Just beginning this process...some help thinking through the process

[sarahkate_m]

After more carefully reading the OP, I see that thisbloominglife & husband are indeed highly qualified. If I were them, I'd consider living somewhere along the lines of Silverton or within better commute of Salem/Portland where their qualifications may bring them employment. Just MHumbleO.

If I were her (thisbloominglife), I'd work on networking during this time that she doesn't have any desperation & can make a really good impression. She's really lucky to have such stability right now -- this can be very impressive to potential employers who will see she doesn't really "need" them but that it could be a mutually beneficial arrangement in the future.

I was exagerrating a bit about the "van dwellers". Whenever I run the faucet I realize I couldn't lead such a controlled lifestyle, although I'm a huge admirer of rebels & minimalists. I'm not sure I could really endure "camping" ALL the time!
I love Eugene, this state & my daily conveniences.

thisbloominglife: Wonderful to hear of your success on Etsy! I'll try to look you up. I "found" you! *Delightful*

[backdrifter]

Hey thisbloominglife! I just noticed that a few of your climate-related questions went unanswered. Basically nowhere in Oregon is going to leave you snowed in all winter unless you're living at the top of Mount Hood, which you wouldn't be anyway.

And the cloudiness/overcast/raininess of the coast in the winter months is also present in all of Oregon west of the Cascades. The differences in climate in the lowland/valley areas from Vancouver, BC all the way down a little bit past Eugene are all very nuanced. They're basically the same climate. Eugene tends to be slightly colder in the winter than much of Portland, maybe by a few degrees, and gets maybe a couple inches more rain in the winter months. Anywhere in the Willamette Valley will fall into this same category. November is when it is reliably grey and rainy and cold. Some years it starts up in October. If you look at the forecast for Portland this week it's rain every day (in the form of drizzle or light rain, not the heavier rain you might be used to). This basic weather pattern lasts until roughly mid-May to mid-June depending on the part of the state and depending on the year. At that point it's clear blue skies and beautiful warm, non-humid temps until roughly the end of October! Paradise, almost...

You can expect temps to generally stay above freezing (it rains so much here because it generally doesn't get cold enough to snow). When it does snow, it's usually 3 inches in January that melts the next day and another 2 inches in February that melts the same day. Just enough to look pretty and make an inconvenient commute to work and then it goes away! It's great for people who like the idea of snow, but don't really want to be bothered living with it for 6 months.

And anywhere in Western Oregon is only going to be, at most, 2 hours from the coast. You can go there any weekend you want, or even take a day trip. That way, you can enjoy it as much as you want but don't have to deal with the downsides of coastal living. Plus, you will still get to live surrounded by the abundant natural beauty that is omnipresent in the Pacific Northwest.

As you said in your original post, you will indeed have to adjust your social/cultural expectations. You see, depending on where you'd settle, being Democrats might make you too conservative, and being spiritual non-religious might not be free-thinking enough... Being genuinely friendly goes a long way though, and it looks like you've already got that covered, so I'm sure you'll do fine no matter where you end up.

All that said, hopefully the economy will be turned around some by the time you are planning on moving. With that in mind, Portland has generally had a more diverse economic base than the rest of the state, and they also tend to have the best economic conditions in the state (which, right now at this moment, isn't saying much). At the moment, Benton County (Corvallis) is doing the best, but still not great.

Forest Grove is a nice area which has been recommended, and it's a good choice. I'd also look into McMinnville. It's a very nice small town with a small college, not too far from Portland for big city culture and amenities, and only an hour and a half from the coast at Lincoln City, and another half hour to Newport. Corvallis is actually a very nice small college city that's an hour and a half from the coast (Newport). Lots of character in both Corvallis and McMinnville. Eugene and Portland are not bad choices either, and there are a slough of small towns around Salem. Salem isn't half bad either! Then there's a dozen Southern Oregon towns and cities too...

You can definitely be picky here I think. Maybe we can help you narrow it down a bit. Of course, you'd have to see for yourself, but hopefully we can help guide you better. There are lots of options for you.

[Fiddlehead]

Just a plug for Southern Oregon. You two sound very skilled, and might even land on your feet in this wretched economy, but I am afraid the climate might be a huge shock. And not the rain. It is the warmth. Most of Oregon is cool and cloudy much of the year. Downright cold in the interior and clammy everywhere else. Just saying this because my old girlfriend moved from N. Carolina to Oregon and quickly skedaddled south to California. The all-encompassing warmth is only seasonal here (late June to early-mid Sept.). And another colleague headed to California, because in his words, he could not wear shorts until July. And you will see relatively few swimming pools in Oregon, for good reason. And the beaches? Frigid year-round. No swimming, or I should say no enjoyable swimming! Rivers are cold too, and don't warm up much, but swimmable in places. Lakes are the ticket, and there are a few here and there.

