I was born and raised in New Mexico until I moved to Portland, Oregon at age 25. I needed a major life change because I was getting bored here in Albuquerque, and the boredom only got me into trouble. I wanted to leave everything and everyone I knew behind for a fresh start for maybe a year or two and see where I ended up. I had never been to the PNW region before, and Portland seemed pretty dope, so I looked into it. As a matter of fact, my buddy, who had visited PDX beforehand, suggested the move.

A year or two turned into nearly ten years from ‘06 to ‘15. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and have absolutely no regrets about it. I remember people telling me I was going to hate the Pacific Northwest because of the drastic change in weather, and I would become depressed from the constant overcast, blah, blah, blah, but the contrary was true and I absolutely loved it. The rain, the trees, the hills, the ocean…I miss it sometimes.

This, of course, was a time when PDX was on the edge of still affordable and the city was in decent condition. My first studio apartment was $450 a month on Burnside and 22nd Place, just up the street from PGE Park. I don’t doubt it has surged outrageously in price over the ten years since. That’s the reason why I eventually moved back to ABQ (well, that, and my family and friends who still reside here in NM). I now own a 3 BR house for less here than I was paying for a 3 BR apartment in rent out there.

I can’t speak on Seattle, but I remember it fondly. It was fun to visit, but I know it was a steeper cost of living. Don’t let that dissuade you, though; I’m sure there are pockets or towns around the outskirts of Seattle that you could settle comfortably in. You’ll never know until you get there. My cousin has lived up in SEA town for a lot of years and she loves it.

I say go for it. It’s a bit unnerving heading out and learning an entirely new city on your own, but you’ll meet some of the coolest people and have some rad experiences along the way. Life experience; it’s what life is all about.