Anyone consider leaving DC metro area?

[Anonymous]

My DH and I migrated to this area separately for college and stayed. Now, we're 34 and 36 with a toddler and another on the way. We are doing okay with two cars a TH and both employed. However, I feel like we are just getting by. I'm ready to migrate west in hopes we can enjoy a nice affordable suburb, reasonable commute (we live in Leesburg and DH commutes 1 1/2 hours to/from DC), have more time for each other and see more of our money go into savings. Right now we're spent after an expensive daycare, transportation costs, student loans, college savings plan, etc. DH wants to stay in hopes he gets another raise but I think even if he gets a little more money, we agreed that as the children got older I would cut back on my hours since I have the more flexible job. After his possible raise we'd still be breaking even.

Has anyone considered migrating out of DC? Where would you consider moving? I have McKinney, TX and some burb in Florida on my list. The homes are beautiful, they have great schools and a nice 4BR house can be purchased for under 350k. I feel like we will never get ahead if we stay in DC but in my house I'm in the minority.

[Anonymous]

McKinney is an intellectual wasteland.

[Anonymous]

I would love to. DH is a gov't consultant and has his mind made up that he can only do that in the DC area. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

I lived in St. Louis for about 10 years and Nashville for 1. Even though the job markets are not nearly as good in those places, and the salaries are lower, I am attracted to the more gentle pace of life. Folks in DC are all about their careers, and that gets a little old for me.

I'm here because my mom lives here. She's a huge help with raising my kids, and since she's almost 80, I want to be nearby to help her as she needs it. My husband and I both have siblings in the area too, and a few nieces and nephews. So, these are the reasons we stay.

[Anonymous]

I just left and moved back to my mid-sized Southern hometown. For all the same reasons you mentioned. It has taken more adjusting than I realized because I had gotten used to everyone being engaged in the news, in culture, etc. It's not like you can't find that in other places, those people just aren't on every street corner.

Bottom line and I have mentioned this on another thread is that there are trade offs. My house is bigger now and schools are good and the pace is more reasonable but I miss a lot about DC that I didn't expect to.

[Anonymous]

There is more to life than living in a big house. Your children will have opportunities if you stay here that would be unimaginable in Buttfuk Tx.
If anything you should move closer to DC to reduce your husband's commute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is more to life than living in a big house. Your children will have opportunities if you stay here that would be unimaginable in Buttfuk Tx.
If anything you should move closer to DC to reduce your husband's commute.

OP here: I would like that but we have looked and have been unable to find anything. I'm always open to suggestions, however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is more to life than living in a big house. Your children will have opportunities if you stay here that would be unimaginable in Buttfuk Tx.
If anything you should move closer to DC to reduce your husband's commute.

OP here: I agree. A house is a house. I'm considering it all, however: house, commute, lower cost of living and still being in a system with good schools and churches (I'm Catholic so a good church and school system is important to me when it comes to the upbringing of my children). As far as exposure I don't think Leesburg is giving us as much exposure as DC families, anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:McKinney is an intellectual wasteland.

Curious why you say that? It made the list for top places for families but I would like to hear from someone who has lived there or been exposed to the area. What do you think of Plano?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just left and moved back to my mid-sized Southern hometown. For all the same reasons you mentioned. It has taken more adjusting than I realized because I had gotten used to everyone being engaged in the news, in culture, etc. It's not like you can't find that in other places, those people just aren't on every street corner.

Bottom line and I have mentioned this on another thread is that there are trade offs. My house is bigger now and schools are good and the pace is more reasonable but I miss a lot about DC that I didn't expect to.

May I ask where you live and why you left? Would you move back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is more to life than living in a big house. Your children will have opportunities if you stay here that would be unimaginable in Buttfuk Tx.
If anything you should move closer to DC to reduce your husband's commute.

OP here: I would like that but we have looked and have been unable to find anything. I'm always open to suggestions, however.

Keep in mind that OP is in Leesburg, which borders on Buttfuk, VA. Would Buttfuk, TX be significantly different?

I don't know anything about the first TX place she mentioned, but I'm vaguely aware that Plano, which she also mentioned, is a suburb of Dallas. I don't know how close-in it is or much else about it, but I can't imagine a big difference in cosmopolitanism between a Dallas suburb and metropolitan DC's most distant bedroom community that edges into the rural part of another southern state.

[Anonymous]

For me, suburb of Dallas = vestibule of hell. YMMV.

[Anonymous]

OP - if you move to Texas, you're likely to encounter a lot of Texans. Just sayin'.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is more to life than living in a big house. Your children will have opportunities if you stay here that would be unimaginable in Buttfuk Tx.
If anything you should move closer to DC to reduce your husband's commute.

OP here: I agree. A house is a house. I'm considering it all, however: house, commute, lower cost of living and still being in a system with good schools and churches (I'm Catholic so a good church and school system is important to me when it comes to the upbringing of my children). As far as exposure I don't think Leesburg is giving us as much exposure as DC families, anyway.

I understand that the catholic church has quite an extensive network of churches across the country.

[Anonymous]

Our friends moved to Mt Pleasant (a suburb of Charleston) and loooove it. They are blissfully happy and were barely making it here. They are both govt contractors btw.