I had a fabulous run this morning. The sun is shining brightly in western Massachusetts without a single cloud in the sky. Yes, it may just barely be 30 degrees, but I love the sunshine! *Knock on wood* the winter hasn’t been nearly as bad this winter as it was last winter.
Last winter I STRUGGLED a lot with the cold weather. I was always cold and it made me really down and depressed. I also was in a really tough living situation that didn’t help in any way. I am happy to report that I am doing SO MUCH better this winter than last winter. That doesn’t mean that I am not ready to move to a warm climate in a year and a half, though.
I have been thinking about moving to Arizona, Austin, The Carolinas, or Orlando, FL. Any input or anywhere else you think that would be awesome to move to? My last/4th year of graduate school for my program is an externship year, so I can go anywhere I want and work for a year. This is definitely my opportunity to embrace a change and move away for a year. It will be hard to leave my family and dogs, but I know it will be for the best. Okay, I still have a year and a half before this happens, but it is still fun to think about! Any ideas?
Okay, back to the run thing. I ran with my Garmin on my run today and did a familiar route that I have been running for awhile. Before I used my Garmin, I always used gmap-pedometer.com. I always thought that this familiar run I did was 5 miles, but today my Garmin only said it was 4.75 miles. Realistically, that isn’t a big change, but I want to know WHAT TO BELIEVE. I always thought gmap-pedometer was accurate, but now i’m not so sure. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?!
Purple Pinky Toes - Never Stopped Me! 
I do mapmyruns and/or my bike odometer thingie. I think ballpark is close enough…I wonder how races do it? Those wheel things they use for XC are the best way. Do you know what I’m talking about?
Ok, moving. I totally vote for NC because I’ve lived here for my whole life outside of 7 months in VA. All four seasons without getting TOO cold. Spring is BEAUTIFUL in the piedmont. People drive hours to see the leaves in the mountains in the fall. Duh, the beaches are perfect.
I myself know that in a year and a half we are moving from here to a big question mark…it could literally be anywhere in the country, let alone the world. Perfect world? I would choose the Raleigh, NC area or the Charleson, SC area. Moves are so exciting!! 🙂
Ok, sorry for the post like comment!
Lindsay!! Thanks so much for your comment. I also wonder how races do it. My last race was 5 miles, but my friends pedometer said 4.5 or something crazy like that! Who knows what to believe? Haha
My roommate and her boyfriend are actually thinking about Raleigh, NC. It sounds like a great area. I was actually thinking of Charleston, SC, Raleigh, NC or Charlotte!! I am going to go visit this summer to try to see where I like the best. We should have a meet up! 🙂
That would be great! Just lemme know when you’ll be around!
i don’t have a garmin and i use gmap pedometer too…i like to believe the pedometers most of the time because i think satellites can be off (after having to work with GPS’s for my job). it’s kinda a give or take with those things…sometimes i even drive my car to measure distances. 🙂
Oh, and I suggest orlando…i haven’t actually lived there but have been there and lived just outside it several times and love it…even miami is nice! and maybe…try san diego! it’s freak’n awesome there!
Thanks Melissa!! I agree that the gps might be a little off. I think 5 miles sounds much better! 🙂 It sure felt like 5 miles! I have only been to Disney World, and not Orlando, but Orlando sounds awesome too. I like Cali too. Ugh! So many choices!!
I just got a garmin, ironically during Christmas right after after my injury so I haven’t used it yet.. anyway, before that I used a gps application on my iphone and i would compare to go gmaps pedometer and they seemed to coincide.
As for the moving, what an incredible opportunity!! That’s not something everyone gets!
And i’m with Lindsay, i’d vote for the Carolinas. I live in Upstate South Carolina (Spartanburg) and it’s really nice. I’d like to either live in Greenville, SC or Charlotte, NC one day but I don’t plan on moving far. It’s gorgeous here and she is right, people will travel miles to see the leaves in the mountains in the fall. It’s also a great place to raise a family. And there’s a lot to do! Living in the upstate, you have access to mountains and the beach, both only 3ish hours in either direction. Specifically, the beaches are gorgeous; there is the beach in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Garden City, to name a few. There is a lot of entertainment in Greenville, Charlotte, and Columbia. Asheville, NC is kinda a “hippiesh” town with a lot of vegetarian, vegan, and local restaurants that are incredible. And the weather around here is really great. My only complaint is that the humidity here in the dead of summer is not fun. Other than that, it’s great. This winter has been colder than usual but even last week we had temps in the 70s. Spring and Fall are the best though.
