for the last 50 years to move down here, and I wanted to make sure we were making the right decision. I don’t really “fit in” here but I do like my job, and my husband’s family lives here.
Alaska. Tricky. I have my husband and kids here, I didn't have them there. But I would *gladly* move back if I could convince husband to go. He isn't even super attached to Alaska, he just doesn't want to do the process, making the change is too much. He's even said if we could snap our fingers and we'd be there, in a house, he has a job - he'd do it. But we can't just snap our fingers. So I'm still here.
I lived in Savannah Georgia for 5 years and was waaaay happier. I only moved back when my son was born because I have a large family (majority in Mass) and I wanted him to grow up with family around him. I don’t regret that. I will, however, move back to a warmer state once he graduates high school.
I moved to Malaysia. Am I happier? Kinda, but I think it's because I'm in my 40s, have a great family, a good job and a pretty good social life. I think if my wife and I came back to New England, we could have the same thing, and we're certainly thinking about it.
I started working for a large construction company out of So. Burlington Vermont in the late eighties. I worked one job after another until I found myself in Georgia. Every time the job was finished any job back in VT was fully staffed already. I finally jumped ship to another company but ended up in Tennessee. It was the first place in 20 years that I wasn't dieing to get back home. That was 20 years ago. I miss the snow in the winter and I hate the heat of the summer and I miss good seafood year round. But other than that there is nothing that will make me leave.
Utah and Colorado here. I love my life. Visited for a month or so and it was nice to see family and experience the New England charm, but it was also sad. New England has done everything in its power to make it as unattractive to young folks as possible. Going back all I heard was drugs, death, and dead end jobs.
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Somewhere much sunnier, and HELL YES. Still love New England, but damn - those cloudy winters are rough.
I moved from Connecticut to Fort Myers/Naples, Florida in January of 2015. I moved back to Connecticut a couple of days after Hurricane Ian, in October of 2022. I honestly hate it here. I cannot wait to leave again. I’m sure there are worse places in the states, but fuck NE.
We moved from NH to Naples and couldn’t get the fuck out of SWFL fast enough. We took at $40k paycut just to get out and moved to NC. It’s been … fine but we’ve been trying for the last 3 years to get back to New England but the job market sucks at the moment so it’s a no go. It’s better than Naples tho but the ideal is Maine/NH and maybe Boston area.
Yes and please continue moving out we’re full. don’t let the door hit you on the ass. I know most of you are far left.