So I'm thinking of moving to Portland...good idea or bad idea?

[SheilaT]

1. I have a son who lives in Portland, and he loves it there.

He's a college graduate. He earns his living delivering pizza, a job he absolutely loves and allows him to support himself. I can't begin to comment on other jobs.

The city is very diverse in very many ways. It has a reputation for being expensive, but I can tell you I live in Santa Fe, NM, which I'm constantly told is totally unaffordable. Not true. Every city has more and less expensive areas. One way my son deals with the cost of housing is to have a roomate.

As for resident/non-resident tuition: I've moved a lot as an adult, and if you're over 21, and especially if you've bought a home in that area (although trust me, this is not a requirement) you'll get credit for being a resident within a couple of months. Here's what you do: Move, rent (or buy if that's possible), register to vote, get your car registration changed. And then go register for school. If they give you grief about how long you've lived there, just stare them down. I've been through this more than once, and while I suppose the specific school or state does make a difference, once you're an adult, they stop playing games with you.

Portland is a great city to by young in. My son is 29, your age. Several years ago, when I was getting divorced and had decided I needed to leave Overland Park, Kansas, where I'd lived for 18 years, I looked at various places, including Portland. I ultimately decided against it, and moved instead to Santa Fe, NM. Great choice for me. This is, in my opinion and experience, a wonderful city for an older woman starting over. I would not want to be young here. Portland is a wonderful place for young people.

My son also plays Ultimate frisbee, and there's a strong comedy scene there -- he's been known to do a bit of stand-up on occasion.

Here's my advice, as someone at least old enough to be your mother: take the chance. You are miserable where you are. If you stay there, you will spend years and years thinking you should have made a change. If you move and it doesn't work out, you swear a bit, kick the furniture, and move again. I want to encourage you to take a chance. Take a chance on yourself. Take a chance on your future.

Best of luck to you.

SheilaT