Dead horse + Stick =

I came across the following post on the Noise board today. It was in a thread based around one girl saying her life was feeling a bit stale and how she needed some sort of change.

I've been stuck in a rut for years now- financially, socially, physically, and i don't know wht to do about it at all. actually, I do know what I want to do, but every day that goes by turns into a year and it never happens. i'm desperate to live in another part of the country, and honestly, all i dream of doing, and have for like 10 years now is that i'd like to experience living in another country, even if it's only for a summer. I wish and wish every day to do this, and it kills me that it'll never happen, and if it does, it won't be till i'm like 55 and way to old and creaky to enjoy it. No kids here to tie me down, yet it won't happen. Sometimes, it makes me want to scream.

I read this and thought to myself, "Hahahaha, that sounds like me."

Then after a second I realized, "Oh.....that sounds like me."

Not so funny.

But I'm hoping that little things like that add additionl pounds per square inch to the pressure of the boot upon my ass to do something about it. Something other than lament. I feel I keep inching closer towards a decision to try someplace new. Honestly, at some level, it feels almost like there is an inexorable movement of my desire towards moving, of trying someplace new. The fact that it is such a big decision is what makes it hard for me. I'm impulsive in some ways, but this is not one of them.

But other than just talking about how I could/would/should do this some day, let's take another tack. Here's a list of the places I have been or am considering:

Los Angeles - Still in the pack. Los Angeles, however, has always been one of those cities where I feel it'd be very lonely if you didn't know anyone. Sure, my sister and her boyfriend live there but they've been talking about leaving for a while and it's probably only a matter of time. I wouldn't be headed out there with any dreams of "making it" (hopes can still stick around though), but I do like playing music and there would be plenty of opportunity there.

San Diego - This came into consideration last year, when Keith mentioned possibly moving there. The idea of moving someplace with a friend is infinitely more appealing than moving somewhere alone. In that way you get a major life change, but still maintain some comfortable familiarity. However, from what I've heard the cost of living in San Diego is rising at a quicker rate than salaries. Despite the perfect weather, it'd be a tough city to live in just because of that.

Austin - My brief trip to Austin back in February was partly a "fact-finding" trip. Or, perhaps a "vibe-finding" trip. You can't tell a lot from a city in a long weekend, but you can probably decide whether or not you want to know more. This was a hard call, because the area where I stayed (downtown) seemed kind of stagnant, with the exception of the 6th Street nightlife. But that would be akin to me hanging out in downtown Boston all weekend. I never do that, and I would probably be bored if I did. The sections of the city I like are elsewhere. Austin could be the same way. And, also, Austin is another place with a large music scene.

Atlanta - I went there a couple of summers ago now. It was cool, especially the section I was staying in, but the vibe didn't really grab me. On that same trip, I much preferred...

Nashville - A new consideration. Another music mecca. More known for it's country scene, but supposedly there's a good amount of a lot of different types of music going on there. And besides, the one (local, I think) country band I saw there was smoking, damn good! Other than that, I don't really know that much. I'd have to revisit.

New York City - A real dark horse. It's probably lowest on my list, and probably not a real consideration. But it's probably America's most exciting city. Any hour of the day or night, there's something to do. That's intruiging. And they say that if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. But all those people, that claustrophobic city, that not so appealing smell of garbage that seemed to pervade the last time I was there. And it's not really any warmer than my current home, which is one thing I'm looking for. Every now and then, I do have those "What if?..." thoughts, but ultimately I think it'd be a place better to visit than to live.

Portland, OR - I've never been. But everyone who has that I've heard talk about it loved it. I don't think I've heard anyone ever say a bad word about it. That intruiges me. But as much as I know now, pros: I already know someone that lives there, so I'd be one friend up in the game; cons: all that rain.

Raleigh/Durham - The only reason this gets mentioned is because my brother-in-law always offers me jobs. Probably half-jokingly, but if I took him up on it, I'm sure he'd oblige. That would be one less worry, and maybe some of his entrepreneurial spirit would rub off on me. Supposedly that area is really up and coming, but visiting my sister's family, it also seems a little more laid back (read: boring) than I'd like at this point in my life. And besides, do I really want to drive dump trucks for a living?

Someplace overseas: That's pretty much just a pipe dream. I have no idead how to ever make that happen. The idea of moving somewhere in this country is daunting enough, so one thing at a time.