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When I was 21 I moved from Atlanta to Anaheim, California to work at Disneyland. I lasted 6 months before I was evicted from my apartment and moved in with some friends into a house in Burbank. I spent the next 2 months looking for work in Los Angeles, but I eventually expanded my search to anywhere in the U.S.
Why not? I was 22 and wanted to roll the dice. The first job offer I got was in Portland, Maine. I turned it down and eventually was hired to work at a college in Salt Lake City. I've been in Utah for 6 months now. It's been a wild ride, but I'm proud of myself for making the best out of a ****ty situation and stepping into a grand adventure.
My apartment lease ends in September and I'm spending a lot of time figuring out where I want to go next. I've considered returning to Atlanta or Los Angeles, but I think it'd also be fun to try out another city.
Moving on a whim takes a strong sense of self. If you have the confidence to walk into the unknown, you're in for a life-changing saga.
Moved to Phoenix "on a whim," kind of, in late 90's. Stayed 15 years. Last 5-6 years felt it had gotten too big for me. Heat was getting to me, too, but you have issues wherever you live. Overall, it was a good move.
Someone left me a rep remark to say what job skills I had. I was/am still in health care and got a job within a month.
Last edited by Nanny Goat; 01-17-2019 at 08:07 AM..
I stayed in South FL for a week and ended up returning hone, like always. Once I get a good job offer out west, I'll then make the trip, probably, maybe.
We moved from Michigan to Phoenix sort of on a whim, as much of a whim as we would ever do with kids. We went because it was generally a better climate for our daughter's miserable seasonal allergies and because we have lived in the same area for our entire middle-aged lives and craved something different. We made one house hunting trip out there before taking the plunge. DH was able to transfer within the same company so we had a job to go to and we had an accepted offer on a short sale house in a nice suburban area that we planned to rent until the bank got everything in order for the short sale.
It didn't work out for us, too much culture shock, I guess. When we visited we were completely enamored of the place (hint: don't make a scouting trip to Phoenix in February when you live in Michigan) but after living there for a while we realized that moving from a small town/rural lifestyle in the Upper Midwest where all of our extended family members lived to a massive, sprawling city in the Southwest where we knew no one was a colossal mistake.
#1 Our nice, newer 4x4 pickup was stolen in broad daylight from a parking lot in a "safe" upscale area and with the doors locked. It was later found totaled in the desert about 30 miles from the Mexican border, the yay-hoos ran out of gas so they trashed it and dumped it in the desert. Not a great welcome right off the bat, that's for sure.
#2 People were NOT friendly, at least not in our subdivision and compared to small town people in the Midwest. A professional social worker that we met out there explained that Phoenix is such a transient place that most people don't invest in relationships with their neighbors because so many people come and go. Coming from a place where most people are born, live their entire lives, and die in the same town, this was very unpleasant. It's not fun when you're out for a walk and you say hello to people out working in their yards only to have them barely grunt back at you and avoid eye contact.
#3 Brown. BROWN. BROWN. Everything is eternally brown, the ground, the highways, the riverbeds (dry much of the time), the mountains and hills in the desert outside of the city, most of the homes and commercial buildlings...all seem to be some shade of taupe to tan to brown. Shell shocking when you come from the lush greenery of the East.
I won't go on, you get the gist of it and most importantly, this may not be your experience at all, in fact I really hope that it isn't and that you are very happy out there. Different strokes for different folks.
We moved from Michigan to Phoenix sort of on a whim, as much of a whim as we would ever do with kids. We went because it was generally a better climate for our daughter's miserable seasonal allergies and because we have lived in the same area for our entire middle-aged lives and craved something different. We made one house hunting trip out there before taking the plunge. DH was able to transfer within the same company so we had a job to go to and we had an accepted offer on a short sale house in a nice suburban area that we planned to rent until the bank got everything in order for the short sale.
It didn't work out for us, too much culture shock, I guess. When we visited we were completely enamored of the place (hint: don't make a scouting trip to Phoenix in February when you live in Michigan) but after living there for a while we realized that moving from a small town/rural lifestyle in the Upper Midwest where all of our extended family members lived to a massive, sprawling city in the Southwest where we knew no one was a colossal mistake.
I won't go on, you get the gist of it and most importantly, this may not be your experience at all, in fact I really hope that it isn't and that you are very happy out there. Different strokes for different folks.
Sometimes ya gotta find out what you don't like as well as what you do. Sounds like it was quite a clarifying adventure.
So I'm about to make a long road trip/move to Phoenix(Mesa) . I keep wanting to give it a shot out there , but the only way to do it is to go on a whim. I sit and think about it too long and it never happens. I will be in Fort Myers FL for the weekend then heading to phoenix. (Moving from SC).
I already have work and a room there. No kids or anything to hold me back besides my father who is extremely against me doing this. I am ready to leave tonight and I'm excited. I am 30 years old and I'm going to do what I damn well please. Done with being hesitant. I am not telling anyone close That I'm heading to Phoenix until I get there, or else I will hear the same ol stuff about what they think about it
Has anyone else moved on a whim? Cross country? How did it work out?
Never moved on a whim because I've never had that luxury.
Not entirely on a whim, but back in 2012 I was living in my hometown, Tampa. I got to a point where I needed a new job quickly, and I had received an offer for a contract position in the Quad Cities (IL/IA) - never even visited that area before. I had no intentions of staying there long term and no idea how the job was going to turn out, however I packed everything I could fit in my car and moved, getting a short-term lease at an apartment when I arrived. It worked out great; after about 6 months, I grew to really like the area and realized that I had no desire to ever move back to Florida. The experience really opened my eyes to other parts of the country. Stayed in the Quad Cities for 2 years, but it would've been longer if the contract job turned into permanent. I've since moved to a couple other places, each with their own personalities.
We came to Florida in 1972 on vacation. I asked "why are we putting up with cold and snow"? We moved here that year and never regretted it.
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