u/Confident_Singer7596

Hello,

Me (20f) and my boyfriend (20m) are looking to move out of our small town in northern Michigan (UP). It is cold (it’s May and still 40°F), depressing, small, and there are little job/social opportunities.

We are looking for something bigger and warmer. We want to be able to have friends and be able to enjoy activities pretty much year round. We enjoy having 4 seasons but that’s not necessarily a requirement.

We love to hike, camp, swim, kayak, etc. We also have a cat and a high-energy dog.

For work experience: I am a legal secretary for my county’s Public Defender (2 years) and worked at a restaurant for 4 years before that. I have just finished my sophomore year of college for Political Science. My boyfriend has worked in retail, bartending, and manual labor.

I would like to eventually finish school and become an attorney. But, I’d be taking a gap year(s) to establish residency first and then finish school.

I went to school in south Florida for a semester and loved it. But that was when I was 18, and my life is a little different now. I worry about my dog (long coat) and the political climate. Also is a little too hot in south Florida. But, my grandparents live in Florida so I’d have family there.

We’re visiting Oregon (Portland, Eugene, Bend) in two weeks to see how we like it and it’s a strong candidate for us. My aunt lives in Seattle so she wouldn’t be too far away. My concern with Oregon is that it is pretty far from Michigan and my family. I am extremely close with my family and visit them at least once a week and call every day. It would be pretty expensive/difficult for my family and I to visit each other. My mom would love for me to stay in the same time zone lol. But I am open to change and would find ways to stay in touch and visit my family.

Are there any states you can think of that would be a good fit for our lifestyle? I am so lost but need to get out of this town!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated.