Where to Go?

With Kameron graduating in December, thinking about moving occupies a lot of my time. Even when I am not thinking about moving, usually someone else brings it up--often it's someone I've never talked to before ("so, I heard you're leaving us!" Where do people find these things out?). I'm excited to start a new chapter of my life and all, but the magic of moving hasn't really hit yet. Probably because we don't have anywhere to move to--we just know we won't be living here (sorry St. Louisans). Kameron and I have spend endless hours on Sperlings Best Places website looking up town after town we are interested in moving to. After all our research, we are most intersted in moving to Denver, CO or to Spokane, WA. But after all this research I wonder how much we'll get to pick where we go--Kameron needs to get a job and it is still a little early to be seriously looking. Do we pick the city we want and take whatever job is available or do we find Kameron's dream job and move wherever that takes us? Who knows? Here is the criteria we have for where we want to move:

• We want to live in a place with mountains (the midwest is getting to us)
• We want to live within a days drive of our families in Utah
• We want to live within an hour drive of an LDS temple
• Low cost of living
• Low crime
• Not too rural and not too city-like

Here is the criteria I would like to consider but know I can't be that choosy:

• A place with the following stores: Trader Joes and H&M
• A place with the following restraunts: Crazy Bowls and Wraps, Cafe Rio (we miss you!), Sweet Tomatoes, Great Harvest Bread Co.

I know it's not smart to base where to live off of stores, but I can't help but look at all their websites to see where they are located... But anyway, the search for our next destination is on, and yes, I'm a little stressed and anxious but I know that everything will work out fine.