Moving Cold - some advise? (Houston, Dallas: home, military, car)

[NOTAM]

my sister did that 22 years ago, moved to the small island of Kaua'i, with $1000 in her pocket, a few suitcases, no job, and rented a closet in a surfer dude house for $100/month. she's still there 22 years later, somehow has managed to survive in paradise for all these years, though homeless in a tent half the time, but now on HUD housing, welfare/foodstamps etc.

[dixierambler]

As a native Texan, the last thing I wanted to do was move away from Texas. As a young building contractor, I barely survived the early 80's S&L crisis and interest rate fiasco, but it left me broke. Then in the mid 80's, when oil prices had fallen through the floor, the economy in Texas was in shambles. I only thought I was broke before. I had been unable to find any work for quite awhile and had no choice but to look outside of Texas. I had heard rumors of work in Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, but didn't didn't have any reliable information.

In the spring of '87, I remodeled a man's house for $500 and a 1959 model camper trailer. My wife and 3 kids moved in with her parents, I loaded up my tools, hooked up the camper, took the $500, and headed east. I ended up in Georgia. But with no permanent address, cell phone, or other means of an employer getting in touch with me, I was having a hard time finding work. I had used up a lot of money in gas, camp site rental (for the camper), groceries, etc., and was down to less than $200. I was thinking of going somewhere else, but knew it would take all of my money to get there, and I wouldn't have anything to live on if I didn't find work. After a couple of weeks, I finally found some part time work in Peachtree City, Ga doing punch out work for a builder. He paid on the 1st and 15th, and I started on the 17th. By the time I got my first check, I had $10 left in my pocket. But even then, since I was only working part time, may check was less that $200. But it was a start.

Shortly after, I found secure work and my wife and kids were able to join me in Peachtree City, where we lived for 14 years. Unfortunately, my kids now consider Georgia hoime, not Texas where they were born. Looking back, the move was a good one and we all learned a lot a grew from it.
But after 14 years, and for a lot of reasons, we had enough of PTC and decided to move to Tennessee. We've been here 10 years now, and really enjoy this part of the country. But lately, I've been thinking of moving back "home" to Texas. We have a large family farm in central Texas I am thinking of moving to. Just have to wait and see what the next couple of months bring.

[TX_AGGIE13]

Originally Posted by txsizzler

Just curious... what do you do now for a living? I always like to hear the end of the story.. lol

Well, that's been some time ago. I moved out to San Antonio to raise my family. I work in Real Estate, and have started a non-profit Disaster Relief service. I guess times change, and I've finnaly got my foot into something I enjoy with helping people in need. I eventually chose San Antonio because I always liked the Hill Country, and Texas is home. I got alot more on my plate than just me nowa days, but a move may happen again, never know. Luckily I can do my job just about anywhere so it wouldn't really be "cold" anymore.

[FarNorthDallas]

I did it right after graduating college. Have no regrets, but ended up in a lot of debt. I would do it again though. I returned home after a year and a half. This was over 20 years ago and I still think about that time in that place a lot - every single day. I would love to do it again someplace different.

[BobTex]

Went thru a divorce in '96 ... I took all my vacation and a year leave of absence, flew to Bangor, Maine, walked in the biggest hospital in town and got a job. I did take $3K with me. I wasn't broke but I did go up there pretty much "cold". Got an apartment 1/2 mile from work. Lived there for 16 months until my mind and heart healed some then came home to Texas.

