Relocating

[AK Granola]

I can’t imagine sun sapping my energy, but I get so little of it. At least with Anacortes, it’s not a far drive to go do outdoor things in sunnier places. Is it vulnerable to rising seas and storms? Speaking from Alaska, where our poorest communities just got a bitter taste of climate change to come.

[Steve S]

There’s a rhythm to the day in that piece of country. Remember to give the sun a chance to dry out the sky when planning a picnic or other such sedentary outdoor activity. Target 1 PM or so — not much earlier. Less rain does not necessarily mean fewer hours raining, but it does make that rain easy to get along with. Enjoy!

[Bonzo]

I can’t imagine sun sapping my energy, but I get so little of it. At least with Anacortes, it’s not a far drive to go do outdoor things in sunnier places. Is it vulnerable to rising seas and storms? Speaking from Alaska, where our poorest communities just got a bitter taste of climate change to come.

Spend enough time under it, and it starts to feel like your internal battery is physically being drained.  I prefer more moderate and mutable weather for this reason; I was just in Florida a few days ago, and the constant sun, warmth and humidity just made me want to crawl into a vegetable crisper and die. ;)

Also, yes, it’s definitely at risk from sea level rise, in certain areas; I think the average elevation is 20′ or so, but there are some nearby hills that offer nice views and good property security.  I don’t think we can afford them, but they’re there.

There’s a rhythm to the day in that piece of country. Remember to give the sun a chance to dry out the sky when planning a picnic or other such sedentary outdoor activity. Target 1 PM or so — not much earlier. Less rain does not necessarily mean fewer hours raining, but it does make that rain easy to get along with. Enjoy!

I’ve been told similar things by several people; basically, it’s “just be ready for it to rain a bit every other day.”  Honestly, I can easily live with that…as can my garden.

[Ethan A.]

Bonzo wishing you the best of luck in your relocation and work journey. Need to catch up on posts here, but hope you’re well past the bad employer. A good rule of thumb when considering a location with a potential seasonal/weather downside is to try to spend at least a few weeks to a month there at that time.

For example, friends who were considering a move to the greater Seattle area spent a month there during the worst part of winter and decided that despite all the positives, the short daylight + cloudy misty days weren’t something they could handle easily. I enjoy rainy cloudy days but it could be a bit much if it were near constant for long periods combined with short days. Friends who live there try to take a 10-14 day sun vacation further south during the heart of winter, which they say helps a lot.

[jscott]

I’m afraid the “just be prepared for it to rain a bit every day” quote really misrepresents the reality. It’s not like things will clear up every other day. It’s most often gray, and then rains, then remains gray, then rains…for months. When I was living there–first 22 years of life–Seattle was the suicide capital of the U.S.

S.A.D. is real. But, lots of folks can deal with the weather. I’d move back to Bellingham before moving to Austin, say. But an old girlfriend from the Bellingham days, who lives in Austin, would never move back. Her brother still lives there and she feels gloomy when visiting him. I’d die in Austin, as much as I like the city.

[AK Granola]

My husband grew up on Vashon Island. He vehemently hates rainy places now. Just hates rain and becomes a grumpy ass during prolonged rains. Loves real winter though, with cold and snow and ice and darkness. Seattle area also perfected craft beer, fine coffee (Starbucks et al), and heroin arts culture. Depression can foster creativity, as so many writers have shown.

When I did my master’s in Seattle, I just hiked every weekend, rain or shine. Once you’re out there all wet, getting wet isn’t so intimidating. But it was freakin wet. In theory Anacortes is in a rain shadow.

[Robert Spencer]

My wife is from Anacortes and her entire family still lives there. We visit at Thanksgiving every year and yes, it is dreary and damp off and on from Oct to May, sometimes more regardless of the rain shadow comments. Makes you appreciate and take advantage of those treasured sunny days. The town is quaint and lively in a small town way, but not much cultural diversity from what I can tell. Nearby outdoor recreation is superb — North Cascades and the Olympics are the best.  Unfortunately the airport is south of Seattle which creates nightmare drives through the city.

[Bonzo]

Bonzo wishing you the best of luck in your relocation and work journey. Need to catch up on posts here, but hope you’re well past the bad employer.

Three days left…three days…

I was gone for two weeks, as mentioned, and when I came back…oof: several of the workers out on the shop floor came to me to tell me how bad things had gotten, and one of the managers did the same.  It seems that during my absence, my boss took a shot at doing my job and produced a lot of inferior work…which now makes everyone else’s job much harder, if not impossible.  They’re only just now figuring out that what I do is not simple, nor easy, nor able to be learned quickly and/or faked until made.  And I’m sorry for them, but: it’s not my problem to fix.

Robert – thanks for your insight!  While there, we discussed weather and climate with a lot of the locals – and plan to do so again when we return – and your comments dovetail with what we learned.  I met more than a few people that had relocated from Seattle just to get away from the hustle and bustle, and found a better, more moderate climate along with the respite.  I did see quite a lot of diversity for a smaller town, though; honestly more than I expected.

Also, AK: I get grumpy during endless rain as well…so I can’t fault anyone else that does.  What I’m hoping is that by having better access to the things that we like to do, that grumpiness won’t be as noticeable.

 

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