The new Hobo highway? (Superior: transplants, living, cost of living)

[wyoman]

Whats happening to our country? Seems like everybody thinks that wyoming is a pot of gold yet undiscoverd? And how many of the people and families do you think will actually find what they want or terribly disapointed? Wish them all to have thier dreams fufilled- but in a 1 out of 10, what do you think?

[sixofone]

I recall a recent newscast that claimed 2 out of 3 newcomers left during the very first year. Both state agencies (notably WYDOC) and private firms are actively recruiting out-of-staters and the recruiters paint an overly rosy picture of Wyoming living. Additionally there are the land developers who aggressively market their 40 acre "ranches".

All of this adds to the inaccurate perception that Wyoming is an undiscovered paradise. When the newcomers arrive, they learn about the wind, snow, isolation and general lack of facilities that they took for granted in their more densely populated former states. The final nail in the coffin comes when they discover that the state's boom areas have a higher cost of living than the recruiter described.

We've been a state for nearly 120 years, yet there are only 500,000 Wyoming residents. That's not because we're a well kept secret, that's because it takes a certain type of person to love Wyoming.

Caveat emptor

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by sixofone

I recall a recent newscast that claimed 2 out of 3 newcomers left during the very first year. Both state agencies (notably WYDOC) and private firms are actively recruiting out-of-staters and the recruiters paint an overly rosy picture of Wyoming living. Additionally there are the land developers who aggressively market their 40 acre "ranches".

All of this adds to the inaccurate perception that Wyoming is an undiscovered paradise. When the newcomers arrive, they learn about the wind, snow, isolation and general lack of facilities that they took for granted in their more densely populated former states. The final nail in the coffin comes when they discover that the state's boom areas have a higher cost of living than the recruiter described.

We've been a state for nearly 120 years, yet there are only 500,000 Wyoming residents. That's not because we're a well kept secret, that's because it takes a certain type of person to love Wyoming.

Caveat emptor

I actually saw a job posting that required the applicants to prove a connection to the area. I guess they had a lot of turnover from "foreigners" who came for the better pay and decided that it wasn't worth it.

[Cloudfish]

I actually saw a job posting that required the applicants to prove a connection to the area.

I don't doubt that at all.... When I was doing the hiring for our company I learned the hard way. First, when a position came open, I'd get resumes from all over the country---and then when I would do all of the call backs the vast majority did not even know where Wyoming was (literally)---turns out I was getting a lot of "blanket" resumes. Of those that actually were interested only a select few even entertained the idea of moving here--and that was one of my prerequisites. I hired quite a few from "back east." Not a single one of them stayed more than a year.

The weather turned out to be the number one cause, followed closely by the inability to let go of the "we did it this way in XYZ city."

Needless to say that after those lessons I would only hire somebody that was at least from this region. You really need to want to live here....

[Dangerous Dave]

Originally Posted by Cloudfish

I don't doubt that at all.... When I was doing the hiring for our company I learned the hard way. First, when a position came open, I'd get resumes from all over the country---and then when I would do all of the call backs the vast majority did not even know where Wyoming was (literally)---turns out I was getting a lot of "blanket" resumes. Of those that actually were interested only a select few even entertained the idea of moving here--and that was one of my prerequisites. I hired quite a few from "back east." Not a single one of them stayed more than a year.

The weather turned out to be the number one cause, followed closely by the inability to let go of the "we did it this way in XYZ city."

Needless to say that after those lessons I would only hire somebody that was at least from this region. You really need to want to live here....

I must admit that the better pay helped to draw me in, but the weather does not bother me one bit. It's been pretty nice so far, and it sure beats the 130 degree low desert. Snow? pfffft. I grew up 100 yards from Lake Superior... snow drifts that would bury the house. Roads closed for two to three days at a time... and that was in April! C'mon. Parts of this country don't see their grass from November until nearly June. I could mow mine right now! The weather ain't nuthin! You're hiring a bunch of wimps!

Atually, the lack of wimps drew me here too. I hope it does snow so hard that the roads are shut down for a week... it chases the daisies away!

