Winter Blues - Seasonal Affective Disorder - SAD How is Austin for this. (Georgetown: house, transfer to) - Texas (TX) - Page 4 - City-Data Forum

Melissa78703 · 12-26-2007, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by readymade

I'm actually really looking forward to the rain storms. Thunder, lightening, etc...

We don't really have that in CA, and I really really miss it. Of course, I only want the storm to happen for a day or two and then go back to because sunny, heh.

I like reading this forum because I start getting very nervous about moving there. What if I don't like it?! What if I don't make any friends?! I love Italian food... what if I can't find any good Italian food?! (OK, that's the biggest one)

I usually feel better after reading people's posts, though. Reading about how much you all love living there. Even reading the reasons people HATE living there is very informative as well.

Good Italian food? No problem! There's Vinny's on Barton Springs, which is excellent ... and Carmelo's on 5th Street. And then there's the place on South Congress, that name of which I always forget. It's on the right side of the street, if you're headed south, right in the are of Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds. As long as you stay central, you should find a variety of Italian restaurants. The restaurants tend to get sort of "meh" the further north you go.

As for dislikes ... the traffic makes me CRAZY. Used to not be this way, back in the day ...

ioda006 · 02-11-2008, 01:12 AM

Well I said I'd write back on this in Jan or Feb of 2008.. and its Feb 10, 2008 today.

Can't say I didn't completely notice the winter here, but I know for sure that being here was a LOT better than Illinois.

- I travel a lot. I was back in IL for part of December and also in Atlanta, GA for part of January. Both were freezing cold when I went to them and I could feel my SAD setting in while away from Austin.

- So far I have managed to be outside in only shorts about an average of 2-3 days a week and still be warm and comfortable on my apartment balcony. Weather has regularly been above 60F during the day and almost always sunny. There was a period of really crummy weather that we got for about a week, but then it cleared up. Basically I have to say the weather here is absolutely amazing and I love every minute of it. I look at IL temperatures and conditions every day and am thankful.

- Color of light down here is different. There are some days you get like up north with the blue-grey overcast color, but the majority of the days are bright with a warm red-yellow glow to the light. I open all the windows and let it in.

- My apartment windows face south. This is probably a big factor in how I feel, but other places I've lived the windows faced south as well and I didn't feel like this.

- I only got sick once *really* early in the winter.. more like fall actually. My immune system has fared well down here.

- I've noticed my mood has been better this winter. I can get pretty bad during the winter and this time around I can't even describe to you how much better it has been for me.

- I'll probably never move back up north *anywhere* if I don't have to now that I've been through this winter down here.

All that being said.. I like Austin quite a bit so far. Traffic is still really hellish still. I've heard some bad and some good stuff.. not really sure what to think in total yet. If you're moving here and want to be in a decent area it seems you're somewhat limited to north east/west austin (round rock, pflugerville, georgetown, cedar park) and west austin (westlake, lakeway). I've only been here a little while, but I feel this is pretty accurate from what I've gathered.
If you want to move to a fairly big city and have it be nice this is definitely the place to be.

pinda · 02-11-2008, 11:26 AM

I sure appreciate that you remembered to write back. How clever of you to send a personal message to I would know you replied. My husband and I had the opportunity to come down in January. Within 4 days I felt better. The weather was a gorgeous 66 degrees and Sunny everyday the first week. Then the cold weather came in and some rain. We got the flu during those days so I don't know how it would have affected me. The week after I left was probably the week you refered to that was gloomy and rainy in the forecast. We were home by then. It was -32 degrees windchill, -11 temp.

This was my husband's first visit and he really liked it, but I just don't think he wants to move anywhere. I don't blame him because most of our family is here, but it is so tough for me for 7 1/2 months a year, 4 1/2 quite bad.

He is making an effort to get a job he would have a choice to move around.

Thank you again. I hope this helps others with SAD. Even if I can get away in just the winter that would help.

