Danny,
I'm sorry to hear of your troubles but moving to either country would definitely be a new opportunity for a new chapter for your family! I've lived in FL, VA, and UT.
I love the quality of the roads in FL and VA, the warmer temperatures are definitely nice and so is having the beach. Crime in Daytona Beach, FL where I lived wasn't terrible cost of living wasn't bad either. I also spent time in Jacksonville as well, since I was stationed there and it's a nice area as well. Florida is definitely one of my favorites and has a lot of night life and tourist spots. My only complaint was the random ghetto's tucked in really nice cities, unlike Atlanta or other large cities in other states where it's a distinct part of town they seemed to be more spread out. I never had any problem with crime or break ins, as far as business and jobs, when I was there between 06-10 the economy was in the ****ter and it was hard to get jobs, which is part of the reason I moved back to Utah, things have improved and I'm sure there are a lot better opportunities. There are some cool lack of taxes there that other states have.
Virginia Beach where I lived in Virginia was really nice, pretty area, and kind of a homey feel. It is illegal to curse in the streets however which is kind of quirky but not all that bad, I was only there for a year and most of my time was military related so I didn't have much to do with the civilian world other than entertainment and recreation. However I have family that live near Richmond and absolutely love it. You have the opportunity to be somewhat close to both beach as well as camping hiking etc.
Utah, where I was born and raised has it's quirks for sure, however it definitely is awesome for small business, family, and overall one of the lowest crime rates in the country. There is an awesome Lebanese Restaurant downtown Salt Lake that I've been to a few times, but Utah could definitely use some more Lebanese flavor. Utah is kind of funky when it comes to culture, there are a lot of different sub cultures as well as climate differences. Climate wise you have Northern Utah (Salt Lake County and surrounding counties) where you have everything from gorgeous mountains filled with amazing snowsport opportunities in the winter and gorgeous hiking, mountain biking, and other summer activities in the summer, to southern Utah that has year round warmer temperatures (not as warm as FL but similar to NV) where you have gorgeous red rocks, golf courses large reservoirs etc. The weather is constantly changing it can go from being 100 degrees one day to 30 the next day in the transition seasons. Summers are quite dry and warm and winters are usually quite manageable in the valleys, but can get sub zero up in the mountains where ski resorts are etc. Usually in the Valleys you don't have very many days in the single digits it usually stays 32+ Snow on the roads is really well maintained and isn't usually a problem, there are a few bad snow days, but usually in the valley it will seem like fall/spring time and up in the mountains is where it looks like a winter wonderland. I love this state and all that it has to offer, the conservative politics and liquor laws are kinda silly but you get used to them. There are all sorts of different things to get involved with around in different counties.
I have family in California both northern and southern and other than the high cost of living it's a wonderful place to live. In California be prepared for very strict emissions laws on vehicles as well as long commutes and tons of traffic. It is also a very highly competitive state for business and some small businesses really struggle to start up.
Just whatever you do... stay away from states like Kansas and Nebraska and stuff... they are boring!
JK!
I wish you luck and if there is anything I can do to help feel free to contact me! you have my info and we chat on facebook sometimes so you know how to reach me!
