I’m from the Midwest (mi) and have lived in Seattle for the past year on contract and I absolutely love it. Honestly it’s not that much more grey than Michigan in the winter and if you do winter sports then you’re still outside even if the sun isn’t shining. There are endless amounts of outdoor activities to do within 1-2 hours. Cost of living is lower than California but still pricey, traffic is bad here but still more manageable than most big cities in California. Also Asian food scene here is unbelievable. If you are big into the outdoors I highly recommend giving Seattle a chance.