Ok I think I’ve preached enough about my home lol best of luck with this opportunity, wherever you choose to go!
Thank you for all that advice, Jess! I never really thought about Greenville, but now it is somewhere I want to look into!
I would move to Greenville, SC if I were you. Charleston is beautiful, but UNBEARABLY hot and humid about 5 months out of the year. Plus, it’s very expensive. Greenville has a great cost of living, and it’s close to the mountains, where you can do a lot of hiking.
Interesting about Charleston. I always knew it was hot and humid in the summers, but is it at least better than Florida? Another suggestion for Greenville! I need to check it out! Is it young-ish or mostly families?
You know how I feel about the Carolinas! You’re too young to live there! Ha!
And you know I want you to give Denver a chance but I totally understand you not wanting to live where it’s cold. Although I was just telling my mom that besides our few storms and cold fronts, this winter has been better than my winters spent in California. You would love it here! The sun never goes away and it never rains 🙂
Anyways. My only advice is to move somewhere where you have someone. Anyone. A friend or two or three. Living where you don’t know anyone is the hardest challenge and yes, you’ll meet people through whatever program you’re in, but knowing someone beforehand is extremely important (I think!)
And just remember, the Carolinas, Texas, Florida… they all have their bad weather. Texas gets cold days and flash floods, Carolinas get rain, hurricanes and terrible humidity and the same goes for Florida! Arizona is just ugly and stuck up and the heat is unbearable at times. Hahaha… sorry, I’m not helping much with my opinions of these places 🙂 But you know I’ve moved around a lot and have been unhappy in my moving choices so I want you to be so happy when you finally decide to leave the Northeast!!! Wherever you end up, I’ll be visiting 🙂
oooh blah. You know i’d love to move to Denver and how perfect it would be for me if I liked cold weather. I just need to get out of the cold for a little while! Thanks for reminding me that EVERYWHERE gets bad weather! I need to remember that….but places HAVE to be better than New England! Ha!
I would have to say that moving somewhere where you know someone is a good point, I imagine it would make it much more enjoyable.
Ahahaha I just wrote in my post that the sun was shining brightly!!! It was 40 here but I was FROZEN!!
I’m not sure what to believe. I think Garmin makes stuff up sometimes when the satellite connection is weak. I do feel like it’s pretty accurate overall though. Especially those who run races…their numbers usually match up with the races’ numbers you know?
With online maps, they don’t know which side of the street/side walk you are running on and that makes a difference!
That’s true about the side of the street! I never really thought about it that way. Maybe I should try and by a foot pod or something!
I’m glad you’re happier this winter- this weather can definitely be a bummer 😕
If I were you, I’d move to California! That’s where I’m hoping to land an internship after I graduate.
I would believe google pedometer just because the Garmin uses a satellite signal and sometimes in remote areas, you can lose the signal and so the distance isn’t tracked!
Okay, that’s funny you mention that because it had a hard time finding the satellite to begin with!! Gmap pedometer it is! 🙂
i love living in NC but it’s not super warm all the time — we do have a ‘real’ winter even though it’s shorter and milder than up north! usually during december-feb there are lots of times i have to scrape ice off of my windshield (least favorite thing ever 🙂 ).
if you really are after warmth i say go for south florida — totally tropical! it’s sort of a different world there, culturally though, so visit first to see what you think.
The thing is I like seasons, but the winters in New England last TOO long! That’s why I was seriously considering the Carolinas! Florida sounds perfect too, but not some place I could live forever! Ooooh the choices! 🙂
how about new orleans or somewhere down south? memphis or nashville? i secretly want to be southern haha
yay so great that you’re feeling much better this winter than last. gloomy weather definitely can affect our moods, but it doesn’t have to! move to california 🙂
Arizona is boring. I don’t know about Florida, but come to LA!! Hee hee, the public transportation isn’t that great, but neither is Orlando’s.
And dude, I think it snowed in austin this winter.
Good for you for wanting to embrace change. I hate change I would never be able to move but I think it would be a great experience! The Carolina’s might be a good change/fun!
Ben’s brother graduated in 03 I think? Ha! That is so crazy!
You not updating = unacceptable
I never know what to believe! I switched from mapmyrun to gmaps because I thought it was more accurate, but I have no way of actually checking!