Leaving Portland

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.