I'm in the Detroit area as well, and about 10 years ago I almost ended up in the SF bay area. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't. I work for one of the big 3 and

I'm in the Detroit area as well, and about 10 years ago I almost ended up in the SF bay area. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't. I work for one of the big 3 and while I don't make nearly what I would if I was out on the west coast, I'm comfortable financially, have a place that fits me well and -- as you know -- there's a ton of non-work-y things to do. Particularly if you like the outdoors... I'd give a move like that serious thought, especially if you can land something decent in the area. The salary delta will more than be eaten by what you'll pay for rent. The hardest part in our area is finding comparable social stuff, but it's really not that hard... There's tons of like-minded people around.