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I am going to share a few random thoughts with you that may or may not help with your decision making. I'm going to overshare a little bit.
To give you some background: I haven't lived in Tucson, but I was born in and grew up in Flagstaff. I spent my teens bouncing back and forth between Flagstaff and Phoenix. When I was 18, I found myself in a similar spot you are in. I was absolutely trapped and lost. I didn't really know what to do or where to go. I moved in with my then-boyfriend and before I knew what hit me I was pregnant and married. We spent the next 13 years in a Phoenix suburb before moving to a Portland suburb about 6 years ago.
So, my first suggestion to you is: don't do what I did. Don't just bob along with the current and end up wherever it takes you. Don't set yourself up for feeling trapped for the next 15 years. Set some goals and make choices that lead you toward them. You mention you don't know how to achieve your goals' maybe seeing a counselor or therapist who can help you figure that out would be a good first goal.
Getting out of your parents' house is a good goal, but don't *********rself over to achieve it. Relying upon a living situation with a friend-of-a-friend who *might* need a roommate is a disaster in the making. You also need to expect that your friendship with the girl who is moving here is likely to change. She may not be so keen on helping you out.
Cat: of course you shouldn't leave her. You made a commitment to her, and the two of you are family. But of you move across the country without enough preparation, you could be putting her at risk. Routine care for one cat is an expense you have to plan for, but it is nothing compared to the bill you would be facing if she became seriously ill or injured. Moving is very stressful for cats, which can have an adverse effect on their health. You need to plan for the worst case scenario. You don't want to be forced to give her up or euthanize her because you can't pay a vet bill. That whole $1800 may not be enough.
Rain: The rain in AZ is different than the rain here. When I lived there, I loved the rain, too. I probably still would love the storms there. It is apples to oranges with the weather here. Don't use those storms to judge your tolerance for the weather here. If you are at risk for SAD, you should think hard about it. It can affect your ability to function, and therefore to provide for yourself and your cat.
I agree school is very expensive, but I think you may be wrong about school having nothing to offer you. Maybe just keep it in the back of your mind. There are a few art schools around Portland. I don't know what their pet policies are. Some colleges across the country are pet-friendly and may be worth looking into: Pet Friendly Universities: 10 Colleges That Love Your Cat or Dog »
I'm not going to tell you not to come; you could probably be happy in Portland. But please take Hamellr's advice about saving way more money than your current plan and have a backup plan in place.
I agree that I should and have planned on that until now. What are your reasons for saying that though?
Because an impetuous move can ruin your life, at least for a while. If you get here and find out this isn't the place you had psychic visions of, that you aren't any happier here than you were in AZ, that you really hate 8 months of rain and grey skies- what then?
I agree school is very expensive, but I think you may be wrong about school having nothing to offer you. Maybe just keep it in the back of your mind. There are a few art schools around Portland. I don't know what their pet policies are. Some colleges across the country are pet-friendly and may be worth looking into: Pet Friendly Universities: 10 Colleges That Love Your Cat or Dog »
At public schools, particularly CCs, most of the housing students use isn't college-owned. That tends to be true for art schools as well (OCAC only has housing spots for 20 students). So the pet policies would be whatever your particular landlord set, and cats are generally easier to place than dogs.
I'd be a little wary of recommending art school, per se. They tend to be private (for-profit or non-) with higher tuition and low endowments. Thus you get a higher sticker price without a lot of scholarship or grant money to cut the cost.
Even if one wanted to pursue art, unless you have money to burn I tend to recommend looking at a CC or 4-year public first. For an artist your portfolio generally matters a lot more in finding work than the name on your certificate/diploma.
I am going to share a few random thoughts with you that may or may not help with your decision making. I'm going to overshare a little bit.
To give you some background: I haven't lived in Tucson, but I was born in and grew up in Flagstaff. I spent my teens bouncing back and forth between Flagstaff and Phoenix. When I was 18, I found myself in a similar spot you are in. I was absolutely trapped and lost. I didn't really know what to do or where to go. I moved in with my then-boyfriend and before I knew what hit me I was pregnant and married. We spent the next 13 years in a Phoenix suburb before moving to a Portland suburb about 6 years ago.
