Has anyone dropped everything and moved?

Had I not had my beautiful daughter, I probably would've packed up and moved to Oregon. Island life is cool, but I've always wanted to live in the woods, experience the seasons, and live in some small town.

 

Short answer Yes, & I'm glad I did it. Almost killed me a couple of times but then I'm still livin' the dream!

 

Right, of course there are a ton of reasons to like/dislike places. Where I'm at now is about a 40/60 like/dislike ratio.

 

Do it OP. It helps to have a solid plan or a reason to go where ever you relocate. It helps to have friends or family to move to or around, but it's not necessary.

I did this for the first time for grad school. My wife and I were working about 5 jobs between us and we barely had savings. When I got accepted to grad school, we just moved without jobs or anything lined up. It ended up being the best thing we did. My wife got a job really quick and it was more than what she made in her last two jobs combined. My job situation got better as well, working the night shift at a hospital. I also tutored atheletes on the side.

After grad school I got a job with a three letter federal agency, and relocated on my own dime again.

Being in the DC area is a similar kind of misery as what you are going through on the left coast. I'm no where near retirement age but we are in need of a change of scenery. We are the most comfortable we've ever been, but taxes are going up every year and common sense in this reagion gets less common each year. It's a stupid rat race around here.

One thing you should do is go visit the areas you plan on moving to. Make note of how economically healthy the area is. Are there alot of nice restaurants? Take note of houses that are being built. Is it stick built housing with real brick or is it cheap pre-fab crap with plastic siding? Take note of the roadways and infrastructure as well, because if it already sucks it'll get worse and then everyone pays higher taxes as a remedy.

Don't be afraid to take risks in life to get out of your comfort zone. Just make sure it's "calculated risk", not suicidal risk.

There's nothing wrong with looking around and seeing how the rest of the world lives and then deciding if you like it better or not.

 

If you want to relocate to AZ.. hit me up with any questions you have.

 

Find a friend to go with you! It will immediately make rooming somewhere half as much. Also, reach out to some local churches in whatever city you plan to move to. They are a wealth of information, community, and opportunity once you get there.

 

I wasn’t ready for life when I got out of college so I worked on cape cod for a summer saved 1500$ and b lined it to Bozeman with a snowboard on my roof, a trash bag full of clothes and an Iguana on my dashboard, one of the best decisions I ever made. Great places, great friends. Wife and I talk about buying a piece of land out there all the time.


Go check some shit out

 

If you can and want to you should. If you don't you will always thought that you should have. You can always move back. I saved some money packed my stuff up and moved from Washington to Montana not sure of the job and making half the salery I was making before. Been here 20 years never looked back best decision I've ever made both in career and life style.

 

I did it when I got out of high school.

I had a relative in Chicago who was willing to put me up for a few weeks, packed one backpack, emptied my bank account, and just left.

My parents probably thought I would be back soon, but I made a go of it pretty quickly and stayed 4 years, living and working in the city, my own apartment, transit pass, and nobody to answer to (also nobody to save my ass if I got into trouble, lol)

Still smile just thinking about being a kid on my own- the absolute freedom was truly mind expanding.

My advice would be sell most/ all of your possessions/ vehicle and move to a city with good mass transportation.

It's a good place to start and the less possessions you have, the more free you will feel.

JUST DO IT! And GOOD LUCK!

 

Sure did! At 24 packed up a bag, quit my job and moved from New Zealand to Florida to wakeboard.

Thought it was only going to be for a couple years, 19 years later I'm still in FL.

Had a qualification behind me which helped make the decision easier.

But if you don't go, you won't know !

 

I moved out of beautiful San Diego for Seattle. Now I'm back in California, NorCal this time, and I miss the PNW. I'm definitely headed for the woods in the next few years. I may just go to ID to piss off that other dude that posted in here. Because.... America!

 

I've moved from East to West, back, then back again. I've traveled between two coast and have seen lots in between. I'd say you travel for a little while as seeing where and how others live will give you some perspective and possibly decide where to settle.

 

Honestly I dont GAF where you live...you arent anyone I know so Its not like Im going to be coming over to your house for dinner.

 

In 2012 I packed up and left Northern California for Fargo North Dakota. I did not have a job before moving, but managed by almost luck to land a decent paying career level job that was not in the oil fields. I'm coming up on six years and I'm looking to get out in another year or two. If I made the same money back in CA I'd move back because even with higher taxes because at least the women and weather are not trash.

 

OP,

Do what is right for you.....

I have roamed this great country via a Greyhound twice.....each time for 21 days of "anything goes" adventure- The Right coast to Left coast and everywhere in between

That "gypsy" spirit carried over into adult life ....

I have sold everything in NH to move Momma and the newborns to Florida for a "bit" including a new house and business then back to NH to help family......all with kids in "tow"......

Now look ,we are back in the SWAMP along a Riva' Loving Life

Life is too short to "over think" adventures and then you can pass those traits onto the kids...

My little girl now lives in China , I think she took my adventures to a "New Level"......

 

Not exactly as you say it, but wife and I had an opportunity to move to Texas. Visited beginning of February for an interview, sold our house packed up all our crap and were at our new jobs beginning of March. No regrets. Do we miss certain things back in California? Sure, but Texas has been good to us!

Buddy of mine keeps talking about it. I keep telling him if all he does is think and talk about it, it'll never happen. I think you just have to bite the bullet if ya will and go! Good luck!

 

I was talking to a guy from North Dakota yesterday that said he upped and moved down to Florida when he was young. He’s done engineering at Disney World for 45 years.

Told me he loves it here.

 

If I had to choose between Florida and North Dakota I'd pick alcoholism and North Dakota.

 

you couldnt pay me enough to live in North Dakota...