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Freedom,
lol, I really really wanted to help him quit, so when he was drooling over the car, i said "Ya know, for what youd save in quitting smoking, we could afford that car payment" It was in our driveway in less than a week. lol Bummer is, I quit at the same time, wheres my incentive!?!?! LOL
So theres his trick, find a spendy habit in your life, and make the choice which youd rather, good luck expaining it to others in your life though, unless you have a dummy around like I am, opening my own big mouth!! LOL
Congrads Martoni on your pending move here to Oregon! Hope youre here by summer to enjoy the Oregon Jamboree that goes on each year in SweetHome! Just curious, what made you decide on Sweethome? Its rather out of the way and not real big....definatly has some neat houses and great deals on property though! And bring your fishing pole, theres some terrific fishing in the area!
Welcome home!
Tiffany
Hi Native Oregonian...Proud1 Lived in San Diego For a year and even all that sunshine was not worth the price, snotty attitude, and FAKENESS! YUCK>> I have no desire to go back.. i will go to Hawaii or the carribean for sun before I would go back to THAT CEMENT JUNGLE!!!
It's very interesting to read all the comments in this forum.
I'd like to tell a little bit about my own personal story so it might help someone else out there get one more perspective.
I grew up in a small rural town called Alpine, located in San Diego County, California. There were about 1200 people there when my mom and dad scrimped and saved to buy their very first home (and they were originally from PA). Alpine was a wonderful little town to grow up. Beautiful scenery, close to the mountains and lakes. When I was about 11, Alpine started to change. More people were moving there. Condos were being built. A new grocery store forced the small mom-and-pop market to close. The town noticed an influx of illegal Mexicans coming from the border (10 miles south "as the crow flies") and looking for "work". The border patrol van could be spotted daily attempting to round people back up and take them back to their country. The creek bed across from the new grocery store became their new stomping ground. The newspaper ran it's first "murder in Alpine" story and the sherrif arrested an illegal Mexican for the crime. Still, most of the "old timers" of Alpine remained but their voices were overshadowed by local committees and government that wanted Alpine to "grow up". I imagine this happens all over the country to small towns. But I know there are towns where growth has been successful as well.
We had spent many lovely vacations throughout OR and my parents fell in love with the area of Southern OR. When I was 14, my parents, trying to plan for their retirement, bought property in Umpqua, OR. For me, it reminded me of "old Alpine", but with a lot more pine trees and blackberries! So it was easy for me to love it. One vacation I forget where we were but I think we were driving up the coast and someone yelled out of their car to us "go back to California!!". That was interesting, but that was about 20 years ago. I haven't noticed any of that on more recent trips up there but I can understand how people can feel "outsiders" can ruin their area.
Long story short, I went to college at UCLA - living in L.A. for 10 years. I had a miserable time there but I did learn many important life lessons, one of which was that I really loved the country more than the city! After school I got married and my husband and I moved to Orange County, CA, which is still a mega-city area. Of course the weather is nice (meaning more sun - but then again as of right now we've only had 2.75" of rain since LAST July - very bad drought going on right now) but the quality of life is not. We would never be able to afford to buy a house here (local houses are $600k to well into the millions -- and our rent for a 1 bedroom apt is almost $1200!), but then again, why would we want to? The traffic is unbearable, crime is terrible (we had our car stolen right from behind our apartment and Mexican gangs shot some college student a mile down the street!), pollution is terrible, the taxes are high, the politicians ignore the people (well, that can be said for lots of areas!), and to top it all off the illegal immigration problem is reaching a boiling point (I'm in no way the type of person that would tell someone they can't come to this country to better their lives - my ancestors did just that - , but what is going on here is NOT people wanting to better their lives - it's straight up taking advantage and outright harrassment of U.S. citizens that is going on in a lot of areas). I know lots of people love it here in "The O.C." and in So. Cal in general, but it's just not for us.
So my husband and I are finally in a situation where we can move to our dreamthat is Oregon. So please Oregonians, understand that not everyone from Southern California is a "certain way". Understand that all we want is to live in your beautiful state and to help keep it that way. We hope to be in the Roseburg area by September '07 (hopefully sooner!). So we'll see ya'll soon!
This thread sure has a lot of varity! I moved to Oregon from El Cerrito, CA - East Bay San Francisco in 1955. I grew up in the Rogue Valley, Grants Pass. There was NO diversity in Southern Oregon then. White to the core. As I look back now, it's sad. I can also say that growing up in Grants Pass was absolutely incredible! I got to hunt, fish, float the Rogue on an inner tube, grow our own food, butcher our own meat, harvest hops, build barns, chicken coops, hog pens and have our closest neighbor far enough away that you could yell at the top of your voice and they couldn't hear you. Unfortunatly it is no longer that way, almost anywhere you go these days.
