Rootlet Relocation Blog

Forty million Americans relocate each year. Publishers offer scores of titles on where, why, and how to move to a city that will make you happier. "Best Towns List" articles are a perennial favorite of magazine readers.

Where are People Moving, and Why?

Trends are moving toward smaller, cheaper, non-coastal towns, and with good reasons.

• High-speed Internet has made it much easier to remain connected with culture.
• Home prices have outstripped growth in income.
• Noncoastal towns offer a lower median home price, a chance to escape from Affluenza.
• It's less expensive and more feasible to start a business.
• Baby boomers are nearing retirement age.

Why do I care?

I plan to relocate from Seattle, Washington in the near future. Seattle has been great for me professionally and personally, and I’m looking forward to a new chapter. One with sun.

The Relocation Journey Begins With...

Research. I've jammed my mailbox with several book titles, and scoured many Web sites on the topic of relocation. I parked myself in local wifi-enabled coffeehouses with thirty pounds of books and a laptop. My relocation to Seattle from California some years ago was my first "researched" move. My desire to choose a better city was directly related to the prior, ill-considered move to Palm Springs.

Why "Rootlet"?

In Greener Pastures -- How to Find a Job in Another Place, Andrea Kay likens relocation to...

'root shock', the initial wilting a plant goes through when you remove it from soil and transplant it somewhere else. You have all the main parts -- tap root, stem, leaves -- but the little hair roots get left behind, and the plant shows signs of wilting until it can regrow those rootlets. Family, friends, professional associations, neighborhood ... are your rootlets. They have to be reestablished. If you go into the move joyously and well prepared, the wilting only lasts a short time.

It is my hope that relocators, and those content with their current cities, can share tips, stories, and other data here at Rootlet. Perhaps I will meet people who live in my prospective destinations. It's time to send out some shoots.