Thanks again for remembering.
Pinda

love roses · 02-11-2008, 12:42 PM

Texas does have its fair share of Winter Texans, especially on the coast.

behindthesun · 02-11-2008, 09:49 PM

Thank you for bringing this up pinda.

I have lived on the rainy side of Washington state for 3 years now and am trying to move out asap. I have another thread where I am debating whether to move to Chicago vs Austin, and this thread reminds me of how much the sun counts in my decision. Anywhere you move will change you, and it has been most disturbing that I have "gotten used to" living in this Pacific Northwest grayness. I don't complain much anymore but it's not because I am not affected like I was when I first got here, it's because I just don't recognize it as often now. I have become more insular and less social, physically and mentally weaker....

I too tried a light box and I too had a funny feeling in my eye, so I stopped using it. I take vitamin D and fish oil which helps but it's nothing compared to a healthy soak in the hot sun and natural light in your eyes. Right now I feel weak to my core, my bones feel weak, my skin is pale, I am always tired, and time... time... Time here blends into nothing and disappears where large chunks of life seem unaccounted for, because the sun isn't there to mark the days and months. I guess my inner clock goes awry. The rain here is like Chinese water torture.

Anyway, I know exactly what you are going through and hope that you work it out. I don't have anything holding me back from moving like you do so my choice might be easier, to move or not and where to move. There are even sunnier places than Austin, like Denver, Albuquerque, etc... so maybe that is an option for you?

twange · 02-11-2008, 11:48 PM

My first winter here since relocating from Cleveland, Ohio - there are many, many shades of gray...

This winter's been, well...not like winter! Feel great. Two weeks ago we had 5 days of grim, drizzly weather but I just laughed in Old Man Winter's face and asked him if that's all he had

pinda · 02-12-2008, 03:22 PM

From the sounds of your situation, I sure would pick Austin over Chicago. The people are so friendly, the traffic seems to me simular to Chicago, nothing like LA wild traffic. People say it is pretty sunny in January and February, but like Twange said there are still enough cloudy days. I would guess it would be nothing like you have now though. It seems to be a place where you would feel at home soon and make friends quickly, especially if you join a church or some kind of group activity or club. The church people I met were so helpful and encouraging me to come down. Every day of my life I am trying to figure out a way to move south. I really loved Georgetown, but it might be too far north for employment.

Good luck. Keep in touch. Maybe we will meet someday. I know some people from the phoenix forum end up meeting each other.

TexasGirl@Heart · 02-12-2008, 04:02 PM

I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I just came inside after shoveling out my driveway. We got one heck of a snow storm last night that lasted throughout the day. I woke up and took one look outside and went back to bed--no way was I tempting those roads to go to work. All schools were closed along with certain businesses. Anyways, the entire time I was shoveling I kept saying "this is my last winter here, this is my last winter here!"

twange · 02-12-2008, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texanwannabe

I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I just came inside after shoveling out my driveway. We got one heck of a snow storm last night that lasted throughout the day. I woke up and took one look outside and went back to bed--no way was I tempting those roads to go to work. All schools were closed along with certain businesses. Anyways, the entire time I was shoveling I kept saying "this is my last winter here, this is my last winter here!"

Thanks for the trip down memory lane

My wife and I actually pointed at the TV and laughed the other day when we saw a news clip of a big mid-western snow storm...Of course our friends and family will be laughing at us when we're sweating profusely for three months straight

behindthesun · 02-12-2008, 06:04 PM

pinda - I'm holding you to that meeting! Whenever you get to Texas we'll get a group goin'!

twange - "My first winter here since relocating from Cleveland, Ohio - there are many, many shades of gray..."

You mean the Austin winter was gray?

Up here in the rainy Pacific Northwest I was surprised that most people paint their houses drab gray like the weather and wear dark clothing. And yes I strangely assimilated to this too after a while, so today I broke my bright orange jacket out of storage and wore it. Ha.