Scared to Move to MN

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by PullMyFinger

Rochester will always be a great place as long as they have the Mayo Clinic and that is not going anywhere.

I would not hesitate to move to Rochester, MN from MA. Good luck.

I'm sure the presence of IBM doesn't hurt, either.

[MSPLove]

Originally Posted by timidtraveller

Hey everyone. I was hoping someone may have some helpful tips for me. I have been struggling in MA for years now. Have a home, small son and just hard to make ends meet each month. My hubby is underemployed - I work constantly.

I have been offered a job in Rochester that is a substantial pay increase. I am just scared to sell my house and hate it in Rochester. Living in MA, I know the seasons, it seems like obviously Rochester's winter is longer and harder than MA - but the idea is not too foreign to me.

It looks like we would actually be able to rent a house and survive off of my income for a while so my hubby can job hunt out there - I just feel like selling my house and moving is kind of admitting defeat and giving up. I mean, I have paid into this place for 6 years, it is my hubby's childhood home and all my family is here.

But the idea to move to MN is wonderful! I am going to be 30 this year, hubby is 32 and our son is 1 I feel as though the increased quality of life for the next few years would make up for the fact we had to sell our home.

I guess I am just looking for some reassurance on MN as my family is not being supportive at all They thinkI should struggle to stay in MA like they all did (most are on some form of government assistance and I am NOT because I work my butt off and am proud to provide for my family).

MA pros: family all here, struggling to own home
cons: cost of living, constant struggle

MN pros: better job, more affordable, lots of hiking
cons: will need to sell my house & move son from grandparents

Sorry, I know this had no real point - I just talk myself around in circles and I need to decide this week. I wish I had some support :/

I don't think that's admitting "defeat." Circumstances change. Maybe 30 years ago at your age, in your parents' position, you could make it where you are in MA, but that's not the case. In this day and age of Skype your family will be put a click away. In a sense, they can still watch your son grow up. Is it the same? No, but I don't see submitting to a life of poverty just to stay around family as any sort of victory.

[MSPLove]

Originally Posted by scrapiron

I'll give you the flip side.....I lived in the Minneapolis area (lakeville) for over 20 years and I am so glad I moved away from MN. The people there are phoney.....Minnesota nice...yeah, right. Unless you grew up there and went to school there or married someone from there, forget about making friends, you will only make aquaintences. they will be nice enough, but don't ever expect to be accepted....you are not a Minnesotan, you are an outsider. I still visit MN because I have 4 grandkids and a son living there, but I will never again live in MN. I left a good paying job there and took less pay where I am now, but the people here are great because everyone comes from somewhere else. Even the Minnesotans visit here during the winter and guess what....they are still cold hearted, must be those harsh winters.

In all fairness, I will admit, I met a cool gal (ok, woman) at a concert a year and a half ago at State Theater. I friended her on Facebook. She's always be warm and sweet. "I hope we stay friends a long time" and "you're wonderful"... she was almost too flattering. Then I sent a message suggesting we should "meet for coffee." Boy did she become distant and weird. She didn't answer the message. I guess when it came down to a real opportunity to connect by ourselves face-to-face for more than a few minutes in a concert crowd... We're still Facebook "friends".... we just don't talk or comment each other anymore. lol That's Facebook for ya though. I think in reality the real friends/people on FB that we actually hang out with or make time for in real life can be counted on one hand, if we're lucky.

I'm still not put off about moving to the Twin Cities area though. I've been thinking about it myself. Maybe even Stillwater or Hudson, WI. I always enjoy my time there and people are pleasant. No worse than where I'm from. I'm actually a pretty private person myself. (Maybe it's due to growing up in the same area, two hours over the border in WI. I think people in this general vicinity are friendly.. but we also mind our own business. I find too much friendliness too soon intrusive and uncomfortable myself.) So it's not like I'm going to be sitting around saying "Hey where are all my party invites?" I'm slow to open up myself. (The example I sighted above was after a year and a half. I think we'd broken the ice. She's just odd. I'm not internalizing it as my prob. )

[FastRomeo73]

Rochester is nice. If you get bored the Twin Cities are just a short trip north. I lived in Rochester for a year and liked the walking paths around the city. The schools are good to.