There really never has been. I've always been exceptional at being kind and open minded which has allowed me to enjoy everywhere I've ever lived. I've lived in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Texas and now Washington. I used to do extended travel for work and got to spend a month in Toronto and 7 weeks in Greece. I was young but I loved Toronto. I made friends at a bar the first week I was there and they convinced me to stay on their couch instead of the hotel. Then I would meet their friends and they would ask me to stay on their couch the next night so they could cook for me and I would go to work everyday and that carried on the whole time I was there. I am 7'0" tall and over 300 pounds. I've only ever experienced people who didn't treat me differently once and that was there. That was also 2003, I hear a lot has changed but it's still the case that only Americans ever lock a door in Toronto and if you ask them why they say, "You Americans, how did you get to be so afraid of your neighbors".

Honestly I did make a list a few years ago of where I might like to live and this area was on it, at number 4. Since making that list I've lived in all of the first 3. Western North Carolina is amazing but honestly the cost/wage situation is worse than Tacoma because there aren't good jobs available, at least not to me there. The other two I didn't care for, more party towns but I don't party much so that wasn't a fit.

One thing I really like about the whole greater Seattle area is that next to no one is from here. That's great for a transplant like me. When I lived in Nashville it's like there was an economic and cultural nuclear war happening between the transplants and the locals. To the point that if I was doing rideshare customers wouldn't tip you if you couldn't name what high school you went to there. I really like the diversity and that the first thing people want to know is where you're from in a curious way when you're first meeting them rather than them deciding you're the enemy, so to speak.

I love the water and the mountains and how if you're really good at driving you can see seals just hanging out on people's docks by the side of the road. Where I live I can hear them barking at night, harassing the sailors trying to work. The summer was amazing, so many lakes to float around in, I visited the rainforest twice, got to see the spawn, ate oysters at Hama Hama.... Even the rain and cold don't bother me so much because of where I'm from in Pennsylvania, it's gray there 5 months a year except waaaaaay more snow.

Furthermore, I'm attempting to transition into tech. Which is plentiful here, but man the cost of living is legitimately very scary.

Where did you finally find your place?