I am considering moving from Hollywood, CA to Beaverton, OR. Here are the personal pros and cons I can come up with in regards to the move.
PROS (reasons to move to Oregon)
- Way cheaper than living in California.
Rent for a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment in CA = $1800. That does not include utilities, cable, etc. Rent for a similar apartment in Oregon = $675. That includes utilities because in Oregon things like heat are considered necessities for living. - No more sales tax.
Sales tax in this city is 9.75%. You read that right. That means if I buy something for $100, I actually have to pay $110. There is no sales tax in Oregon. If it says $100 you pay $100. - No more traffic.
It took me 18 minutes to travel one mile a few days ago. I'm not kidding. I send pictures of the navigation screen on my phone to friends in other states all the time because it's insane. - Actually has seasons.
California pretty much has summer (11 months out of the year) and a brief somewhat-cool-with-a-little-drizzle-of-rain patch thrown in there. The area I'm in doesn't have leaves that change colors. There is no snow. There's nothing besides sunshine and warm weather pretty much. I think it would be really neat to experience the weather changes. - Closer to my disabled mom.
My mom moved to Oregon when I was 14 and I've only seen her once a year ever since. She loves it there. She found work as an elementary school teacher and was doing great until she had an accident at work two years ago. At first she was paralyzed from the waist down but has since had two major back surgeries. She has some sensation and can walk a bit if she wants to. She gets around in a wheel chair for the most part. She's living on disability and worker's compensation. I love my mom and we've never had any conflict. This is the biggest reason I want to go.
She keeps begging me to go out there and live with her (which I wouldn't do, bless her heart, I'd have to have a place of my own.) She has the typical guilty mom syndrome: divorce happened when I was 12, she gave custody to my dad, constantly drives herself mad with remorse about "leaving me" and "being a bad mom." In reality did she do either of things things? No. She was always there for me when I needed her and still is. She was a great mom and is a great mom.
Side rant: my mom had me when she was 16 (hardly. Her birthday is October 28, mine is October 31.) Everyone wanted her to get an abortion but she wouldn't. She even moved out of her parent's home to live on her own (homeless for a time) because they said if she didn't get an abortion she couldn't live there. My mom fought for me. If she didn't care, if she didn't try, if she didn't sacrifice just to give me a chance at being alive I wouldn't be here. To any moms out there, particularly young ones: my hat goes off to you and I hope your children are amazingly grateful for the gift you gave them. [: I can't even imagine being that age and having the responsibility of a child. It's mind blowing.
Back on topic: she lives with my step-dad and my two half brothers. I hardly know them since they were born and raised in Oregon. My step-dad is an awesome guy who makes a living touring the country with his KISS impersonation band (he's Paul Stanley.) He's also a corporate guy for WalMart so he has steady salary pay and my mom is pretty well off. - Guaranteed job.
If I can't find work right away my step-dad can get me a job in the photo department at WalMart. It's the best paying entry level job that they have there. I won't be making much ($11/hour + commission) but at least I don't have to stress out about employment. - Friends will go with me.
I have three friends who are willing to make the journey with me. One of them lived in Portland for two years and wants to go back, the other is my long time friend and neighbor who started off with her eating disorder at the same time I did, and the last is my current roommate. It's always nice to know that I won't have to do it alone.
- Never moved before.
I was born and raised here. I like it here. I've never been through the experience of moving to a new town, going to a new school, finding new friends, and dealing with a new environment. One friend who would go with me has traveled between Portland and LA so she's comfortable with it. My roommate is from a different country so he has a lot of experience. My good friend moved from California to Utah so she knows the drills. I'd be the odd man out. - Miss my family and friends.
This is really only about my grandfather. He gives me advice about everything and he's always there for me. I don't know what I'll do if my main support line is so far away. There's also the fact that he's old and I don't know how much longer I'll get to enjoy his company. - Like the environment here / "LA culture."
I hate trees and forests and nature and fresh air and open space. I'm a terrible person. I want a concrete jungle. I want gray buildings so high that they block out my view of the sun. What horizon? My horizon is the line I have to tilt my head way back to see. It's jagged and made of steel. I'm really repulsed by the thought of "country living" and I can't explain why. When I was looking at listings for apartments in Oregon it was killing me. "Country Living with City Convenience!" No. My soul hurts. I want rainbow sunsets created by decades of pollution. I want a haze of brown around my city. It really screws with me emotionally to think that I'll leave this behind. (I'm not being sarcastic.) I like all the 24 hour shops, the aggressive attitude people have, the rush-rush feeling, the night life, the variety of cultures. I'll miss all of it. Terribly. This is going to be my single biggest obstacle.
When I was in Oregon there were signs on the highway leading to the local highschool. There is ONE highschool in the entire fucking city. What the...? My heart bleeds. I really need to abandon this topic because it's making me want to say "fuck all" and forget about moving all together. ]: - Can't drive 75mph anymore. Can I drive at all?
- Can only take one car full of possessions.
- Have to sell a lot of things that aren't compatible with Oregon.
I can't take my motorcycle to Oregon. There are some pets that I don't want to transport because they wouldn't survive it. - Miss my job.
I have an awesome job doing what I love at the moment. The pay is great, the office is really relaxed, there's no dress code, internet access is unmonitored - I can go on and on. I don't think I'll be able to find anything like it in Oregon or anywhere else. - Generally uprooting my life.
I'll have to let my car insurance company know that I'm moving. I'll have to do my renter's insurance again. I have to get my mail forwarded. I have to change my address. I have to get my license again. I don't want to deal with all the paperwork associated with moving to a new state with new laws.
My car is very close to the ground and I've never tried to drive it in the snow. Not to mention that the speed limit on the highway out here is 75mph and it's 50mph in Oregon. Driving in Oregon always makes me anxious as hell. I'm relaxed and at home in traffic surrounded by unpredictable drivers in 110 degree weather. I don't know how to function when everything is organized and slow paced on the ice. Will I have to get chains for my tires? ...how do I even put those on?
I'd have to sell my furniture and start all over and I'm not looking forward to that. I don't want to pay for a moving van, nor are any of us comfortable driving it. I would probably take some clothes, my TV, my computer, video games, some blankets and pillows, and my cat. (Who would be miserable and stressed the entire time.)
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