I have lived pretty much everywhere in Oregon, it seems, from a commune in Selma/O'Brian to Prineville, Wolf Creek, Wonder, Stayton, Myrtle Creek, Coquille, Depot Bay, La Grand, Coos Bay and finally in Portland. No matter where I went the people, for the most part, were friendly and very helpful. They have a good sense of humor and easily talk about their lives and experiences. Portland is a real jewel. It has the best public transportation system in the west! Portland is bicycle friendly, environmentally active, alternate energy aware and politically active.
There are many ways you can feel about the weather in Oregon. I have mostly found that people that complain about the weather, complain about a LOT of other things too. It's not really about the weather. I use to say - "Well, wheather it's good or bad weather is OK. It's when you have NO weather you should be concerned!" When it rains, I don't have to water my lawn, wash my roof or clean the sidewalks.
People, for the most part, in Portland, Oregon are more courteous on the streets than many other cities I have been in.
People that have been in Oregon for a long time are definately "Oregon ized"!
I now live in Albuquerque, NM. I didn't have a choice as my job moved there. I never thought that I would say that I miss the rain, clouds and humidity; but I do. I miss the people in Portland and it's diversity. Albuquerque can claim a long history and many cultures; but the cultures seen like they are at war with each other and there is NO diversity as to lifestyles, religion and culture. The one thing that really bothers me here in Albuquerque is the way people drive. When I see a school bus on I-25 doing 75 MPH with a full load of school kids it's totally unacceptable. When I see and hear that people are still driving with a dozen DUI's is completely unacceptable. New Mexico has the 3rd highest insurance rate in the nation! It is obivious why.
Albuquerque is also a great place to live. The mountains, sunsets, hot air balloons, desert flowers and forests are spectacular. I have lived here now for three years and have adjusted to the driness, heat and wind. No matter where you go you can find both good and bad. You are the observer and you can either have a fantastic or miserable time. It is Really YOUR choice!
Newt- I moved to Grants Pass from El Cerrito, CA in 1955. I agree that it is much better than Ashland. Being a person who REALLY knows southern Or. there are some other hidden jewels that most people don't ever see. The city of Rogue River,up Evans Creek, Wimer, Foothill Blvd between Rogue River and Grants Pass. Going between Jacksonville(over rated and to expensive) you should check out Ruch, Williams, Provolt and especially Murphy. Another place to go outside of Grants Pass is Merlin and follow the Rogue River West. Also check out Fruitdale and Jerome Prairie. The people in and around Grants Pass are for the most part friendly, courteous and have a good sense of humor. Grants Pass has grown A LOT since I first moved there. The population was 4,500. I have loved Grants Pass all of my adult life! Good luck on your search.
Wow, I have spent a long time reading this whole thread! LOL But thanks everyone for your thoughts and input.
I find myself at a crossroads.... Interestingly enough, I , too am from Alb.,NM. I just read thraumasturgists post..... (However, Albuquerque was/is my hometown and I am simply not willing to raise my children in those conditions: poverty, crime, drugs, gangs, DUI's etc.) We suffered a lot of personal crime/attacks in our time there.
We have since lived other places...Phoenix (hated it),SF Bay area(too expensive), and most recently, (ducking under chair)....San Diego.
I, in no way, shape or form, consider myself a "Californian" or even "from Cali". We were here due to a re-location/job assignment (Balboa NMCSD). We've been here almost 2yrs, contract ended, have been eyeing PNW for a long, long time. Really have been trying to research Oregon and Washington. The more I read and hear about Oregon, the more I like.
We are a family of 4, an RN and an IT professional. I cannot wait to get out of San Diego. The first year or so was fun...like being on constant vacation, LOL.
I really can not stand all the people here, the housing prices are bizarrely unreasonable, the culture, etc, etc, etc.
My dilemma now is trying to figure out the right place for us up there. I'm thinking..... start by going to Portland and that will get us on the right track. The trick is my husband finding a job in IT...bit of a tough field to be in, oddly enough.
Again, thanks for all the insight from these posts!
This thread sure has a lot of varity! I moved to Oregon from El Cerrito, CA - East Bay San Francisco in 1955. I grew up in the Rogue Valley, Grants Pass. There was NO diversity in Southern Oregon then. White to the core. As I look back now, it's sad. I can also say that growing up in Grants Pass was absolutely incredible! I got to hunt, fish, float the Rogue on an inner tube, grow our own food, butcher our own meat, harvest hops, build barns, chicken coops, hog pens and have our closest neighbor far enough away that you could yell at the top of your voice and they couldn't hear you. Unfortunatly it is no longer that way, almost anywhere you go these days.
