Moving... on Up?

"I'm alright, I'm alright.... It only hurts when I breathe."

The idea of moving back to California isn't a new one for us. In fact, it's been mentioned many many times, especially in the last 5 years. Talk of Colorado or Nebraska or even Wyoming came and went. Not because they're bad places or particularly undesirable but because we just can't deal with the cold. The cost of heating seems a fair exchange for the higher cost of living in SoCal. I mean, really. $1500 every winter just so we can be warm or even survive a harsh below-zero few months? Not worth it.

I understand the concerns of friends who don't want us to move. Really, I do. But the fact that winter is so damn expensive and the season changes trigger my asthma in ways I never imagined possible makes a move necessary. There are so many reasons for us to go and only around three for us to stay. And I feel bad. I do. Sometimes I feel like changing my mind and just staying where we are. Don't take that leap of faith. Don't move on. But really.... when is the inhaler not going to be enough? When am I going to find myself hospitalized because I can't breathe? Is that worth risking to stay?

It's not just that. I have a family too. And one week every three years isn't enough. I need to be home.