Here in S. Oregon (Medford/Ashland area), our summers are hot. Shorts and flip-flops, campouts, backyard BBQs,etc. When it gets too hot we head up to the mountains and fish/kayak/swim in a pretty good selection of lakes/reservoirs. Pretty fun. By September that starts to fade, but the falls are the most gorgeous season of the year, so a good trade. But in S. Oregon it gets hot enough that I am glad to see summer come, but also glad to see it go, if you know what I mean...Personally, I love the climate here, but it is essentially a mild version of a northern climate, not a southern one, as you are used to. All this said, it is a beautiful region, and you would find many kindred souls in the arts/mystic side of things.

[thisbloominglife]

Just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has been so gracious in giving me information. I'm taking it all into consideration as I plan for the future.

Wicked Felina said:

Look into the Olympia, Washington area, specifically the westside. I really like the south Puget Sound area. As an aside, they recently opened a Trader Joe's grocery store in west Olympia. They had people lining up to put in applications. Think my friend told me they received over 1200 apps for 300 positions. Not trying to bum you out...it'll be a few years before things pick up, as you know.

Oh, I'm not bummed - I appreciate the honesty and all the good information! I'm moving slowly so that I don't get any nasty surprises. ;-)

Minervah said:

You sound like you would fit in pretty much anywhere in Oregon. The bad news is we still have a high unemployment rate of 12.7%.

Google - public data (http://tinyurl.com/mc47cg - broken link)

You and your husband have admirable skills but other that your successful Esty.com business you may have a problem. The jobs you listed are by and large either not available of when they do come on the market there is tremendous competition. Google the State of Oregon and it will give you some ideas of what is out there.

Yeah, we're moving pretty slowly, both for info gathering purposes and waiting to see if the economy is going to improve at all (we're looking at probably a 2 - 5 year window before moving...at least!). Thank you for your input - and good luck to you as well!

SarahKate_M said:

After more carefully reading the OP, I see that thisbloominglife & husband are indeed highly qualified. If I were them, I'd consider living somewhere along the lines of Silverton or within better commute of Salem/Portland where their qualifications may bring them employment. Just MHumbleO.

Hm...Salem is an area I haven't really looked into yet. Thanks for the advice. Thank you also for your kind words about my little Etsy shop!

backdrifter said:

I just noticed that a few of your climate-related questions went unanswered. Basically nowhere in Oregon is going to leave you snowed in all winter unless you're living at the top of Mount Hood, which you wouldn't be anyway.

Oh, thank you!

And the cloudiness/overcast/raininess of the coast in the winter months is also present in all of Oregon west of the Cascades.

That is good to know! I was talking to a friend this past weekend, whom I had forgotten had originally come here from Medford (he came to Georgia for love - aww!) and he said that I should probably try to get east of the Cascades - but not TOO far east...like the Sisters area or possibly Bend. I've been looking a lot at Bend and it seems very appealing.

At that point it's clear blue skies and beautiful warm, non-humid temps until roughly the end of October! Paradise, almost...

Ah, that DOES sound like paradise! Nice and warm but without the humidity we get in Georgia!

Just enough to look pretty and make an inconvenient commute to work and then it goes away! It's great for people who like the idea of snow, but don't really want to be bothered living with it for 6 months.

That sounds IDEAL! Pretty snow that doesn't stick around long enough to get dirty and become a mess!

And anywhere in Western Oregon is only going to be, at most, 2 hours from the coast. You can go there any weekend you want, or even take a day trip. That way, you can enjoy it as much as you want but don't have to deal with the downsides of coastal living. Plus, you will still get to live surrounded by the abundant natural beauty that is omnipresent in the Pacific Northwest.

Good point! Almost anywhere I might choose to live in Oregon would be closer than the 7 hour drive I now have to make to get to a beach!


As you said in your original post, you will indeed have to adjust your social/cultural expectations. You see, depending on where you'd settle, being Democrats might make you too conservative, and being spiritual non-religious might not be free-thinking enough...

LOL! Wow! Good to know!

Being genuinely friendly goes a long way though, and it looks like you've already got that covered, so I'm sure you'll do fine no matter where you end up.

Aw, shucks! Thanks! *blushes*


All that said, hopefully the economy will be turned around some by the time you are planning on moving. With that in mind, Portland has generally had a more diverse economic base than the rest of the state, and they also tend to have the best economic conditions in the state (which, right now at this moment, isn't saying much). At the moment, Benton County (Corvallis) is doing the best, but still not great.

