Need honest opinion: Will we stick out? (Cheyenne, Gillette: fit in, transplants)

[gingeroo24]

Hi All!

We've been doing research on a relocation to WY and have really liked everything we've found. However, the main question I keep thinking is not whether we'll like living there, but rather will we'll stick out in our new home...?

We're married with 2 elementary aged boys, have 2 well behaved hunting dogs, drive 2 american made trucks, Republican but not extremely conservative, not religious but not complete heathens either, don't throw parties but love a good bbq with friends, poker, and beer. Hubby is an electrical lineman with background in wind and underground fiber as well. I'm currently at home with our sons (because our youngest is special needs) but was previously an accountant. We spend our free time traveling, hunting, camping and fishing. We're from MN so the cold doesn't bother us but all the "diversity and equality" leading to mediocrity does.

One wouldn't assume all of that about us at first glance though. Hubby is white, I'm asian (adopted from Korea) and our boys are obviously mixed. We both have tattoos, none are offensive, but some people have avoided speaking to us on this basis alone. Hubby is well inked with his shirt off or in short sleeves. Mine are less visible and not as numerous. He has sported a mohawk in warmer temps and I have been known to wear 'more edgy' hairstyles than most. No oddball piercings or clothing though.

Our housing budget is $250-$375k for a 4 bedroom/2bathroom 2,000sq ft home with anywhere from .5-5 acres. We need to live relatively close to medical services because of our youngest. We're juggling job offers between Cheyenne, Sheridan, and Gillette. We've planned a week trip to explore each city next month. (I'm more afraid we'll fall in love with WY and be mad we can't pick up and move the next day.)

Will we be a good fit for Wyoming or will we be "those people" even after the novelty of the newcomers wears off?

That was long and rambling so thanks for your opinions!

[branDcalf]

You won't stick out at all. Hope you enjoy Wyoming.

[bawha]

You might get a second glance in some of the small close knit communities in Wyoming, but I thiink you will find that the state is inhabited with a pretty diverse bunch of people and, for the most part, people are "live and let live".

In reading your post, the only way I would be able to tell you apart from all my neighbors would be your Minnesotan accent and, God forebid, your purple Viking cap because I'm a life long Wyo Packer fan.

[gingeroo24]

Originally Posted by bawha

In reading your post, the only way I would be able to tell you apart from all my neighbors would be your Minnesotan accent and, God forebid, your purple Viking cap because I'm a life long Wyo Packer fan.

According to most people our accents aren't as bad as they thought they would be since we're from the metro area rather than northern MN. Their accents are hard even on my ears.

And we have outlawed the color purple in our house. We're die hard Packers fans and one of the few downsides to relocating would be no more Lambeau Field trips. (I'm assuming since you're a Packer fan there's a cable or satellite optional package that broadcasts their games?)

[Brian_M]

Heh, even from the Cities (my mom's from St Paul, dad's from Hastings), when my folks go back for family functions they come back with the MN accent. Not that it mattered, seems like 1/4~1/3rd of WY residents are from MN or just over the river in WI.

So long as you're friendly, don't try to "make it like back home" (or complain about the fact that it isn't), the worst you'll get is a second glance. Some locations you wouldn't even get that (Lander, bunch of weirdo's flock there for NOLS ~ lol). The one thing you Might miss out on a little is some social activities. In WY, they are centered around Church and Children. Since my wife and I have neither, I have no clue if one or the other opens enough doors or if you need both. I'm guessing one or the other as my folks weren't church-goers at all.

[ElkHunter]

I can't speak for a lot of towns, but in Sheridan, you would have no problem at all. I currently live in a little town of 850 people and I can safely say you would not have a problem here either.

What I've seen in Wyoming, it's all about attitude. If you have good work ethics, are a good neighbor, and you get involved with the community, you won't have a bit of problems.

I was recently taken to the hospital in an ambulance, leaving my dog in the cabin. I told the ambulance people, don't worry about her, people saw the ambulance, somebody will take care of her. And a neighbor did. He went over and checked and took my dog over to his house. His dog and my dog play together all the time so it was an added bonus for them. The hard part was, after 5 days in the hospital, trying to figure out which one of my neighbors had my dog. I got home at 3 from the hospital and at 5 my dog come running up on the porch.

[WyoNewk]

Good luck in finding what you're looking for during your trip. If you can enjoy treeless high plains for miles and miles, you'll do fine.

Of the three communities you mentioned, you'd probably fit in quickest in Gillette. It's more of a melting pot than Sheridan or Cheyenne and has a little younger population. Since I moved to Gillette 41 years ago it has grown from 7,500 to 30,000, so the majority of working adults have come here from elsewhere, mostly from the midwest. With all the construction workers, coal miners and oil field workers, it's a blue collar, high income town. Home prices are generally a bit steep, but so are they in Sheridan. I think you could find what you're wanting within your budget in any of the cities mentioned.

Cheyenne is a larger city and much more established. It had 50K population when I moved here and still isn't much over that -- maybe 60K? It's the state capitol so has a higher percentage of state workers, a military base and a fair number of retired military. It's a nice town in my opinion, but it is windier than most and is a good distance to mountains. It is closer (100 miles) to Denver, which might be nice, and only half that distance to Fort Collins.

Sheridan is the prettiest community of the three and the smallest, but it's large enough to provide good services and good schools, and it's an easy drive to Billings if you need something Sheridan doesn't offer. It's also near the base of the Big Horn Mountains, which aids in its overall charm.

Fishing, hunting and camping are popular pastimes in all of Wyoming, and travel is a necessity. Sheridan has the mountains next door, but you'll have to drive 20-30 miles to access them. Gillette sits halfway between the Big Horns and the Black Hills, so it's a 75 mile trip to either. Cheyenne seems a bit farther from the mountains to me, but it depends on what you want in them. Sheridan is certainly closest to lots of good fishing. If you like lake fishing, Gillette has Keyhole Reservoir and State Park about 45 miles east. Again, I'm not sure about Cheyenne.

[bawha]

Originally Posted by gingeroo24

According to most people our accents aren't as bad as they thought they would be since we're from the metro area rather than northern MN. Their accents are hard even on my ears.

And we have outlawed the color purple in our house. We're die hard Packers fans and one of the few downsides to relocating would be no more Lambeau Field trips. (I'm assuming since you're a Packer fan there's a cable or satellite optional package that broadcasts their games?)

As others have stated, a little MN accent will blend in anyway because there are a lot of transplants from that region. A few of my friends let it slip once in a while which is good for a laugh.

There are packages available with Direct TV sat. feed. Fortunately they are getting enough national game coverage that there a very few games that are not available on cable. If you've made frequent trips to Lambeau over the years, you're right, that will become a thing of the past. I've made 2 voyages there and its right at 3,000 miles round trip, with some site seeing and getting lost a few times included, from central WY.

You should fit in well with any of the 3 communities you mentioned. Cheyenne will offer the most because of its size, but you'll have to contend with unrelenting wind; Sheridan is the nicest of the 3 and closest to the mountains, and Gillette offers some pretty impressive facilities/programs for younger people/kids because of the tax reveneus from coal.

[sunsprit]

If Cheyenne is an issue with "unrelenting wind", then I'd rule out Gillette, too ... very windy conditions prevalent there, too.

Sheridan, if other factors are acceptable, is not windy compared to the other two.

[gingeroo24]

On the topic of Wind...do any of you guys or your neighbors have residential wind turbines? Hubby has worked on projects putting up residential home brew type wind turbines and it seems with the excess of wind this may be something worth investing in. Or would this be kind of an oddball thing? We're not "green" hippie types by any means but it's more of a use what you have to work with idea.