So, my first suggestion to you is: don't do what I did. Don't just bob along with the current and end up wherever it takes you. Don't set yourself up for feeling trapped for the next 15 years. Set some goals and make choices that lead you toward them. You mention you don't know how to achieve your goals' maybe seeing a counselor or therapist who can help you figure that out would be a good first goal.
Getting out of your parents' house is a good goal, but don't *********rself over to achieve it. Relying upon a living situation with a friend-of-a-friend who *might* need a roommate is a disaster in the making. You also need to expect that your friendship with the girl who is moving here is likely to change. She may not be so keen on helping you out.
Cat: of course you shouldn't leave her. You made a commitment to her, and the two of you are family. But of you move across the country without enough preparation, you could be putting her at risk. Routine care for one cat is an expense you have to plan for, but it is nothing compared to the bill you would be facing if she became seriously ill or injured. Moving is very stressful for cats, which can have an adverse effect on their health. You need to plan for the worst case scenario. You don't want to be forced to give her up or euthanize her because you can't pay a vet bill. That whole $1800 may not be enough.
Rain: The rain in AZ is different than the rain here. When I lived there, I loved the rain, too. I probably still would love the storms there. It is apples to oranges with the weather here. Don't use those storms to judge your tolerance for the weather here. If you are at risk for SAD, you should think hard about it. It can affect your ability to function, and therefore to provide for yourself and your cat.
I agree school is very expensive, but I think you may be wrong about school having nothing to offer you. Maybe just keep it in the back of your mind. There are a few art schools around Portland. I don't know what their pet policies are. Some colleges across the country are pet-friendly and may be worth looking into: Pet Friendly Universities: 10 Colleges That Love Your Cat or Dog »
I'm not going to tell you not to come; you could probably be happy in Portland. But please take Hamellr's advice about saving way more money than your current plan and have a backup plan in place.
Thanks for your help! You're probably right about the rain now that I consider it. However, as someone who works overnight and spends the majority of her life indoors, I'm not entirely convinced that I should be concerned. I know that's very different, too, but that's all I have to base my opinions on haha
This wouldn't be my cat's first move, it would actually be her third and she honestly seems semi-used to it. As long as I'm there, she doesn't seem to mind it, but yes, you bring up a good point that vet bills are something I need to prepare for ahead of moving. So thanks!
And as for the roomate thing, yeah I've taken that with a grain of salt the entire time. =)
Quote:
Originally Posted by bler144
At public schools, particularly CCs, most of the housing students use isn't college-owned. That tends to be true for art schools as well (OCAC only has housing spots for 20 students). So the pet policies would be whatever your particular landlord set, and cats are generally easier to place than dogs.
I'd be a little wary of recommending art school, per se. They tend to be private (for-profit or non-) with higher tuition and low endowments. Thus you get a higher sticker price without a lot of scholarship or grant money to cut the cost.
Even if one wanted to pursue art, unless you have money to burn I tend to recommend looking at a CC or 4-year public first. For an artist your portfolio generally matters a lot more in finding work than the name on your certificate/diploma.
As for the school thing, this is A LOT of my reasons for choosing not to go to school. I took one year on CC here in Tucson and hated it. It was boring and honestly it was a waste of my time and money. All this coming from a generally good student and a good listener.
Up until about a month ago I planned on going to art school eventually. I even looked into the ones in Portland because ultimately that was where I wanted to end up. But the high cost of schooling and the living costs of just being there compeatly outweigh the knowledge you get. I had to do an extensive "soul searching" to figure this out and spent a lot of time being really worried with questions because I thought I HAD to go to school to become an artist.
As bler144 said, in the end, all they care about is your portfolio. The piece of paper is optional and, if anything, will just get your foot in the door. I thought about going for the CC route since it's the cheapest, too. But even then the whole school thing is just something I don't agree with.
