The Pacific Northwest: A Top Ten

Top 10 Reasons I want to move to the Pacific Northwest:

1. Arkansas summers are unbearable.

I've been complaining about it all week, so I thought I'd complain some more. It seems the older I get, the more I loathe summer. Or maybe it is just the fact that I have kids who I'm trapped in the house with all summer. I can't let them out to run off their energy b/c they'd A) get terribly sunburned, even with sunblock and B) they'd probably die of heatstroke. It just isn't fun. Even the local bodies of water are too warm to cool you off.

2. Politics

I'm liberal. Like, way liberal. Most of Arkansas, well, let's just say they are not. My ideology just doesn't fit in here. Know where I'd fit in? The PNW. Jake wouldn't fit in there, but he doesn't like to talk politics anyway.

3. The Scenery

I'm not saying that Arkansas doesn't have its pretty spots b/c it certainly does. Especially in the fall over in the northwest part of the state. But regardless, Arkansas doesn't have the awesome towering trees and snow-capped mountains in the background like Washington state did. So beautiful.

4. Jake could probably transfer

Although it isn't a given, there are tons of CEDs on the west coast. I found at least 10 in Washington state alone and Jake said there are probably more divisions with different names that I didn't find.

5. Now is the time!

Jake and I had a big discussion about living away from our families recently. I'm of the opinion that now is the time to do it while the kids are young. Jake thinks that, if we want to move away, we should do it when the kids are grown. I maintain that, by that time, I'll want to hang around and play grandma.

6. Jobs

This logic could be used for moving back to Little Rock too, but living in or around a metro area would certainly give me better job opportunities. Of course, the cost of living might off-set that. Maybe this one is a draw...

7. Better Birth Climate

This is probably a strange one for me to list considering we are about to have our last baby, but the rules and regulations binding midwives in the PNW are a lot more reasonable.

8. The Weather

I mentioned how Arkansas summers suck, but not how awesome the PNW weather seems to be. Yeah, it rains. Whatever, I'll just wear my hair curly all the time. It is just so much more temperate there. I dig temperate. For example, right now, in Seattle, it is 67 degrees. Perfection!

9. Fresh Seafood

I'm sure they get stuff shipped in too, but the proximity to the ocean means fresh seafood. Yum! We don't have any fresh seafood here. At all.

10. I want a change.

I've lived in Arkansas my whole life. Small town, big town, bigger town, small town. Blah. It is more of the same. And maybe it would be that way somewhere else too, but I'd like to experience it. While I'm young, please.