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I've gotten a couple comments recently and wanted to respond, but I doubt my reply would ever be seen if I buried it in the comments. So here y'all go:

The area looks lovely/ What anout that humidity tho?? Ugh... I had contacted you about moving from CA to NC before. Well hubby got job in Charlotte, possibly Cary now for the move. My question is do you regret the move since you have been going through a summer out there? After your recent trip to LA would you rather go back home?? Just wondering if we're doing the right thing???

First of all, Charlotte is nowhere near Cary, but maybe your husband will be working from home? Secondly, I do not regret moving--and I honestly feel that this is my home now. However, I will not sugar-coat it: the humidity is downright awful. You do not want to stay outside for any length of time. The temp does cool off at night, but the humidity creeps up, so it's still not comfortable. You will need to run your A/C 24/7 from the end of June till the end of August. (Although I will say that today we are enjoying a spectacular reprieve from typical summer weather--it's noon and only 70 degrees outside! Granted, it is raining, but last week it was raining and 90, so I'm not complaining!) I doubt I will ever get used to the humidity. But one mitigating factor is it rarely goes above 100 degrees here, even with the heat index. After experiencing 113 in So Cal recently, I was happy to return to low 90's, even if it was wetter.

I have lived in the SW for almost all of my life and can't stand the lack of rain, the lack of "the early American outlook and history", the abundance of cactus, the ugly yards, the 122 degree summers (yes, I know it's dry heat but at 122 it really doesn't matter-it's too hot to breathe!) I'm considering picking up, leaving my friends of 30 yrs., my 23 yr. old son, and piling all my belongings into a "pod", selling a house that has tripled in price since I bought it and "mushing " on down to Raleigh/Cary/Garner NC---------a place I have never been to and in which I do not know a single soul! But my heart is so "Eastern" with the rich history and gorgeous decks and backyards for my dogs, with the plethora of cultural activities and, so far, the friendliness of the Southerners I have met so far, I can't stay away from dreaming that I can one day actually live there. Am I nuts?????? Most of my friends think I am but I have a few that say "follow your dream" and your friends will all come to see you when it's 122 degrees again! Any advice for an intrinsic Easterner that has somehow been dropped all her life in the SW?

It sounds to me like you already know what you want. And I say, go for it! What you describe is basically what I did--packed up in a POD, left all my friends behind, and moved someplace I had only seen once, for a day. I can't guarantee you will have no regrets, because I was fortunate enough to have my family move with me, but you are definitely not nuts to want to leave the southwest for a greener, friendlier area. I will caution you that some of the yards around here are not as beautiful as you may imagine. Yes, they have lawns, but rarely do they have sprinkler systems, so when there is a drought (which are frequently accompanied by water restrictions) the lawns suffer. But so much of NC is still in its natural state (densely wooded), so in my opinion that makes up for it. The landscape is bleak in the winter when most of that forest is bare, but it is glorious in spring, summer, and fall.

You mention Raleigh, Cary, and Garner. They are very different. I will spare you the dissertation-length comparison and boil it down to a nutshell: Cary is snobby (think Stepford), Garner is redneck, and Raleigh is, well, there are city parts and country parts and suburb parts, so you have to be careful where you pick, if you're picky. (Of course, all of that is a major generalization and some might think it's an unfair description, but it's my impression.) I'm in Apex, and I feel like Goldilocks, because it's just right for me.

I would suggest that you fly out for a few days and see if you like it. If you're like me, you will be very pleased with what you find, and you will be motivated to make the move happen. It can be scary, no doubt, but I am glad I took the risk because I am very happy here.