Forest Grove is a nice area which has been recommended, and it's a good choice. I'd also look into McMinnville. It's a very nice small town with a small college, not too far from Portland for big city culture and amenities, and only an hour and a half from the coast at Lincoln City, and another half hour to Newport. Corvallis is actually a very nice small college city that's an hour and a half from the coast (Newport). Lots of character in both Corvallis and McMinnville. Eugene and Portland are not bad choices either, and there are a slough of small towns around Salem. Salem isn't half bad either! Then there's a dozen Southern Oregon towns and cities too...

Hopefully I'll be slow moving enough to avoid the really dark economic times. Being slow moving has it's upside, though: it gives me plenty of time to narrow down where I really want to be.

Thank you SO much for your help!!

Fiddlehead said:

Just a plug for Southern Oregon. You two sound very skilled, and might even land on your feet in this wretched economy, but I am afraid the climate might be a huge shock. And not the rain. It is the warmth. Most of Oregon is cool and cloudy much of the year. Downright cold in the interior and clammy everywhere else. Just saying this because my old girlfriend moved from N. Carolina to Oregon and quickly skedaddled south to California. The all-encompassing warmth is only seasonal here (late June to early-mid Sept.). And another colleague headed to California, because in his words, he could not wear shorts until July. And you will see relatively few swimming pools in Oregon, for good reason. And the beaches? Frigid year-round. No swimming, or I should say no enjoyable swimming! Rivers are cold too, and don't warm up much, but swimmable in places. Lakes are the ticket, and there are a few here and there.

LOL - aww...us southerners can be a bit...erm, cold-natured! It's good to know what to expect!

Here in S. Oregon (Medford/Ashland area), our summers are hot. Shorts and flip-flops, campouts, backyard BBQs,etc. When it gets too hot we head up to the mountains and fish/kayak/swim in a pretty good selection of lakes/reservoirs. Pretty fun. By September that starts to fade, but the falls are the most gorgeous season of the year, so a good trade. But in S. Oregon it gets hot enough that I am glad to see summer come, but also glad to see it go, if you know what I mean...Personally, I love the climate here, but it is essentially a mild version of a northern climate, not a southern one, as you are used to. All this said, it is a beautiful region, and you would find many kindred souls in the arts/mystic side of things.

All of that sounds AWESOME! We are thinking of moving with the understanding that whereever we end up probably won't be, "just like the south" - and we'd be disappointed if it did...otherwise, what's the point of packing? I was talking to a friend this weekend whom I had forgotten had originally moved here from Medford. He said he was always thinking of going back. He recommended I look at the Sisters/Bend/Centeral Oregon area. Apparently there's less "gloom" there (weather-wise) and just enough snow to say you had snow, and with beautiful surroundings. I've been looking that direction all weekend.

Thank you all again!!

[aroseinrain]

*Oregon has a really high unemployment rate, it's true, but it's high all over right now so I'd check out uslaborbureau.gov to compare your town with the town you want to move to - I did and found out the numbers were the same for me whether I move or not. But i would warn against moving to the coast because, really, there's no work there. I'd look into Portland/Beaverton for you - its a daytrip away from skiing or the coast so you can visit either one as often as you like.
*Please notice that the Oregonians call it a "coast" for a reason: yes, you can technically find a beach there and once in a blue moon you can actually get in the water (I grew up in Oregon and went to the coast all the time to visit relatives and such, got into the water exactly two times) but it's more likely that you'll be glad you remembered to bring your heavy coat and gloves/hat. The Oregon coast is the most beautiful place in the world IMO, but it's not really a "beach" type of vibe; more like giant rocky cliffsides and pounding waves type of place - very dramatic and "spiritual" place to be.
*When you look at weather stats you'll see that, in fact, it doesn't technically rain more in Portland/Willamette Valley than most places in the country and that can be confusing. You're thinking, 'what's the big deal? It rains just as many cm here as it does there?!' right? The difference is that it hardly ever really pours down in Oregon, it just drizzles for days and days and days (months really) until about June, July , August when it's mostly clear (still drizzles on occasion even then though) so our land stays green and gorgeous all year because it's wet all year. I only mention it because it seems to be the main reason that people who move here move away again as soon as they can. Personally, I absolutely LOVE the rain/constant drizzle but it's just too much for many transplants to deal with and even if you are now thinking to yourself 'but I like rain too!' it's going to be more drizzle than what you are imagining and it's going to last most of the year.

All of that being said, I am absolutely moving back to Oregon at the first possible moment that I can because it's gorgeous, I love the strong-willed free thinkers and the slower pace and because it's my home and I miss it.