Thursday, May 21, 2009

{where would you live if...}





(images via google image search)
The gypsy in me is very active tonight. At the back of my mind lately has been the question where would I want to live. When Jay is finished with school, we're thinking of moving somewhere. It could be just to another house in Edmonton. But it could be somewhere totally different. Jay has dual citizenship as he was born in Utah, which means we could even move to the States.
I know - he hasn't even started school yet. :) Which means we won't move atleast for another three years. But those who know me know that I've always been a restless soul and I'm always up for change (we've moved 13 times since we've been married, some of the moves have been huge ones).
I am somewhat slowing down as I'd like to put roots down somewhere. Edmonton feels like home to me. But after this year's winter and spring I'm having second thoughts about staying here. A bit milder climate would be nice. I've been somewhat spoiled in Edmonton though. It doesn't rain much here. I don't know if I could handle lots of rain again.
Oregon has always been at the back of our minds as a possibility. But the rain...
I love Vancouver but it is so expensive there plus the rain thing again...
Calgary would only be an hour away from the Rocky Mountains but is Calgary too windy...
See what my mind has been up to lately? :)
Today I'm seriously thinking about Kelowna, British Columbia. BC is the next province west from us. Right on the west coast of Canada. Kelowna is about 400km inland from Vancouver, and pretty much at about the same level as Vancouver (which means much more south than us!). I've been to Kelowna. It's very pretty there. There are lakes and the Okanagan Lake is huge, over 100km long. It would almost feel like living by the ocean. But I don't think it rains lots in Kelowna. Winters are shorter and milder. Summers are hot. Check it out:
The climate in Kelowna is relatively mild throughout the year, although winters can be cold with snow falling between November and February. (Heavy snowfall in the nearby mountains makes for great wintertime skiing.) Average low temperatures in the winter are around -5°C to -10°C (in the upper teens to low 20s Fahrenheit), and average high temperatures in the winter hover near zero. (In Fahrenheit, they range in the low to upper 30s). Summers are quite hot; daytime highs are usually in the high 20's ( low 80s in Fahrenheit), with many days in the 30's (mid 90s), and some days almost reach 40°C (105°F). Average summer overnight lows are from 7°C to 12°C (mid 40s to low 50s).
Awesome skiing opportunities in the winter as it's right beside mountains. Awesome biking trails. Peach, apple & cherry orchards. Produce farms. Fresh stuff to eat! Wineries (doesn't interest me as I don't drink alcohol but it tells you something about the climate). Awesome beaches. Boating. Doesn't it sound perfect?
But there must be some minuses about living in Kelowna. One I can think of is that there are only 107,000 people there. Would there be enough amenities to make it feel like you're in a big city? I like what big cities offer. Then again, do you need all that city stuff when the weather is nice and you can be outdoors lots?
Would there be enough clients for Jay if he had his practice there?
It would also suck to be away from Jay's family again.
I can't get this out of my head.
What place will I think of next?
How will we ever decide?
Three more years of this to go... :)
I'm going to go nuts. :)
***
Yey, So You Think You Can Dance starts again tonight. That'll take my mind off this topic for atleast couple of hours. :)
***

4 comments:

  1. how about terwillegar towne! i think you'd like it!

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  2. Kelowna kuulostaa hyvältä. Vaikka ilmasto on leuto niin silti vuodenajat olisi havaittavissa. En kyllä tykkäisi ikitalvesta tai kesästäkään.

    Väkiluku tietysti on vähän nihkeä, mutta olisiko siinä mitään isoa kaupunkia lähellä, jonne voisi hurauttaa, kun lande ahdistaa?

    Ja isovanhemmat kaukana on tietysti tylsä juttu...

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  3. Heh, ma olen kanssa aina muuttamassa jonnekin. Oregon on ihana! Luulen, etta viihtyisin hyvin etela-Oregonissa. Iso plussa myos kohtuullisesta hintatasosta ja no sales tax!

    Tosta sateesta, en todellakaan pida niista paivista kun sataa aamusta iltaan, mutta kaikkeen tottuu ja ne ihanat aurinkoiset paivat ja kaunis luonto kompensoi.

    Kelowna kuulostaa ihanalle!

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  4. brandy: :D I really liked an area east of 111 Street and where Red Brick Pizza is. Way down in Ellerslie. Summer something. I forgot the name. Really nice neighborhood.

    nanna: Ilmaston puolesta Kelowna kuulostaa tosi kivalta. Ja noi muutkin plussat. Olen halunnut aina asua jossain jossa on nelja vuodenaikaan mutta etta talvi ei ole liian paha. Eli tuo olisi juuri nappiin sen puolesta. Kelowna on myos turistipaikka joten siella on aina enemman porukkaa kuin mita siella asuu. Senkin puolesta siella on kylla enemman kaikkea kuin muuten saman kokoisessa kaupungissa. Vancouver on lahin isompi kaupunki, noin kolmen tunnin ajomatkan paassa. Olisi ihana olla lahempana V:akin. Penticton on tosi lahella Kelownaa myos joka on toinen lomakaupunki. Tosi ihanaa seutua ja sielta voisi hankkia mokinkin sitten jonkun jarven rannalta. En saa Kelownaa mielestani en sitten millaan. Viime yona nain unta etta oltiin ostamassa taloa. Ihana iso loytyikin. Joku oli viela jattanyt sinne huonekaluja, kirjoja ja vaikka mita kivaa. :)

    saara: Meilla on aina ollut Oregon mielessa. Minulla teinarista lahtien jopa ennenkuin tiesin Oregonista mitaan. Sitten kun tapasin Jayn niin hankin sanoi etta Oregon on aina ollut sen mielessa myos. Joku meita aina sinne vetaa. Eli en viela sulje Oregonia pois mahiksista. Kanadassa olisi tavallaan kiva pysya mutta saapa nahda. Niin, kai siihen sateeseenkin taas tottuisi. Pitaa lomailla nyt kaikissa naissa paikoissa ennenkuin koulu loppuu niin voi tehda paremman paatoksen sitten.

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Thank you for taking the time to comment! :)