With things like art, they don't take into account for skills you already have. When you start art classes, they force you to start at the bottom. I don't need basic classes and I really don't like the idea of wasting 2 years just taking BS classes where I'm forced to draw lines based on emotions and make papermache party masks. I'd much rather pay $40 a month on an internet bill and use all the fabulous resources there. It's pretty much free and I get to work at my own pace with my own set determination.
But anyway, that's my little mini rant on schooling. Sorry you guys had to hear that hahaha
I think because expectations differ greatly from reality. No amount of researching something prepares you fully for moving into a completely new place. I wanted to in 2010, but I had to save money, grow up a little, and experience some independence before making a very important life decision. And in retrospect, I'm happy I did. I would have been miserable if I came here any sooner. No money, little experience in a new city. Just the thought overwhelms me.
But really, no one can make that decision for you. If you feel it's right, then it's right, no matter how wrong it might feel while you learn from mistakes. In a new city, mistakes cost a lot of money. But does money really matter when you're doing something you really want to do? That's up to you.
Although I don't really have any advice, I will say this much. Don't come during summer. I came at the end of July thinking I would escape the heat of Southern California (which isn't hot compared to Tucson). OMG. 90+ degrees and no air conditioning. Then the the temps would drop a bit, but it'd be humid. I was absolutely miserable. Thankfully the hot dry summers here don't last long.
I know, 90 is nothing compared to 110, but it's still not enjoyable when most apts don't have a/c and you can't decide if you want to buy a window unit. I was so happy when Oct came around. Unfortunately for me, I always came up during the winter or when it was weird cold weather during the summer. I didn't realize summers could get so hot up here. Yuck!
Good luck. Definitely make a plan. Hopefully you can get a job before you make the move. It doesn't sound like you have enough money to live off of w/o a job. I know what it's like to just want to get the heck out of somewhere, so I hope you get out....just be smart about it.
Although I don't really have any advice, I will say this much. Don't come during summer. I came at the end of July thinking I would escape the heat of Southern California (which isn't hot compared to Tucson). OMG. 90+ degrees and no air conditioning. Then the the temps would drop a bit, but it'd be humid. I was absolutely miserable. Thankfully the hot dry summers here don't last long.
I know, 90 is nothing compared to 110, but it's still not enjoyable when most apts don't have a/c and you can't decide if you want to buy a window unit. I was so happy when Oct came around. Unfortunately for me, I always came up during the winter or when it was weird cold weather during the summer. I didn't realize summers could get so hot up here. Yuck!
Good luck. Definitely make a plan. Hopefully you can get a job before you make the move. It doesn't sound like you have enough money to live off of w/o a job. I know what it's like to just want to get the heck out of somewhere, so I hope you get out....just be smart about it.
I've lived my whole life in houses with no A/C, just swamp coolers. All they do is make it humid and cool it down to about 10 degrees below what the air is outside. So if it's 110 outside, you're living in a 100 degree oven for 3-4 months straight. Not to mention, as soon as spring hits, we're getting like upper 80s at the peak of the day. It's been a decent spring so far though, I'll admit. The temps have stayed at the upper 70s and low 80s. But man, I would thankfully trade a few hot days without a/c for the majority of days being wet and muggy! I've had quite enough of this heat! haha
The biggest issue is definitely going to be lack of a job, especially with how little money you feel you will save up. I rent out two rooms in my house and I won't rent to someone without proof of income. I also periodically check out my rental competition and most of the ads say they are looking for someone employed.
I would suggest you start calling around to temp agencies and maybe even care facilities up here and find out what your odds are of finding a caregiver job and more importantly, if there are any licensing requirements Oregon has for that type of work you may not need in AZ. I know it's not what you want to do ultimately, but given that's where your experience lies, it's your best shot when you first arrive.
Validation is always nice, but, FWIW... you aren't ready. You aren't even close to being ready to do this. Where is your credit history? Your rental history. References? You need all of these to get or go anywhere decent. School is expensive, yes. I hear you. But I'm not hearing that you are good enough not to need it. Are you?
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