You are in effect describing my home country ... Canada.vitaflo wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:57 pmThis is what I've come to realize. We live in MN so if we moved literally anywhere else it would have nicer weather. And we've certainly thought about moving seriously. But would it really be "better'? The QoL in MN is outstanding, it's just the weather that's stupid. And I've lived in the upper midwest my entire life so while less cold in the winter or less humidity in the summer sounds very tempting, I'm not sure it would really make me all that happier long term. I'd eventually just get used to it like I have the weather here.Valuethinker wrote: ↑Tue Apr 13, 2021 9:19 am And if you love skiing, say, or windsurfing, it's best to live somewhere where you can ski or windsurf (or its not too taxing to get to either).
Set those aside. If you are not happy with yourself, moving will not change things.
And so what we've done is started making a list of cities that fit the things we *do* more than just fit some weather profile. And when we do that MN is still pretty darn competitive with most places on our list. And it sure costs a lot less too, probably because of the weather (nobody from CA is moving here that's for sure).
The weather is lousy. The Cost of Living has exploded due housing bubbles (well, I think they are bubbles). Young people just can't get a foot on the housing ladder without parental help on the downpayment. People are taking crazy "teaser rate" mortgages to buy - we know how that episode ended in the USA.
But compared to many places, Canada is clean, tolerant, safe (low murder rate etc). Mentally it is quite provincial - both in its horizons and the internecine and incessant squabbling between city-province-Fed.
I can well understand what it is about MN that makes it attractive. However I keep thinking "Winnipeg" - Winnipeg has the double joy of being the mosquito capital of all the provincial Capitals-- it is built on a river delta. Really nice people come from Winnipeg, but no one says it's a nice climate.
The cottage country - lakes - up there are amazing, though. And Lake Superior itself is stunningly beautiful.