Craig
Level 2 Member
Question: If you have moved away from family for work/school and built a life a significant distance away from them, do you have any regrets? I am hoping that people will share there individual experiences and lessons learned (good and bad). I'm not looking for anyone to "tell me what to do," so please, no such comments. Lots of well travelled and successful people here, so I thought this was a good place to discuss.
My story - 31yo, lived on west coast for 7 years, great reputation in my industry and have increased salary by 58% over last 3 years. Missing my family on east coast a lot, but the idea of starting to build a new network, reputation, etc. provides internal conflict. I'm an environmental geologist, and can find work anywhere there is/was industrial activity. Could end my career here (Seattle), as there is enormous opportunity in my field. I plan to start my own consulting business at some point in the next 5 to 10 years, which will require a strong network and connections in my field.
I now have a 15 month old niece and 1 year old nephew. My thought is that I could move back east when they are ~4ish so they grow up knowing who I am, but then I consider how big of a network I could build at a new location over that 3ish year period. My GF/future wife has no family to speak of and is flexible with location. I remember stories of my Uncle Greg who lived in Arizona when I grew up - never knew him, and when he was brought up when I was a kid he was like a mythical person. He died a few years ago in a car crash, still without me knowing who he was. It's one of those lasting memories (lessons?), one I don't want to be me.
Quality of life is unfucking believable in Seattle - but my siblings and their kids aren't here. I love the mindset and easy goingness of people here. My free time is all spent outdoors, and I'd be moving to Florida. I scuba dive and cycle, so can still do that in FL, but it's the intangibles like living in an environmentally/socially/politically devastated place that make me question the move there (or any state near there, frankly).
My story - 31yo, lived on west coast for 7 years, great reputation in my industry and have increased salary by 58% over last 3 years. Missing my family on east coast a lot, but the idea of starting to build a new network, reputation, etc. provides internal conflict. I'm an environmental geologist, and can find work anywhere there is/was industrial activity. Could end my career here (Seattle), as there is enormous opportunity in my field. I plan to start my own consulting business at some point in the next 5 to 10 years, which will require a strong network and connections in my field.
I now have a 15 month old niece and 1 year old nephew. My thought is that I could move back east when they are ~4ish so they grow up knowing who I am, but then I consider how big of a network I could build at a new location over that 3ish year period. My GF/future wife has no family to speak of and is flexible with location. I remember stories of my Uncle Greg who lived in Arizona when I grew up - never knew him, and when he was brought up when I was a kid he was like a mythical person. He died a few years ago in a car crash, still without me knowing who he was. It's one of those lasting memories (lessons?), one I don't want to be me.
Quality of life is unfucking believable in Seattle - but my siblings and their kids aren't here. I love the mindset and easy goingness of people here. My free time is all spent outdoors, and I'd be moving to Florida. I scuba dive and cycle, so can still do that in FL, but it's the intangibles like living in an environmentally/socially/politically devastated place that make me question the move there (or any state near there, frankly).
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