That pretty much says it all.
My wife got a new job in the Seattle area. And while Seattle isn’t far away, it’s still a move.
I remember when this would have been a bigger stress. If she wanted to move, it would mean I had to find a new job or at best, transfer to the new location. It could mean less money (or no money). It could mean waiting in our old location until the right position came along. Wondering whether I should tell my boss until I’m ready to move. Or putting additional stress on a new job knowing that your spouse sacrificed to get you to it.
Instead, I told my boss casually. Because the biggest pain in all of this will be packing the boxes and transferring my internet to a new location. I’ll continue working as I have.
That’s not to brag either but that’s the reality. There is no way to do the wine business my wife is in remotely. We’ve done Walla Walla, WA, Portland, OR and now Seattle, WA. Next it could be Prosser, WA, Napa, CA or Elmira, NY. For the spouses of those people, that means one of two things: you have a job that travels or you limit your spouse’s mobility. We’ve been able to avoid the latter so far.
Enjoying the work I’ve been doing has been great but being able to do it without regard for where I’m at has made it game changer. If I was in a traditional HR or recruiting role in Portland and my wife got the job offer, there would be more handwringing over the decision.
Now? I worry about maintaining connections with friends and family here and making connections in our new city. That’s a lot easier to do when the rest of your stuff is in order.
May 25, 2011 at 11:52 am
Welcoming you with open arms to the Seattle (& surrounding areas) recruiting community
May 25, 2011 at 4:54 pm
I made the move from Portland to Seattle a number of years ago—you can adjust to Seattle. But as “the Lance,” you already have friends in the recruiting community. Other than traffic, I believe you will find most things about the move exciting. Welcome to Seattle.
May 26, 2011 at 12:22 pm
Welcome to the hotbed of Cougar Nation Lance – where you’ll be sick of Husky talk in less time than it takes you to move in.
But seriously – from one HR/Recruiter Coug to another, welcome!
May 27, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Portland will miss you! Good luck with your new life in Seattle!
May 31, 2011 at 6:42 am
I work remotely as well and have moved several times for my spouse’s job, so I understand how wonderful it is to have that flexibility, but also how hard it is to start over in a new town. Technology really makes it so much easier to maintain those connections with friends, co-workers and family. Best of luck!
July 10, 2011 at 10:36 am
Good luck with your move to Seattle. There are some nice places to see, although it is hard to beat the Oregon Coast.