If you followed along with my last post you’ll know that after almost a year working from home in isolation, I’m dreaming up a plan to get out and have a bit of an adventure in the second half of 2021. Before I dig into planning and logistics and numbers I want to start with the reason I’m doing this in the first place: to find my new happy place by testing out a bunch of options.
~
Before I bore you with spreadsheets and cost comparisons (oh that’ll come don’t worry)… let’s start with the fun part: where will I go??? Here are some of the places that have caught my eye so far, or that have been on my bucket list for a while now. I’ll also include some spots that I’ve considered but already ruled out for various reasons. Let me know what you think of my choices!
Some Starting Notes / goals / requirements
I’m a city person. I grew up in rural upstate New York and while I love and respect mother nature, I also enjoy sidewalks, walking to work, and the many conveniences of being able to get where I need to go on foot or by bike. So urban or semi-urban areas are a must. Access to nature nearby would be nice though.
Warmth. See the above part about growing up in upstate NY… aka the frigid cold north. I’ve been moving steadily south since my youth (Upstate NY, PA for college, Downstate NY, and now Baltimore, MD), and part of that is because I’m just not a winter person. I enjoy sunshine and warmth and water and sand. You’ll see many of my selections will be even more south than where I live now.
Access to Water. This may seem like a weird one, but the idea of being totally landlocked has always been a weird dislike for me. As a kid I was a natural fish to water and swam all through high school. Access to water & opportunities to go swimming are always appreciated. Beaches are also a plus. That being said, I’ve never been drawn to anything in the middle of the country. I love visiting the southwest (I’ve spent a lot of time in AZ & NM), but I have no desire to live there or anywhere in the Midwest. While the majority of my picks will be coastal, some may be close “enough” to the coast and have local rivers & lakes to make up for the abundance of dirt.
I’m a northerner at heart. Aka my beliefs and political leanings tend to run pretty liberal. While I am considering living in the south for better weather and an appreciation for southern charm, let’s just say you won’t find me in extremely “red” areas. I can usually talk to anyone and try to see things from various perspectives, but I think I’ll try to set myself up for success by finding some of the more liberal thinking pockets of the South. We’ll see how well that actually turns out ;-)
I’m vegan. This isn’t a huge breaking point location-wise, most urban areas have lots of good veggie food options these days. But if there is a particularly good vegan food scene in a particular place, it will definitely be an added bonus. I love good food and discovering cool restaurants and bars, so you’ll probably hear me talking about dining options a LOT.
I have a dog. This is the thing I’m honestly the most curious but least worried about. Fred is only around 12 lbs, so he’s very portable and loves to go on any adventure as long as he’s with me (thank you COVID heightened separation anxiety…). Most places these days are dog friendly within reason, and since outdoor eating / living is a thing in the south (also thanks to COVID), I have a feeling bringing Fred places won’t be a big issue. But extra dog-friendly areas will also be a nice added bonus.
I love photography. If you’ve taken a quick look around any other parts of this website… you know that I love photography. I love exploring new places and bringing my trusty camera along for the adventure. While I think you can find inspiration just about anywhere, one of the things I love to shoot most is cities and architecture. There are a lot of different types of city photography, but I’m definitely looking for a place that will inspire me to get out and snap some photos.
THE MAIN CONTENDERS
Charleston, SC
I’ve followed a blogger named Julia since we were both in college. I’m not a huge blog follower, but I’ve always loved her style and the photography in her content. A few years ago she and her husband moved from San Francisco to Charleston and I’ve been able to watch them slowly fall in love with and explore Charleston. With all of the gorgeous architecture, the access to beautiful beaches, and an amazing food scene, Charleston has definitely made it’s way to the top of my US visiting bucket list in recent years thanks to all of her recommendations.
New Orleans, LA
I played jazz saxophone when I was younger and fell in love with the genre. I also grew up studying French (my mom teaches it) and going up to Montreal frequently on family trips. It should be no surprise then that the mix of amazing music, amazing architecture, French cultural influence, and the FOOD in New Orleans have been tantalizing me for years. I had actually planned on going to Jazz Fest in 2020... but well… that Covid thing happened. As a structural engineer the idea of a city sitting mostly under sea level isn’t the greatest thing… but I’m willing to give it a try for everything else it has to offer.
Austin, TX
Never did I ever think I would say I was considering moving to Texas. To be fair, I never thought I’d move to Baltimore either so here we are. Honestly I don’t know much about the city itself other than that it’s known for being the funky / weird city of Texas that has a good music scene. This one made the list based on friend and family recommendations. One cousin visited and loved it, a friend moved there and also loves it. I follow a few people on social media based there and they highlight some really cool spots. Overall I’ve heard some really cool things, and am looking forward to digging into research on this one to find out if it would actually be a good fit.
Los Angeles, CA
I know, I know. Everyone moves to LA. Or New York. Well I’ve almost lived in one, so why not try the other one out? I have some friends and family in LA that I would love to be able to hang out with, the vegan food scene is unreal, the weather is always perfect. Traffic isn’t great… but if I’m working remotely that wont’ be a huge problem. I also do a decent amount of work for Disney / Universal (engineering stuff), so having a chance to be more local and see some of my projects / get to be the one doing site visits would be fun. The work reason isn’t a key reason, just a nice bonus.
THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Nashville, TN
I drove through Nashville on a road trip with my mom in 2019 and sadly didn’t get to see much of it (there was a dog involved and time constraints on the drive). It’s definitely an up and coming town in a business sense (hello lots and lots of need for structural engineers building new buildings…), but it’s also the heart of music in the south. This one feels like it could be a contender, but I would need to do some more research before I add it to the list.
Seattle, WA
I got to visit Seattle for a week for work a few years ago and loved it. They love nature, the folks there are just as liberal as NY, and I really loved the city itself. This one can stay on the maybe list… but the weather is what’s keeping it away from the definite options. Like I said, I hate cold and winter and while Seattle is more rain than snow (mostly), it’s still not the weather I’m looking for.
Raleigh / Durham, NC
I have some family in this area and other family here in the Baltimore / DC region (which isn’t a bad drive / doable in 5-6 hours). I’ve been to visit and while it’s a nice area and I’ll definitely be visiting over time, I don’t really see myself living there long term. However, this may be a place I pick to stay for the holiday month between Thanksgiving and Christmas to spend time with that family. Don’t count this location out.
Orlando / Tampa, FL
This would purely be a work decision. I work on entertainment structures and there is no bigger hub for that than the Disney & Universal capital of the world. As a work move this would be great. But then I’d be living in Florida… something that doesn’t appeal to me… at all. For now this stays on the “only if shit really hits the fan elsewhere” list. XD
What do you think of my location choices? Have you been, did you love or hate any of them? Do you have any activity / food / neighborhood recommendations for any of them? Are there any places that seem to fit with my list that you think I’m forgetting? Let me know all of your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below.
Can’t wait to go out and chase this adventure, and to share it here.
~Victoria