So, I've been working as a travel nurse for years and I think I'm finally at a point where I need to get serious and stay somewhere for a while.

However - the question of WHERE is what is looming.

I want to eventually buy a house. By house, I mean - several stories, big yard, etc... (not something im doing to find easily in southern california - and certainly not for less than a half a mil.)

I want somewhere that is close to water - big rivers, oceans, great lakes... - something.

I want something with charectar and culture. A lot of fun things to do for people in their mid-20s to early 30s.

Colleges are a big thing as well, - i want to go back to school.

Large medical center(s) is key - so i can get work.

Also, a reasonable cost of living. Bearing in mind I only make about 70-80/year and will be needing to go back to school.

I'm curious what everyone else thinks, where you have gone and loved, where do you live and why do you like it... etc...

So far I'm eyeballing... Pittsburgh, Seattle, Boston, Chicago....

Pittsburgh, Seattle, Boston and Chicago? I didn't see god-awful weather as one of your requirements. If you live in San Diego now, all of these places are going to be a real shock to your system. Ever spend a winter full of snow and below freezing temps? It sucks. And that great big house you want isn't cheap in any of them.

Give some thought to a place like San Antonio or Austin. Chuck full of culture and fun stuff to do, colleges, good weather and you can still afford a house. And no state income tax which doesn't hurt either.

Either stay in San Diego or maybe check out Houston. (I agree with PP, how much do you want cold & snow filled winters? Some people think those suck...myself included.)

i grew up in pittsburgh and lived in maine for a while so i've got winters down pat. haha - i actually MISS the seasons and as much as mid-winter you hate shoveling out your car... i dont like how little holidays feel like holidays without the seasons change.

I really liked Colorado, some good schools there, lovely mountains but no real water. Colorado Springs is really nice but Boulder or Denver would probably be where you'd want to focus if you looked that way.

I grew up in San Diego and love it but really the lack of trees and high cost of living really get me.

I really like Maryland a lot and there is plenty of water here and some nice schools. It is a great place to live with DC and the general area. The area is really beautiful and has some great hiking and outdoor activities. It isn't cheap though but it is cheaper than San Diego. There are also various price ranges around here and I happen to live in one of the more expensive general areas. I think there are areas around here where 70-80k/year would get you the house you want.

I've visited Ft Worth and I didn't think much of it or the area but people who lived there seemed to like it. You could definitely get a house there.

I've visited Chicago and its ok but I've never seen so much snow. They do have the lake. I wasn't too impressed by the city itself but if you live in the suburbs, I think there might be some areas that would be quasi affordable.

I've visited Minneapolis and thought it was a nice city although I don't think I'd personally live there.

I've visited the south/east coast of FL (West Palm Beach, Miami, the Keys) and you couldn't pay me enough to live there. The keys are nice but more as a place to visit. I know some people love Florida though and they can have it

I've heard great things about Raleigh/Durham, NC and Asheville, NC but I've never been there myself. Raleigh, NC might have water (is it on the coast?) but Asheville, NC has the mountains.

You really DO live in Southern California!

I don't know what kind of nursing you do, but in Denver, where the cost of living is high, but not quite like So Cal, a nurse will make closer to 40.

If you are set on buying a home, you should look into where you will be able to do that on a nurse's salary. Nelie is right about Denver- great colleges/med centers, great scenery and it's a very young city (and recently voted "most lustful" ). There are rivers and creeks and rafting and kayaking are HUGE here. The rivers aren't quite as big as other places, but they are mostly CLEAN and beautiful

Look at up can coming cities where young people migrate to: Nashville, Charlottesville, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, etc...

I'm a student in Boston myself, and can't recommend it highly enough. The city is gorgeous, and interesting, and the outlying areas (Lexington, Arlington, Somerville, etc) are highly accessible, MUCH cheaper, and have great school systems... great places to raise kids, if that is a concern for you. My cousins live in Arlington with their new baby, just bought a beautiful house on a main road, couldn't be happier. It's also easy to find rental apartments for the short term. All the perks of a big city, but friendly and really FEELS small, with good public transportation. Plus, Boston has some of the best hospitals it the country, and while the winters can be brutal, the snow is fun, it's usually at least sunny, and the summers are gorgeous and warm. Only 4 hours from new york, 2 hours from VT, 45 minutes from providence, quick jump up to Canada. I've lived here for three years myself and have cousins and aunts and uncles who have lived here for decades, and would never go anywhere else. If you're coming down and want a tour guide, let me know, I'd be happy to show you around!

Plus water - the Charles river and the coast, a T ride to the beach (not a gorgeous beach, but...) and close to cape cod or CT for rafting, kayaking, etc.

Have you thought of North Carolina?

When I told my family and friends in Monterey I was moving to NC they laughed and asked me if I was ready to give up indoor plumbing... But the truth is, western NC is FANTASTIC! I used to manage a nursing registry in Carmel Valley so I know a little about traveling nurses too...

I can tell you that Winston-Salem has Forsyth Medical and Wake Forest Medical Centers (and Wake Forest University). In Greensboro there is Moses Cone and Chapel Hill has Duke. A better university system I don't think you'll find... And, there is Charlotte too.

