Considering a return to MD?

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

So are you saying I'm better off in MD? Although as a Californian (for most of my life now), I doubt any tax or road issues will scare me off either state.

I've also been exploring real estate around Harpers Ferry, but I'm not sure I would want to live in WV. Perhaps it wouldn't matter.

Harper's Ferry is in WV, but it is an exurban area with a tourist scene and connected to the D.C. metro. Same with Shepherdstown, except swap the tourists for a 4-year college. IMO, you don't really hit cultural WV until you get west of Martinsburg, even the rural areas of those 2 panhandle counties (Berkeley and Jefferson) are more like the Shenandoah Valley counties of VA to me.

[bus man]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

So are you saying I'm better off in MD? Although as a Californian (for most of my life now), I doubt any tax or road issues will scare me off either state.

I've also been exploring real estate around Harpers Ferry, but I'm not sure I would want to live in WV. Perhaps it wouldn't matter.

Remember, one of your reasons to move east is to be near your family. Anyplace in Pennsylvania will be a minimum of 1 hour 15 minutes from Chevy Chase. And yes, PA's roads really do stink.

As for West Virginia, as westsideboy pointed out, the Panhandle area has a different culture than the rest of the state. It's more exurban Washington than the "Take Me Home Country Roads" feeling of the rest of the state. Basically, anything along I-81 and east will likely suit you well enough to take a look, if you wish.

[RayHammer]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid, though. I want to prioritize my happiness and quality of life over work

I derive a lot of happiness from simply not commuting far, even if my housing costs are a hundred or two dollars more a month than out in the boons. At least I'm sinking that money into house equity instead sinking it into the odometer and burning gas that I'll never see again.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by RayHammer

I derive a lot of happiness from simply not commuting far, even if my housing costs are a hundred or two dollars more a month than out in the boons. At least I'm sinking that money into house equity instead sinking it into the odometer and burning gas that I'll never see again.

But where would I be commuting? I don't even know where/if I'll be working, so that isn't a known factor (at least not yet). And what I do for a living doesn't require being in a city, in fact I'd prefer not to work in D.C. Most of the library jobs there are government or historical/archival, which aren't within my wheelhouse.

I'd like to be close enough to my family for regular visits, but by that I mean like every couple of weeks. Not daily. When we lived in the same town (Sunnyvale CA), we only actually hung out a couple times a month... my sister is SUPER busy running two businesses and raising two kids, so I'm lucky to catch her even that often. And my relatives there also have busy lives, so again, I'll be lucky to see them more than once a month.

Now, if I do happen to line up a job beforehand, then I'll take commute into account. For the record, however, I currently commute 45min each way along a winding mountain road. It's a bit of a slog, but well worth it for what I've got up there. I love my home and town! Not about costs, either, considering how much I spend on gas.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by NW4me

I had a life history sort of opposite to yours, OP:
born and raised in CA, but lived in MD for five years in my 20s,
then went back to the west coast.

I'm not contemplating moving east again, but C-D has a fun way of inspiring what-ifs,
e.g., "if I was going to live in the Northeast again, where would I go?"

Yes, it sure does! I'm just brainstorming at this point, which is why I'm here... and it's possible that talking through everything will make me decide NOT to move, in fact that is the way I'm leaning now. Even my sister said it's probably not the right move for me, but we'll see what happens. At least I have some ideas of what areas to explore when I visit next.

Just judging by Streetview scenes, Lancaster PA looks like an intriguing place to be --
there's so much history there! Perhaps it's too far from your relatives in MD... or is it?

Kinda, yeah. My mother grew up around there, so I can ask her what she thinks. Guessing she'll say I'm better off staying in California, though. lol

(how often would you expect to visit them?)

As I just wrote in my response above, probably not THAT often. We all have our own lives, and time does run away with you at this stage of life. Sadly, I didn't see them all that often here. And we lived in the same town for a few years. It's nice knowing I can visit them any time, however, which is what I'm already missing now that they're gone. Also, I'm just feeling restless in general; so this is more like an excuse to consider something new.

PS: hooray for librarians!

Hehe. Thanks.

[emmmcubed]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

Oh, and while I have your attention... any small(ish) towns in southern PA you'd recommend I look into? I'm willing to go up to 1.5 hours from D.C., especially if it's a better fit and more financially doable than MD. Something quaint, nice scenery, not just a bunch of suburban tract homes, and perhaps a synagogue within 30 or so minutes?

I don't believe there are any towns of any sort in PA that are going to be under 1.5 hours from DC.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by emmmcubed

I don't believe there are any towns of any sort in PA that are going to be under 1.5 hours from DC.

Okay, fair enough... it was just a thought! I've already lived in MD, so it sounded fun to try a new state.

[Middlin]

No reason not to consider Virginia then

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by Middlin

No reason not to consider Virginia then

Any towns you'd recommend I look at?

[gizmo980]

Bumping this thread two years later, since I have a potential (they're checking references atm) job offer in Silver Spring - which is weird, since that's the town where I was born.

I'm leaning more towards moving to Seattle now, but my sister is pressuring me to consider this offer. It's literally ~5 miles from where she and her kids live, so that would be cool. But I'm just not sure Maryland is my "vibe" anymore. Could someone recommend a rural setting within a 30-minute drive to Silver Spring? I'd be working slightly off hours, not your typical M-F 9-5 kinda deal. And my dogs need room to run, plus I'm used to living in a rural setting now. So I don't mind that at all, in fact I greatly prefer it to your cookie-cutter suburbs or cities.