I have lived pretty much everywhere in Oregon, it seems, from a commune in Selma/O'Brian to Prineville, Wolf Creek, Wonder, Stayton, Myrtle Creek, Coquille, Depot Bay, La Grand, Coos Bay and finally in Portland. No matter where I went the people, for the most part, were friendly and very helpful. They have a good sense of humor and easily talk about their lives and experiences. Portland is a real jewel. It has the best public transportation system in the west! Portland is bicycle friendly, environmentally active, alternate energy aware and politically active.
There are many ways you can feel about the weather in Oregon. I have mostly found that people that complain about the weather, complain about a LOT of other things too. It's not really about the weather. I use to say - "Well, wheather it's good or bad weather is OK. It's when you have NO weather you should be concerned!" When it rains, I don't have to water my lawn, wash my roof or clean the sidewalks.
People, for the most part, in Portland, Oregon are more courteous on the streets than many other cities I have been in.
People that have been in Oregon for a long time are definately "Oregon ized"!
I now live in Albuquerque, NM. I didn't have a choice as my job moved there. I never thought that I would say that I miss the rain, clouds and humidity; but I do. I miss the people in Portland and it's diversity. Albuquerque can claim a long history and many cultures; but the cultures seen like they are at war with each other and there is NO diversity as to lifestyles, religion and culture. The one thing that really bothers me here in Albuquerque is the way people drive. When I see a school bus on I-25 doing 75 MPH with a full load of school kids it's totally unacceptable. When I see and hear that people are still driving with a dozen DUI's is completely unacceptable. New Mexico has the 3rd highest insurance rate in the nation! It is obivious why.
Albuquerque is also a great place to live. The mountains, sunsets, hot air balloons, desert flowers and forests are spectacular. I have lived here now for three years and have adjusted to the driness, heat and wind. No matter where you go you can find both good and bad. You are the observer and you can either have a fantastic or miserable time. It is Really YOUR choice!
ReMember - You Are "EXTRA SPECIAL!"
The Hops are gone this is true, but they replanted with pears, now the city owns them and they are slow to change anything, oneday they will make it another park, which is fine. Sometimes I think we have enough parks, but it is easier to change a park into something else down the road, than develop and turn back into a park, so patience will play out.
As to the rest in my perspective we still have all the other things that you listed that you enjoyed growing up. Gardens, animals, space between neighbors, animal butchery, hunting, fishing, and floating the rogue.
True there are more people, but a good thing is worth sharing.
Maybe one day you will return and see some of the things that you enjoyed when you were here in the pioneering/logger days.
Gotta go, a big wind just blew the patio funiture into the yard.
Spend a few years in Oregon, you'll wish you were back in San Diego. Atleast that's the way I feel. I miss San Diego alot. I understand the housing costs is just really high and that's one of the reason why I moved to Oregon, but as much as some places cost to live in, like the Oregon coast, you might as well stay in San Diego.
Okay “I hate Californians” here is my answer. First, I am a native Oregonian who just happens to live in Escondido, California. Lets talk about driving skills. First, California drivers are the fighter pilots of the road. We drive on 4 to 6 lanes of freeway at 70 miles an hour bumper-to-bumper and side-by-side closer than the Blue Angles fly their jets. You have to be a good driver to survive here. So you can drop that one off your list. You say traffic is absolutely terrible. Well, it takes my wife 40 minutes just to get onto the freeway. Her 11-mile commute takes almost an hour so you can cross that one off your list. So Californians are responsible for your high housing costs and your crime. Okay, lets talk about that. First, Californians that have the money to pay top prices for Oregon real estate are not out robbing liquor stores. Real estate prices are all about interest rates and a few other factors but mostly interest rates, which determines if you can afford the monthly payment. I’ll say it again just for you. If Californians were responsible for your high real estate prices then Californians would be responsible for the higher cost of housing from coast-to-coast and that is just not the case. When real estate prices fall, is that caused Californians are moving out of Oregon? You can cross that one off your hate list too. Okay, you say Californians are responsible for the lack of jobs in Oregon and is interfering with your career path. An economy works on money velocity. If no one ever spent any money no one would an income. Every dollar spent is someone else’s income. When people stop spending the economy slows and it puts people out of work. So if I hear you right, you don’t want Californians spending their money to boost Oregon’s economy and size of your paycheck. If you want to earn more money, people have to want to spend. It is just that simple. Californians are good for Oregon’s economy so you can forget that and skip on down. Californians are not destroying their own state. I think it is population density and the number of illegal immigrants that are destroying California’s quality of life. I would dump that one into the trash. That is like saying that Oregonians are destroying Oregon. If you ask me, Oregon cities are in need of a coat of paint. Not so here in the Southland. I really came out of my chair when you said that you speak for all Oregonians. Well, I’m still a native Oregonian and I can assure the readers here on the forum that you don’t speak for all Oregonians. Californians are not to blame for your problems. Anytime you point your finger, there are three fingers on that same hand pointing right back at you. Your situation will not change until you change the way you look at your situation.
