Looking for advice from the wiser older sages. I'll keep this as short as possible.

I'm thinking about moving from San Francisco, where I've resided for the past 10.5 years, to Draper, Utah, at the South end of the Salt Lake City valley. WTF right?

Well, Kelly, whom I've resided with for 6.5 years, will be graduating from Cal. Berkeley with an OD (doctor of optometry) this coming Saturday. She's decided to do a residency in Boston, MA, which will last precisely 1 year starting July 1st. She's from the area, and has many family and friends there, and has always wanted to move back... it's been a point of contention that we've happily buried in our relationship until it had to be dealt with. Well... it's stuck it's zombie hand out of the grave and is chasing us down the street.

I, on the other hand, have been happy as a pig in feces since the day I moved here... and I fall more in love with SF every day. That, and I dislike the East Coast, it just doesn't offer me anything that I enjoy doing. I'll spare you all the details but trust me. We've pretty much come to the conclusion amicably that we'll be apart for a year with all intentions of coming back together on the other side. We were apart for 5 months last year during her externships, no problem. I've always planned on being with her forever. Though, that's not really what this post is about.

As it stands, I'll be left holding the bag on a $1355/month rent, which I can't rightly afford without a room mate, and I'm way to old for a stranger room mate in a place this small. To help ease the situation, a couple I've been friends with for 5 or so years that run the US side of a large kite/paraglider company I've been involved with for years have offered me a job. They currently reside in Draper at the Point of the Mountain, which is paragliding mecca in the US. The launch is literally 100 ft. from their back door... you can see the draw for someone as into flying as I am (and I AM). They have sold their house to a friend who wants to rent out the entire basement for $800, which is large, and I'd fill that spot nicely. They are moving about 80 miles South and building a warehouse for the company. The job they've offered is non-descript, but in a good way. Basically their business has grown beyond what the two of them can handle and they need help... with pretty much anything and everything. I can pretty much pick and choose what I want to do, from traveling and doing kite demos all the way to optimizing warehouse shipping and orders.

I've grown a little weary of being an animator for the rest of my life and just don't see or feel the future there beyond what I currently do, which is freelance work for a small game co... all be it an awesome one that give me insane freedom with my schedule and allows me to work from home. The beauty is that I can still do that work from SLC, and have two incomes. This new situation has a future, and that's what I'm drawn to more than anything, the opportunity. I haven't even discussed money because it's seemingly irrelevant to me at this point as long as I can keep animating to pay bills... at least there's a quasi-exciting future in it.

The fears: I won't be able to move back to SF if I end up hating SLC, my rent would effectively double the second I let go of my rental agreement. Or... I might love it there and set down roots, but Kelly won't consider it. Or... I do nothing, stay here (which I'd be absolutely happy with in the short term), figure a way to make rent, and life rolls on. At least Kelly has grown to like it here enough to consider staying in the future, but this year will determine her path as yet undecided.

So there it all is, if you've made it this far. I know a few of you have made big life changes and can probably offer sage advice and hopefully mention some things I've not thought of, no matter how menial. Thoughts?

PS - please don't mention Mormons, I haven't even moved there yet and I'm sick of it coming up.