Seriously thinking of moving to Oklahoma...advice needed. (Duncan, Howe: tornadoes, insurance)

[Brasidas]

As a teenager, I moved from a mid-size city to a rural Oklahoma town, Actually it wasn't even the town, it was within the town school district.

I'd visited SoCal every summer ever since I was 12 though, and would continue to until I joined the military.

In small OK communities, you will be viewed as outsiders initially. I was, because everybody in my HS class knew each other as kids in elementary school almost. Exceptions were close school aged relatives (cousins, aunts, uncles) that had moved from local communities.


That image also persists in the community at large for some years. However, if you have children and they attend school, being from a state like California can be a net good. They will likely have an easy time making new friends due to interest in their state of origin. They'll be interesting.


The best way to allay this effect, is to do your best to just be "one of the boys" and "one of the girls". Attend the local highschool football games, cheer like crazy and just see the small town atmosphere for what it is. Always remember small towns in Oklahoma will always be a little clannish and small minded. Gossip will fly and is a very important social medium in these towns. Reputation is very important. Religion is a key foundation of the society. I don't believe in it much myself, and never did. I was largely an outcast however, and I didn't mind too much as I left for the military for two weeks after my HS graduation.

As for the other posts I've read in this thread. A couple things people should be aware of.

Lakes are dirtier than the sea water you are used to because the garbage that gets dumped in the ocean disperses quite a bit more before it comes back to shore, if it ever does. The lakes in Oklahoma are usually dammed rivers, and the rivers are collectors of trash that then get brought into the lakes. That's not an absolute of course, there are rednecks who litter like there is no tomorrow as if they have no care about the impact they are having, but then again, they're rednecks after all.

Also the amount of litter is usually from interstate travellers in my experience. This is compounded in the flatter part of the state where the trash blows around for weeks depending on the prevalent direction.

I know people in California, or just on either coast are big believers in recycling, green living, and sustainable lifestyle propoganda. There isn't one program of recycling on record that has shown it has saved more energy than it has consumed. The same goes with almost all sustainable living measures. Exceptions would be in modern solar cells which give a decent lifetime yield on investment and septic tanks. My friendly advice is if you want to be more accepted and neighborly in Oklahoma than in California I wouldn't be inclined to look down on locals because of their inclinations to avoid social fads like recycling.

The reason I post this, is because I recently became an expatriate Okie. I intend to move back someday in the not too far future, and I don't want my state embroiled in a social war with overly conservative curmudgeons trying to protect the old ways, and out of state people who fell in love with Oklahoma who move in and try and make it a slightly better version of California.

To the thread initiator, $2500 a month shouldn't be a problem for the near term, but since so many SoCal people are moving to the less populated states like Oklahoma, this is about to change IMO. If you are truly living on a fixed income, be prepared to do some work to make ends meet at some point.

Number one thing about Oklahoma I miss besides my family, is the spring storms and tornadoes.

My little brother is trapped in SoCal, and he wants to return here as well. Problem is he married a Los Angelina and she loves SoCal (which he and I both loathe).

[Blue Skies]

Thank you all for the positive responses.

As most of the world now knows, life in California has changed dramatically in the past 72 hours. The fires are devastating; I am so fortunate to not be in any danger or near a large fire, but just lots of soot and ash.

I am 98% sure I can make this move by June of 2008. I am in my mid 40s . I sold my house here in Cali nearly 2 years ago and just put all the money in the bank...I was nervous about the real estate market and it turned out to be a good time to sell. For the first year I will just live on interest income. I would like to work in a nursing home or a pre school....I know, very different age ranges but I adore kids and the elderly.

I am coming back to Osage County for Thanksgiving!!!

For those of you who already live in OK, let me just tell you, in case you don't fully realize it, you are very blessed. The people are geniune and salt of the earth. No pretense, no arrogance. I am AMAZED at how truly friendly people are, at the grocery stores, gas stations and waving at you on the highway (Hwy 60, 18 and 75 come to mind).

Thanks again for your time and responses.

[tinkrox]

Originally Posted by Blue Skies

I would really like to hear from people who have moved from large cities to some of the smaller areas in Oklahoma.

I currently live outside of Los Angeles and have for 26 years. Love the weather and a few close friends, but thats about it.

