OK. I've spent a week in San Diego checking out the job situation. Met with or talked to a variety of folks, some from IT, and they all say my background looks good, and jobs are plentiful. Mom & Dad say I can use their guest suite as long as I need.
I'm so ready to leave Chicago. It's a great city, with vibrant theater, stunning architecture, and an incredible variety of food. A really livable metropolis. But it's cold half the year, hot & muggy another quarter, and moldy, pollinated or smoggy whenever the temperature is high enough to be outdoors. I'm spending my life inside.
Plus, I've been in this house since 1978--the longest anyone in my family has ever lived anywhere. It's full of memories of my life with my Ex. I want a different place in a different neighborhood.
Since the breakup in 04, my whole social scene has changed. Good friends have moved away, other friends got wrapped up in their own lives. Plus, almost all my friends are couples. How am I gonna meet single guys?
Ex & I still own the business together. He's buying me out of our joint vacation home. I need to get out of our business, though.
I've been wanting to move to California for decades...ocean and hills, sunshine, outdoor activities (I hope...other than smog I think the allergies are better there). And the midwest just seems stodgy to me. The people are nice, but pretty set in their ways. California at least does some experimenting...for better or worse.
So, time to finish fixing up the place for sale. Of course that also means clearing out 30 years of stuff. I'll be going from 4,000 sq. ft. in 2004 to around 1000/1200 sq. ft. in California. And I really don't need to move 3 sets of bedroom furniture, umpteen kitchen things, two library-of-congress equivalents, and my high school religion notes. :) Thank goodness for Chicago alleys. When I put stuff out there it's gone in an average of 45 minutes. If I had to haul stuff to a dump, or pay to get rid of it?
So I'll make my lists and schedule in movers, workmen, and friends. I've been saving Dell boxes for 3 years, so I'm hoping I won't have to buy too many boxes. But filling them is going to take forever.
But I'm excited to finally do this. Hope the housing prices in San Diego don't rise too fast. If I get a decent price for the Chicago place, I should do all right, have a big down payment.
Location: Chicago