Dan
I wouldn't consider you an active Oregonian anymore if you don't live here. You may be a native, but you are not current. Regardless, I believe "I Hate Cali" is right on target and most active people around here DO agree with those statements. You just have to put it into perspective from how our towns used to be just a few years ago to how they are now, and WHY they have changed so quick. It'll make your head spin.
I work with the public and know many, many, many people who admit that they have moved up here from CA, NV, etc. simply to get on our welfare plan because the Libs and Dems have opened it up to just about anyone. They will give some meth-head loser or illegal alien (note that illegal is different from legal) money to buy a house, go to school, free medical care, free food (it sucks going to buy groceries and we have to get generic when a welfare person who is using their welfare card, gets steak, pop, ice cream, and don't forget the cigs-then jumps into thier newer truck or SUV and we drive cars that are 10-15 years old.) Everone knows they are working the system.
So, where do the people who screw up our economy move from? It really doesn't matter, coz they messed this state up for everyone. Minimum wage is soooo high, that other wages haven't budged in years. Our salaries 15 years ago were 3-4 times that of min wage, now they are not even twice the min wage. We both have jobs that require licenses, and live paycheck to paycheck due to the cost of living. Why is the cost of living so high? Because Cali's and other people sell their house for a profit of 3-4 hundreds of thousands of dollars, move up here and buy a house for 1-2 hundreds of dollars and drive our prices up sky high. They then brag about it and you expect us to be happy about that?
Oregon has a huge lack of physicians here in our state, lots of retirees, few full-time jobs due to min wage being so high (employers simply hire part-time only) and lots and lots of taxes. Over 25% of my paycheck goes to taxes.
I have met people in my classes at school (that I paid out of pocket for) who were born here and may or may not be a third generation welfare reciepient, or who barely speak English yet they got a full ride scholorship to colelge. They also have 3 or 4 kids with their girlfreind yet they are not married so they both have welfare cards and got HUD housing and live in a house that is worth over $150,000. Is that fair? How do I know this? They brag about it! They think it's great that they get all this stuff. They will change their major just to stay in school coz it's free, they get free day care, free food stamps etc. and yet be in their 10th year of college.
I also met people while in my line of work, who are on the dole (i.e. reciveing welfare) that come in for their free health care, then complain and whine if they don't get something even if 'regular' insurance wouldn't cover it either, then have the nerve to tell us about their new Harley, ATV, trip to Hawaii, etc. and want us to be happy for them because they are riding to Sturgis (a four day trip) but are on disability due to a back problem. And, since they got disability on Cali wages, and the cost of living is cheaper here, they have tons of out-of-pocket money.
These type of people usually smoke a pack of cigs daily, have a cell phone, internet, nice car and REFUSE to work. Not can't work-REFUSE. And then they tell me that their state wouldn't give them welfare so they moved to Oregon coz they heard Oregon doesn't turn anyone down. Now-you want us to welcome them with open arms? I don't think so! They just made it harder for any regualr person to get ahead. All this does is drive the cost of everything up, up, up!
Don't get me wrong-I am all for people doing better with their lives. I am just sick of them working the system to get more than the people who do it the 'regular' way. A little bit of help is different from a 'lifestyle' of being on welfare. It just seems like for every "good" person who moves up here to get away from the crap down there, they bring a "loser" person with them whether they realize it or not, and now our state is just as bad as other states.
I would love to find an area where everyone took responsibility for thier actions, took pride in their community, didn't try to work the system, and had respect for themselves without reliying on the government to bail them out and support them. Is that too much to ask? Does this place exist?
Well, as I said, I am not from San Diego/Cali, I have only been out here a relatively short time. There are many, many reasons I can't stand this place, and can not wait to get out. Housing costs the least of them. In fact, if I thought it were worth it, I would consider, and have, buying here. Unfortunately, San Diego is not my cup of tea. Don't get me wrong....there's a lot to enjoy and do here, but it's like being in"vacationland" all of the time!
I am also, so not into the shallow, 'plastic' (as in cosmetic surgery, botox, etc), 'everything has to be a brand name' culture here. Bummer.
Like I said, lots of reasons to not live here, tons of reasons to visit here.
My visit here is almost over!
Oh, and I most definitely will not be living on the Oregon coast. I am looking at Portland, Eugene and Medford. Have a great day!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Imperial1904
Spend a few years in Oregon, you'll wish you were back in San Diego. Atleast that's the way I feel. I miss San Diego alot. I understand the housing costs is just really high and that's one of the reason why I moved to Oregon, but as much as some places cost to live in, like the Oregon coast, you might as well stay in San Diego.
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Moving later this year to Roseburg area
We were here due to a re-location/job assignment (Balboa NMCSD). We've been here almost 2yrs, contract ended, have been eyeing PNW for a long, long time. Really have been trying to research Oregon and Washington. The more I read and hear about Oregon, the more I like.