[Clay Lady]

A major news station (I don't remember which one) reported recently that the aging baby boomers were settling in Wyoming and Montana instead of Florida because of the clean air, cheaper housing, and life style. I had to laugh at whoever got paid for that report. The winter weather is a serious concern - a very serious concern for older people needing regular medical care. Housing is cheaper in most areas compared to most big cities or either coast. The type of work that is drawing men to work in Wyoming isn't for everyman year round nor for their families.

[snowbunnie]

Why don't you just come out and say what you REALLY feel and that is you don't want anyone to come and live in Wyoming. But instead you all post messages that warn, Oh, don't come it's too hard, there will be a bust, you'll never handle the wind and weather so on and so on and so on....Look, if someone comes to Wyoming and they don't like the wind, weather, lack of stores, snow, shut down roads, etc. etc. then at least they tried it and they can leave! But it's a FREE COUNTRY and they can at least TRY IT! So why don't you just back off cause the road goes two ways you can certainly come to our state and no one can stop you and we are here to welcome you. At least just be honest and don't pretend to want to warn people when the truth is you just don't want them. But these messages aren't fooling anyone. And life is about well I've tried this and I've experienced that. For goodness sake, how will anyone know until they've tried. So they don't like it when they get there and leave what's it to ya?

[swamp lily]

Originally Posted by wyoman

Whats happening to our country? Seems like everybody thinks that wyoming is a pot of gold yet undiscoverd? And how many of the people and families do you think will actually find what they want or terribly disapointed? Wish them all to have thier dreams fufilled- but in a 1 out of 10, what do you think?

Since I'm relatively new to reading this forum, I will assume that Wyoman didn't really mean the tag line of this thread to be so insulting as it sounds to an out of area guy going to move to Wyoming.
People didn't call me a Hobo when I joined the United States Navy in '71.
Nobody called me a Hobo when I was elected to the City Council for a couple of years. (a lot of other names, but not that )
I don't remember my graduation certification from the police academy mentioning being careful on the Hobo Road.
Sooooooo, as a newbie Hobo, coming from Florida, (we call it God's waiting room), any of you veteran Hobo's want to trade snow and wind for a couple of hurricanes a year doing their best to kill you with 150 mph winds and a 12 foot storm surge (gets real dicey when you live in an area that's only about 6 feet above sea level
Trying to be light hearted about this, and just let you know that Mother Nature and Darwin will weed out the one's that shouldn't be there. Hope I can do it as well as you folks seem to have.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. Whether you agree or not- I feel better!Harry

[Dea13]

I actually find threads warning of how bad the weather is and how dense the population is to be a little funny. Unless you live in the mountains, I'd trade a winter in Wyoming to a winter in Northern WI, MN or MI any day! As for people, once the tourists leave northern WI you'd think many of the towns were ghost towns.

I don't take this as telling people to stay away, I take it more as telling people to think it through and do your research. It's like a romance. The rose-colored glasses are on in the beginning and everything is beautiful and new. Then the newness wears off and shining armor starts to tarnish. You wouldn't get married after knowing someone for a week (hopefully) and you shouldn't make a decision to move based off a one or two-week vacation during a time of year when the weather is probably optimal.

Hate to put words in your mouth, Wyoman but none of your other posts have led me to believe you try to discourage anyone from moving to Wyoming. We do the same with people wanting to move to WI, know the weather because it can and will be worse than you imagine. We stress the snow and cold but those are still the things that drive the transplants out - they say they never really imagined what it would be like and that is lasts for so many months.

Dea

[swamp lily]

Dea- thanks for the clarifying. I figured as much, so I tried to put a silly spin on my comments.
You folks are absolutely correct about doing your homework. I think your marriage anology was spot on, Dea. It is a major life event to relocate to a different clime and it's hard to believe so many people move to, what they think will be a fantasy, only to realize it's a nightmare.
Oh well, I lived many years in upstate NY, so I'm familiar with the extremes- both snow and wind, so HOPEFULLY, I'll be able to tough out the bad, because there's so much good up there. Harry