Sunday, May 29, 2005

Georgia on my mind

I am thinking about moving again. No particular reason for it today. It's been in the back of my mind for about the last four years (since my divorce). There are many reasons to move to GA and to not move. Here's the reasons for going:
1) My dad and my stepmom are there. I miss my dad a lot. I've never had a good relationship with him until I was in my 20s, and he's not getting any younger. I have no family whatsoever here in Orlando - my closest family is in Vero Beach (hometown) - but there's no way I would ever go back there to live. It's too small and there aren't job opportunities there for what I want to do after next year (instructional design).
2) There are numerous job opportunities in instructional design in Georgia - around the Atlanta area.
3) I love Atlanta - there's always something to do. Although, I would want to live on the outskirts. Yes, communting in for work would suck, but I don't want to live in the city. It's maybe 30-45 min in from where my dad lives depending on traffic.
4) I hate the heat down here. Anything you want to do - you have to do it in the early AM or it's just too damn hot to be outside. Especially right now - ugh.
5) UGA and GSU both have Ph.D. programs in instructional design, so I could still pursue my doctorate if I wanted to.
6) I like the seasons in GA better - they actually GET them. AND it snows :) Not the huge monstrous blizzards, but it gets cold up there.

Reasons not to go:
1) I'd have to move - AGAIN. I've moved, on average, every 15-18 months since I've lived in Orlando (almost 15 years). I've now been in my house longer than any place I've lived since I moved from Vero in 1990. I hate moving - a lot.
2) My friends are here. But, I have 6 stepsisters and numerous stepnephews & stepnieces to keep me company in GA.
3) I'm comfortable here. I know the town, I know where to go, what to do, etc. It's convenient for my brother and sister-in-law to visit me - although they really don't visit that often.
4) I've put a lot of work/effort into the house and the thought of having to start all over again is somewhat depressing. I guess this could go under #3 as being comfortable. But, it's just a house.
5) My friend R is telling me not to go. That she's happy not being near her parents and she doesn't have family here and she's fine with it. Well, that's great for her, but her parents are moving up here in a year and she knows it. I would never ask my dad to move back to FL - especially with all the stepkids and grandkids up there.

So, the debate remains. Leave in a year or two, once I have both degrees done and possibly some experience in the field, or wait it out another 5 or so. My dad's getting older, I'm thinking I may need to leave sooner than that. I want to be there to help out around the house, support my stepmom, and spend more time with him. We talk at least twice a week, but it's just not the same for me. I miss him - a lot. Hopefully, with the job I just took, I'll be able to visit more often, so we'll see if that helps me make a decision or not. Suggestions from the crowd??

2 Comments:

At 11:51 AM, May 29, 2005, Blogger Sascha said...

You aren't actually saying that the heat in Georgia is distinguishable from the heat in Florida???

 
At 9:24 PM, May 29, 2005, Blogger psychacid said...

I need to move to Florida. Really have no clue how tho.

 

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