As I said, we moved here from Monterey CA and found a huge house (for nothing compared to Monterey) on 2 acres and we both have great jobs making twice the amount of money we made in CA.

With the CA house equity we were able to fund college accounts for both our sons, buy our home for cash, sink a pool into the yard (because I melt in temps over 72) and we set up retirement accounts too.

I don't have to work if I don't want to, but the med/dental insurance is great and making what I'm making and saving through 401k, I'm happy to do it!

The beaches are only 3-4 hours away, there is great skiing nearby too; and there is plenty to do, (cultural activities, festivals and museums) no matter what your age. I can't lie and say I don't miss my parents, friends, the CA food, the rocky Pacific Coast, Disneyland and living on the water; but all in all, it's worked out. And, there is nothing that says this has to be my last stop.

We vacation in Monterey with my parents so I have the best of both worlds...

Oh, and for a Monterey-girl, the weather isn't that bad here. We had more snow in Carmel Valley than we ever do here - the only nasty thing is the occasional ice storm and humidity and the mosquitoes, which you know we don't have in Monterey! Good luck! We found this place throwing darts at a map and cannot be happier!

Remember, Life's an adventure... Travel light!

I'm going to be moving to Charlotte, NC here soon. It's great there, the median housing costs are a lot lower, around 200,000 or so. Also, there are great schools (especially UNCC) You still get weather; fall, spring, summer, winter etc....only a few hours from the beach and a few hours from the mountains. Also there is a ton of stuff surrounding. I guess I'm partial

I'm going to be another one to vote for somewhere in Texas! Houston would be good, as there's a huge medical center there, as well as a large selection of colleges and a low cost of living. Austin would be my prime pick for culture and being a young person, you'll have UT nearby and the cost of living there isn't too high either, but the medical center there is smaller.

Unless you're wanting a huge city, you could try Fort Worth or Wichita Falls, Texas. Fort Worth is fabulous...it's a big city without the big city feel. Houses there will be expensive, though, because the area is growing so fast.

Wichita Falls (north Texas) is smaller, about 100,000 people, but it's got colleges, things to do AND three or four hospitals you could work at. Houses are more affordable as well.

Compared to places like Houston, Austin and Dallas, these other two Texas cities would be your best bet if you want somewhere fairly warm...

Ok, being from Texas originally I have to say I HATE Houston. It's my least favorite city in TX. (Sorry all Houston lovers - no offense meant - my brother still live there and loves it ... but it's not for me.) It's humid and flat and has cockroaches the size of small cats. (Only partially joking about that last.)

Portland, OR is not quite as big as Seattle - a lot like San Francisco w/out the earthquakes.

Austin, TX is where I went to school and it's gorgeous Hill Country. There's a big lake nearby. I'd move back there if I had to live in Texas again.

Charlotte, NC is a fantastic city - clean and not too big, but not too small, lots of art and culture. My biggest problem with Charlotte is that most of NC is fairly religious (it's the home of Billy Graham) and so a lot of local laws are religious based (blue laws about what you can sell on Sundays, a lot of places not open on Sundays, etc.). North Carolina is also a big tobacco producing state, so the smoking laws are MUCH less stringent that what you're used to in CA. It will be a huge culture shock.

Albuquerque, NM - another gorgeous city, if you can see the beauty in the desert. Not so much close to water, but the mountains are gorgeous and you're a short drive from Santa Fe and Taos and so many beautiful places. It's a growing economy and great cost of living. And very laid back and charming. I love, love, love NM.

St Louis, MO is a wonderful town - right on a the river. A little hot and humid in the summer, but great culture, great museums, a good hospital system, and a really good cost of living.

Cincinnati, OH is another just like St. Louis w/out as much humidity. I'd move to Cinci in another heartbeat. (But Portland first, since I'm really a west coast girl at heart).

Ok, having said I hate Houston for humidity, flat, and roaches - if I could move anywhere for at lesat a few years I would move to New Orleans. Yeah it has problems. Yeah it's humid and miserable in the summer. And yeah, their roaches could win in a throwdown with Houston roaches ... BUT. New Orleans is a city amazingly rich in culture and history (which fits your requiements) and right now they NEED medical personnel and they need people to move *to* the city and help with the rebuilding and growth. There are also several well known colleges and universities in the city. Even if you moved there for a fixed length of time - say 5 years - I think your life would never be the same after. It's the city of my heart and I have thought many times about moving back except that I already have an established business where I am.

Those are my suggestions ...

What a coincidence! I grew up in Pgh, and now live in Maine!! I definitely recommend Maine! The hospitals are definitely catching up (Maine Med is the leader up here) and you almost have to have land anywhere you buy a house unless it's actually in the city.

Oh I forgot about Albuquerque, NM. I do like it there and think it is a pretty good city and also fairly inexpensive. Although, it is lacking in the water requirement.

I would like to visit Seattle as I've heard great things about it but we lived there for a couple years when I was young. My parents hated it though because of the lack of sun.

june - I knew a nurse in Denver who started out of school, no experience. She was making 60k. Other than that, she was the only nurse I've known