I'm at a bit of a crossroads right now.
I've been on the same team doing the same thing for 11 years. I've been thinking for awhile about doing something different and trying to flee Illinois. Fortunately, it looks like there are opportunities with my employer that will fit the bill. I currently develop in an obscure language that is soon to go away in our shop. One thought is to find something that is more pure Java development. Another thought is to find something that takes advantage of my data access/SQL skills.
I'd also like to get the heck out of Illinois while I can still sell my house and before the state's finances implode.
I've been looking into a job in another department that would deal with data access. Basically it would be answering difficult questions for people--like executives. I'd be in the trenches and wouldn't have any direct interaction with the questioners, but I would have to have knowledge of our databases (which I do) and devise creative methods for getting answers. There would be far fewer processes and procedures than I currently deal with, but more "emergencies" that require quick turnaround and long hours. The job is in Atlanta.
Because we are sunsetting the technology I currently work in, we are rewriting our applications to a Java-based technology. It will require a bigger team than we currently have, and there may be some good opportunities for me to lead a development team if I stick around. An announcement came out yesterday that our department will be expanding, but not in Illinois. (My department is currently 100% in Illinois.) They want volunteers to move to Dallas, Phoenix, and Atlanta to seed new development centers. It is conceivable that I could keep my current job, have it become more what I want to do, and still move out of Illinois.
I talked a little with my wife yesterday and she has a strong preference for moving to Atlanta, while I'd prefer Dallas. Both cities have lower housing and costs of living that Bloomington. My mom is in Atlanta, my best friend is in Raleigh, and my wife's sister is in Orlando. I like the climate and the no state income tax thing in Texas.
Phoenix is third on both of our lists, but still ahead of Illinois.