Robert and Deborah Osborn

Robert and Deborah Osborn spent two years caring for his bedridden mother after her stroke. When she died a year ago, the couple knew it was time for change.

“I’d lived there all my life,” Robert says of Indianapolis. “My mom was the last of my family. After we lost her, I got the idea of a fresh start.”

Other factors helped nudge the move to Spokane, they say. Indianapolis was crowded and crime ridden. Deborah says taxes kept going up to pay for things she didn’t care about – a football stadium for the Indianapolis Colts – instead of paying for things she did, such as libraries and roads.

“That was one of the real sore spots for me, just making new taxes out of the blue,” she says. “They don’t have money to pay for libraries, but they can come up with money to pay for the Colts.

“The priorities are awkward.”

Robert says he felt beleaguered by his job as a state welfare fraud investigator.

“It was the same thing every day. I went through the same dead-ends and government bureaucracies,” he say. “It got kind of frustrating and tiresome.”

Deborah’s sister lives in Tacoma and spoke highly of Spokane. Robert began doing Internet research on the area’s size, economy and climate. They decided in February to leave Indianapolis for good. “We decided, and snap, we were gone,” Deborah says.

Why Spokane?

“Recycling,” Deborah says with a laugh, adding that environmental issues played a part in their relocation choice. The city of Indianapolis charges an extra fee for its cumbersome curbside recycling program, and the drinking water is nearly undrinkable, she says.

“Spokane is clean and green.”

Robert echoes his wife’s feelings. “Here it’s just visually stunning, and the water is clean,” he says.

Real estate

While they learn the area, the Osborns are renting a Spokane Valley apartment they found on the Internet before the move. Whether they keep renting or eventually buy, they want a house, not a multifamily complex.

“We want something bigger, more comfortable,” Deborah says, adding that apartment living is noisy.

Settling in

Deborah says Spokane’s friendly people made her feel at home right away. Recently, in the grocery store, a woman passing out free samples gave her a hug.

“People are really helpful. They’ve always got something cool to share,” she says.

Deborah’s 23-year-old daughter Sueann, who has Down syndrome, spent years on a waiting list for vocational rehabilitation in Indiana, Deborah says. Sueann has an appointment next month with the Washington state program.

Shortly after arriving, Robert tried out for and won a part with Ignite! Community Theatre.

“He’s a vicar in ‘See How They Run,’ ” Deborah says.

The hard part

Finding work that fits their skills has been the toughest part of the move, the couple says. Deborah, who is an aircraft mechanic, currently is working at a fast-food restaurant. Robert recently landed a job with a grocery store. And while he likes the work, he wants a job that uses his investigative skills.

“It’s been frustrating,” he says. “I’ve lost count of how many resumes I’ve e-mailed or mailed.”

Deborah says she misses the two daughters and four grandchildren she left in Indianapolis. She is hopeful they, too, might someday call Spokane home.

“I tell my kids the first time you come here is the first time you pay rent here,” Deborah says. “It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in my life.”