[Muhnay]

Awesome replies.. Thank You all for sharing. I am sure this has helped others in the same situation and made them feel less alone.. as it has me.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by Muhnay

When we moved to Boise, we were on our way to Seattle.. the car broke down there in Boise so we took that as a sign to stay. All we had was the income tax refund about 3K. No furniture, nothing, just some clothes our computers, and that was about it. We found a house after being in a hotel for about a week. I got a job at Micron building web pages for clients, and my wife got a job at another computer place there on an assembly line. We were doing fine.. but that fizzled.. Boise was a great city back then, the wife and I biked or walked any place we needed to go. We hardly ever used the car we bought when we got a few months after living there. We made it to Seattle and lived at East Lake a small area not far from Downtown Seattle. I loved it there, I would wake up each morning to the sea planes, sit on the balcony of our little duplex and drink coffee, look out over the water and Queen-anne hill. I would walk to this little beach like park toss a couple pebbles and then make the long trek back up the hill to the bus stop and head downtown for my job as a security guard at a bank... hey it was a good job, don't laugh. =) Times got a bit tight and we had to come back to El Paso to recoup.

When I moved to Mississippi, I planed it all out, rented a house online unseen, and had a job with a casino before we got there. I loved Mississippi, but the area we moved to was rough and the Casino job sucked, so I got another one. And we were about to move to another part of town. when my mother called and said my uncle had a heart attack and they needed us.. so we ran back here.. its all better now here, but I am ready to get out. I cant get paid what I feel I am worth, that is if I can find a job that does not require spanish.. thats a whole other post though so ignore that.. Anyways.. I am ready to move again. I am pulled in two directions though.. back to Seattle to be near my brother, or to the gulf-coast a place I also really love.

Wow--I can't believe you would consider moving out of Texas. You seem so deeply rooted in the Texan way of life.

[Muhnay]

Well, Texas does flank the Gulf Coast.. I am considering Corpus, Rockport, Port Aransas, or Galveston in Texas. But I know I can make more money in Mississippi Biloxi, or in Florida.. so its hard choice. I do love Texas though.

[Muhnay]

Here is a perfect example of a cold move..

Originally Posted by NOTAM

This is kind of amazing.

Yesterday I saw a young couple unloading a UHaul close to my trailer and I went up to talk to them and have my dogs meet their dogs.
They literally just "up and moved" from Michigan, with no jobs, nothing. They stayed in a hotel down here until they found this trailer rental in the paper. They told me all kinds of stories about how economically depressed Michigan is, with high unemployment etc.

What is amazing, is that I live in a VERY VERY rural area, not even a town/community really...and they are even settling out here! (They didnt even really know where they were-when I started talking about the towns just immediately to the north and west of me, they looked at me quizzically and said "hmm, will have to take a drive and check them out")

I could only imagine how much the population is growing in the well known towns/cities in Texas due to the economy being so poor in other states.

[valleygal]

Years ago I visited St. Augustine, fell in love with it and wanted to move right away. I couldn't, at the time, and that was ok. It is now eight years later. As a lark one evening this past December, I looked up jobs, and houses for rent in the area. It seemed like we could find a place we could afford, and get some kind of job. I asked my husband "Are you ready for a new life?" He said Are you kidding, of course I am!" So a couple of weeks ago we came down (from Pittsburgh), stayed in a cheap motel (it was nice, too) on Anastasia Island, and drove around for a week looking for where we wanted to live. We found a wonderful condo to rent in Palm Coast, and will be moving in a month. I think if we gave this alot of thought, as to all of the ramifications, we wouldn't make the change, but we have.

Needless to say, friends and business associates are shocked. What they don't know is how I have longed for a change. I am fifty and want to get into something else before I am too old and won't want to do it. I am leaving a business we developed over fifteen years, and another job that I love, and a community that we have volunteered endlessly in. But we were new to that community, too, back then, and I am confident that we will be able to develop similar relationships.

We don't have jobs, and in this economy I probably should be more worried, but I am not. We have some savings to see us through for a couple of months, and I expect the Good Lord will look out for us - he always does, one way or another.

What I do feel is excited and rejuvenated. I feel better than I have for a long time. I know the next month will pass quickly enough packing my house, disposing of a rental business (lots of items there!) and training my replacements, but I sure wish I was there right now!

Thanks for thinking of this intersting thread!