[kyleb]

I've said in this very forum that we very likely cannot know what will make us truly happy in the end, but I struggle with identifying what is the most prudent move for me in the near future. About two years ago I moved out to Seattle to be with my girlfriend who I recently broke up with. There's no chance we'll get back together, so that's not anchoring me here anymore. However, being a semi-social kind of guy, I managed to build a new life here with significant ties to the area:

-Own a small business with one partner
-Rediscovered my love for baseball and play in several leagues here
-Met a bunch of great new friends (many from 2+2)

There are also obvious advantages by living in Seattle over Cleveland - the weather, the people, the opportunities, and so forth. However, I feel that I'm reaching an inflection point in my life, one that revolves around planning for the future a little bit better than I normally would. In Seattle it's impossible to get a house for under $350,000, while in Cleveland the same house goes for $90,000 or less (and there's a lot more choice in the market).

Here's a list of the problems that I'm facing:

-A recent trip back to Cleveland made me realize that the friendships I had with the people there (and still maintain) are much more evolved than the ones here.
-I know a good business partner that would be happy to work with me in Cleveland, and have several trustworthy employees lined up (which I don't have here in Seattle) if I wanted to relocate.
-Housing prices are just insane in Seattle. Combine this with my terrible credit and desire to own property, and Cleveland comes out on top.
-Though I love the weather here, I could just travel during the Cleveland winter months with the money I'd save on cost of living.
-Baseball's now a huge part of my life, and being able to play year-round is great. There's also a big lack of active people in Cleveland, and not surprisingly, amateur baseball teams.

I felt that the people in Cleveland were holding me back when I lived there, since most of my friends were unmotivated and I let that influence me in a big way. However after being with them for two weeks, it's clear that most of them have matured but keep those close friendship bonds that I lack here.

My lease expires in October, and while I'm definitely going to live in Seattle through the winter, this decision weighs heavy on my mind with regard to what decision I will make come March 2008.

Has anyone else experienced a similar inflection point in their life and can offer their advice or suggestions? I feel like I need to identify what is important to me and make a good analytical judgment, but this is definitely one of the tougher decisions I face.