The crime, traffic, taxes, illegal immigration, outrageous cost of real estate, greed, and air pollution have finally gotten to me.

Several of my best friends have left CA to go to Osage County. I have been 10 times in the past year and really liked Pawhuska, Ponca City, and the little towns in between (Foraker, Shidler, Fairfax, Hominy, etc) and a little place in S. Kansas called Arkansas City..

I sold my home in CA two years because I thought the market would crash (it did!). I am in my late 40's. Currently I work 60+ hours a week, and while the salary is fantastic, the toll is just too great on me (I could do it in my 20s, but not in my 40s).

Has anyone here ever left a high paying, high stress, 'fantastic' life in a large city and traded it for a quiet existence somewhere else?

And...can someone lived comfortably on $2,500 a month in the areas I mentioned?

I truly look forward to your responses, the good and the bad.

I am origanilly from Ok.I now live in Florida where I have been for 20 years and like you I am tired of all the big city crap.I have moved back once and will be moving back again to Hominy in March where my parents live.I love small towns and where you actually can trust your neighbors.I would recommend a small town to everyone but then they would turn into big cities.As far as making it on your income,absolutley.I am going back on just SSD and my fience doesnt even know what we are getting into but thankfully he trusts me and my folks.So I hope this helped some and good luck in your travels.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by tinkrox

I am origanilly from Ok.I now live in Florida where I have been for 20 years and like you I am tired of all the big city crap.I have moved back once and will be moving back again to Hominy in March where my parents live.I love small towns and where you actually can trust your neighbors.I would recommend a small town to everyone but then they would turn into big cities.As far as making it on your income,absolutley.I am going back on just SSD and my fience doesnt even know what we are getting into but thankfully he trusts me and my folks.So I hope this helped some and good luck in your travels.

I live in a small town in OK. I can leave my garage door open, go to the store and, without asking, the kids playing in the street let me know if anything strang comes around.

I've seen houses for rent in OK. for under $400

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by Blue Skies

The people are geniune and salt of the earth. No pretense, no arrogance. I am AMAZED at how truly friendly people are, at the grocery stores, gas stations and waving at you on the highway (Hwy 60, 18 and 75 come to mind).

Not only do we realize it, we made a conscious decision to be that way. Now, could you just keep it to your self? We really do not want a bunch of people coming in here and trying to jog down farm roads in matching Nike outfits, gripe about roosters crowing, complain about the smell of the oil wells or the cattle, or trying to talk the local grocer into carrying brie or baguettes.

[mkfarnam]

I've been here 7 mo's and there hasn't been a store that i've gone to where wasn't greeted as I walked in.
The people are very heart warming.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by mkfarnam

I live in a small town in OK. I can leave my garage door open, go to the store and, without asking, the kids playing in the street let me know if anything strang comes around.

You are so lucky to feel so trusting in this day and age. Back during the 1960's my family felt the same way. We had moved to Stillwater from the country and continued as we did in the country with not locking the doors. But not doing that only lasted a few years. On the other side of town a woman and her little girl were murdered in their home, slit from ear to ear. The killer was never found and convicted. From then on my mother insisted that the doors be locked before going to bed at night. Several years ago a woman in Stillwater was raped at night who had gone to bed without locking her doors, once again reminding me of the importance of not forgetting to do that.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

You are so lucky to feel so trusting in this day and age. Back during the 1960's my family felt the same way. We had moved to Stillwater from the country and continued as we did in the country with not locking the doors. But not doing that only lasted a few years. On the other side of town a woman and her little girl were murdered in their home, slit from ear to ear. The killer was never found and convicted. From then on my mother insisted that the doors be locked before going to bed at night. Several years ago a woman in Stillwater was raped at night who had gone to bed without locking her doors, once again reminding me of the importance of not forgetting to do that.

That's the way(is) it was in Ca.

[jessaka]

Not all neighborhoods are safe. We don't lock up here, but some here in Tahlequah said that they have theft problems in their neighborhood. Not really bad, but they lock their doors, so things are taken from their car and yards. I know of another woman that had things stolen out of her yard.

[Nameless]

I'm reading this thread and laughing because my dad grew up in a small town in Iowa where they didn't lock their doors.

I don't know if I could do that. I lock the doors the moment I walk in the house. I even shut the bathroom door and lock it when I'm home alone, guess it's just habit but unlocked doors bother me.