How many have relocated to be closer to outdoor activities?

kimbur96 said:
I was out in Colorado in August of last year. Spent a few days in Buena Vista before starting a 3 day trail race that went through Leadville and up over Hope Pass. Buena vista was awesome, we got to hit a few trails there before the race. After the race we drove west through Durango. (Loved Durango but don't think there is enough employment opportunities for me there). went on to Mesa Verde and spent a couple days seeing the ruins. From there to Great Sand Dunes NP and then headed back to Denver to return home.

I live in South Florida. It's flat, hot and humid. I want to be able to get away to mountains or at least some decent trails every weekend. I'm an RN, but I work in home care, and specialize in long term wounds. So I need a city with a big enough population of medicare people to support my work. But small enough to not be cost prohibitive.

Culture? I don't party and I'm not a nightclub type. Occasional movie or play or something. But mostly and outdoor person. Here in FL it was diving, most every weekend and running. Have done marathons and ultras. But now have turned to backpacking.
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Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. We have wound care clinic and IT not sure if we have any current positions in either department but worth looking into. EIRMC is an HCA facility. This isn't my idle place to live as I am huge into mountain biking and there isn't the plethora of trails to ride like I had in St. George, UT (but that wasn't my ideal place to live either, too freaking hot in the summer and huge lack of snow). I can't stand the inversion you see in winter time in SLC/Ogden area where I grew up or the constant haze they seem to have from pollution in the summer. I LOVE anything and everything outdoors. Been to Denver once... didn't impress me much. Too far away from the mountains. I need mountains.

Idaho Falls is okay, a bit too flat for my personal tastes, but probably not as flat as where you are in FL. You have a few good places to eat not like you would find say in SLC or Denver still a little country for gastronomical food places, but you can save good eats for big city visits. Your close to the Tetons (which make up for how flat I consider IF to be) and Yellowstone. If I could make a living in Driggs/Victor, ID I think I would end up permanently living there and when Sarah graduates I may just move and commute to work every day.

You have decent grocery stores, decent housing costs, have access to good skiing, hiking, and if I go about 1 1/2 in either direction I can find more MTB trails. Lot of outdoorsy type people here. So it isn't hard to find people to go play with. Island Park is up the road and that is beautiful. Montana is close and I hope to explore more of that area, only 8 hours down to Zion (but for this girl that is proving too far to travel for a weekend trip). Sun Valley is 3 hrs or so away. Lots of hot springs to find and explore in this state. Wyoming is next door.

Two years ago when I was looking for a new job I did investigate Grand Junction and wanted to move to that area. My daughter said absolutely not! She was tired of the hot environment of STG and GJ is similar. So who knows 2 years from now I may end up in GJ or after my recent visit to Alaska I may try that area for a spell.

I grew up in Utah, lived in TN for 5 years, returned to UT and now reside in ID. After making 4 really big moves in my life, I have decided that shaking it up is fun and am looking forward to my next move and new experiences and places to explore. Until then I still have plenty to explore where I am at.

In short... MOVE GIRL!!! What are you waiting for?
 
Just wanted to thank you all for your encouragement and let you know I am chasing my dreams. Have made contact with a few employers and even have a phone interview tomorrow! Goal is to be out west by summer.


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Kimbur, great luck with this. I am looking forward to reading about your local trips around the west.
 
I have lived in Utah most of my life and I love it. I am lucky to be in SLC where just about any kind of outdoor adventure is just a short drive away. I love exploring UT and all the Western States.
 
I Just got told that my department is moving to Mexico in 18 mos. Nice of them to give me a heads up and plenty of time to find a new gig.
Mexico is sure out and I have been itching to get off the Front Range of Colorado. Boulder is crazy expensive and I am more of small town dude.

Funny, the first thing I still thought about when they told me was, "I wonder if the severance will be enough to do the whole Widespread Panic summer tour?" The next thought was what about Emily finishing High School. Adulting is no fun.

Maybe it's time to do my PhD and get out of the rat race all together. In any case, I think a early Spring trip to the desert is needed to clear my head.
 
kimbur96 said:
So....I'm doing it!!! Flew out to Colorado last week, had a couple interviews and got an acceptable offer. I'll be a resident of Colorado mid May!!!! WooHooo!!!!
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That's great news! Hopefully it will have stopped snowing by then. ;)
 
Kimbur,

I am a Colorado College grad and lived in the area for the better part of 30 years. Many friends there, go back once or twice a year. If there is anything I might be able to help you with please don't hesitate to ask. The Sangre de Cristo are the glory of all of Colorado as far as I am concerned and Comanche-Venable Trailhead just 90 minutes away. Bison and McCurdy in the Lost Creek Wilderness are a great summit experience, highpoints of Taryall. Two ladies at Backpacker [bpbasecamp] live there and hike all the time

You will love it. CONGRATULATIONS

John
 
Moved to Santa Fe from CA in 2010 after retirement. Couldn't afford (or hack) CA anymore. NM wasn't our first choice but it fit the bill very well. I was out in the wild with no one in sight the first week. That was in 12 miles of town. Score!:twothumbs:
 
I had always wanted to get out West after almost 20 years in GA. While I loved the green there, I had come to hate the humidity as well as some other work/personal tastes. So, when my company opted to privatize and start some RIFs, I took that as a sign to make a move. I can say it was a bit scary to open up the job hunt to a large number of areas I had never lived in and knew no one else. When the slot opened in NM, I figured it was a good way to get a foot in to the West. While I do not see myself staying in NM more than a few years, I also do not see myself ever going back East. Too many beautiful places to see, trails to walk, and mountains to climb.

Good luck on your move to CO. I'd think you will not regret it.
 
I relocated twice, lol
First, when I moved from Upstate NY to St. George, UT. It was the best thing I could do, a lot of hikes and outdoor stuff to do.
And now I relocated to the Big Island of Hawai'i when I got a full-time job position with one of the local lava tour companies out there. Even though Hawai'i is not what most of you think of an outdoorsy place, I'm actually out way more than before.
After I finish my guided hiking tours each morning I often head out later the day for more outdoor stuff. And there are actually some pretty good backpacking trips you can do. I just need to find the time to get a day or two off so I can do these.
 
Congrats on the move. Hopefully it will be a great change. The Springs is one of the places I would strongly consider if I didn't have such an affinity for skiing -- SLC is really without peer when it comes to a large city with ski opportunities. I moved out here to ski bum in 1997, intending to head back to the West Coast after winter. I never left.
 
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