Reply #5: Hey,

[hyphenate]

been there, done that. Literally. Except it was So. California I had moved to, not northern.

I lived in SoCal for 15 years+ and came back home in February, 2003. I know exactly what you mean, though. It was a move I was wanting to do for a long time, and glad I did it, though I'm having a difficult time with withstanding the cold. I developed a lot of arthritis and other health problems when I was there, but truthfully, the heat bothered me as much as the cold here!

How long have you been there? Do you have friends or family there? My family members are in California, and I do miss them dearly, but at the same time, I have friends here that are like family in many ways. My mom, sister and niece are in SoCal, and my brother is in Las Vegas. So I'm bicoastal whether I want to admit it or not.

I think that you have to look at why you are there. Are you there because of a job? A relationship? Or just because you thought the change might be good? If it's for a job, you might eventually try to find a position, perhaps even in your current job, where you can go back and forth more often. If it's for a relationship, you can perhaps look at a future time when you could buy a house back here and leave there permanently.

I grew up in Jamaica Plain and Brookline. Right now, I'm living in Worcester, which isn't a bad place to live. I miss some things in Boston itself, but if I really put my mind to it, I can get there without too much trouble. My best friend is in Western Mass, and I visit there often as well. My car is currently out of commission, so I'm grateful to be living someplace where it's relatively easy to get around.

Anyhow, hope I helped a little. Free free to post and I'm sure myself and fellow Massachusettsites will be willing to talk with you. :)