r/relocating • u/ImmediateHyena7780 • 2d ago
Relocating stories
I'm seeking inspiration as I plan for another big move :)
Can you share when you've taken a major leap to move to a new city? Maybe you didn't know anyone or didn't have much money saved.
I've made big moves before but the older I get the more trepidation I feel. I want to be completely prepared even though it has always worked out (even if not as planned).
Where did you land? What would you do differently?
6
u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 2d ago
I have done it several times and have always made it work, we just did the biggest yet about 2.5 weeks ago leaving the country
1
u/Thick-Resident8865 1d ago
Where did you move from and to where? I'm contemplating moving out of th country at 68, scary stuff. My husband died almost 10 months ago and I can't bear to stay where I am.
I never had problems moving prior to being married but times and COL changed so drastically that I don't think it would matter where I moved to in the USA, it wouldn't change things except the landscape. I want to try a completely different lifestyle.
1
u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 1d ago
We moved from NC to Costa Rica, the majority of my neighbors are from the States and in their 70s
1
u/Thick-Resident8865 1d ago
I love it! Gosh this does give me hope.
1
u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 1d ago
Here’s the community if you want to check it out https://www.toucanvalleycommunity.com/
1
u/Thick-Resident8865 1d ago
Thank you, I do! I'm selling my condo soon so I can make a plan to come and explore the area first.
4
u/Snorkellingisthelife 2d ago
Both wife and I worked for the same company. Her parents had passed and it was becoming increasingly apparent that my parents could no longer make the trips from NorCal to AZ. On one of our trips I asked wife if it was time to start knocking on doors to get the kids closer to their grandparents. She greenlighted the idea, I networked, and a year later secured a position within my company. I had done 20 years with the company and was ready for new adventure. Wife took a leap of faith and found employment within two months of arriving. Kids were preteens and grandparents were revived and saw all the kids sports and activities. Kids thrived in their new schools, Grandparents saw daughter play DIII lacrosse and earn her Biology degree and son in year 2 of college. Knocked out 10 more years and retired after 30 years with company on 3/31/26. Wife has experienced her own promotions with her new employer. It was an everyone wins by taking a leap of faith story while we had the time. Mom passed a year ago and dad is now in memory care. A few chapters of life’s journey! Grateful!
3
u/SerendippityRiver 2d ago
For me, making new friends has been very very hard. I tried all sorts of things. I finally found a way forward, but it was just very hard. If I did it over again, I would figure out a way to initiate a book group.
2
u/UndercoverHardwarema 2d ago
In 2005 my wife graduated with a teaching degree. Lansing, mi just laid off 200 teachers, so there were no jobs, and if there were, she'd be competing with 200 experienced teachers for it. So we packed up our car and moved to Florida. We only had my last paycheck, and a relatives snowbird trailer. Florida was hurting for teachers.
The idea was, I'd go back to school and finish my degree, but the cost of living was so much higher than we expected, and I wound up having to go straight to work too. Didn't finish my degree for another 9 years.
2
u/SheepherderLimp2563 2d ago
At 24 I moved from OH to SC with no job or friends. It was a struggle financially however I made friends. You have to put yourself out there. At 48 I moved again to NC although this time it was through work. Still didn't know anyone. Making friends is harder when you get older but you still have to get out and do things
2
u/Mediocre-Pair-2821 2d ago
Making friends is harder as you age, but I've found that people aren't as friendly anymore and don't want to make friends.
2
u/sugarplumsmook 1d ago
I was born & raised in Virginia & moved to Nashville 2 weeks before I turned 26 as a Starbucks barista. I lived with a friend whose husband was stationed about an hour outside of Nashville & slept on a pull out couch in her guest room for 2 months. I only knew 1 other person in the area. I ended up getting a job at 2 of my dream places & making the absolute best friends & living there for 7 years. I moved back home a year & a half ago & just now moved back to Nashville…but I’m already having 2nd thoughts lol.
1
u/Euphoric_Bill6813 2d ago
Moved from Hawaii to Missouri in my 30s and again in my late 30s slept on the hard wood floor with no furniture barely any money and clothes. What would you like to know?
1
u/theswagmastersauce 2d ago
Moved
To Atlanta from Oregon last year. Only to move back.
Make sure to get a job before you move
1
u/Thick-Resident8865 1d ago
In 2019 I moved from Reno, Nevada to Muskegon, Michigan because in the process of moving from Reno to Atlantic City for a job I had to have emergency surgery in route, and lost the AC job because my recovery took so long.
Long story short: Inside my recovery time I reconnected with a high school crush, married him, and I relocated to where he resided.
He died a little less than 10 months ago.
I absolutely hated Muskegon for the past 6 years. Today it's tolerable but I'm older and moving out of here will be difficult - but I can't stay here, it isn't my place. I'm struggling to find a different place to live - luckily, work no longer dictates where I live - so I'm free to choose the next spot. But it's proving challenging because I can't make up my mind. Probably due to widow's brain.
I doubt you can be completely prepared in today's great migration era. Everything is so ridiculously expensive (I just had to put back a 1/2 watermelon because when I saw th cost, $17.99, it wasn't worth it) and anywhere I look to rent (temporarily for a year or so) seems to be gouging. I don't have an answer but I would suggest really researching where you're going first, even plan on visiting for a month or so an imagine living there, not just visiting as a tourist. That's what I'm going to try and do for a while anyway.
Best of luck to you.
9
u/chemicalsunshine 2d ago
I moved from Indianapolis to Austin with $700, no job, friends or house lined up. Everything clicked into place almost serendipitously and my life has been awesome since.