18 years old, thinking of moving to WY (Cheyenne, Casper: apartments, rentals)

[Twotoned]

I'll be graduating from High School soon. I don't plan to pursue a college career, but I probably will go to some kind of trade or technical school. I have saved up money from working over the summer (maybe enough to make a move, but i'll obviously need to get a job very soon after doing so).

Right now I live in Northen Virginia, which has a very high cost of living (my family, however, does not have that much money, so I could not expect any financial aid from parents or siblings.) So after graduating, it would be impossible to live in this area. I want to move after working the next summer after my grad., either moving to a city with a school I plan to attend, or going to the school and then moving.

Either way, I'm interested in Wyoming as a place I'd like to live (I know it's very different from northern VA, but i don't like it here at all so that's no problem ), but I don't know anything about the different cities. I've been looking around at the other threads about different cities like Casper and Buffalo and Cody, but I don't know what to expect or really what to look for.

Basically, do you think it would be possible for a fresh-out-of-high-school 18 or 19 year old with a few thousand dollars saved up (like 5 or 6) to make a move to Wyoming? (if i run out of money before i were to find a job it might be hard getting back to VA so it's got to at least be possible to find some means of living ) If so, what cities would you suggest I look at?

I know with the economy the way it is and my lack of a college education it'll be hard to move ANYwhere, but I still wanna give it a shot.

Thanks for any help you can provide, and sorry for making you read all that text up there

[jody_wy]

There is Wyo Tech in Laramie, My broter went to a tech school in Casper for Machiney Operation.He work constuction and mining , operating scrapers, haul trucks, blades, Cats,Electric and hydralic shovels.

[sunsprit]

At 18, with a HS Diploma ... and a willingness to work, you'll be able to find a job somewhere in Wyoming. The problem is, will it be enough money to live on? Unless you've got some special skills and training, you're "just another" hand, and the pay rates for unskilled labor around here are pretty low. Don't expect more than $10/hr with no benefits, perhaps $12/hr. Can you get enough hours in a week to make a go of it here? A lot will depend upon your willingness to live very inexpensively, and the availability of low cost housing ... which may not be available. Food service jobs where you don't earn tips pay very low wages, typically minimum wage ... which is not enough to live on without working a huge number of hours per week, and you'll rarely get that many shifts to work.

In the current economy, there's been a lot of lay-offs and cut-backs in the area, and the bigger paying jobs are filled with folks already here and established. The jobs that aren't quite so good still have a lot of capable and qualified people to fill those positions.

Have you checked on the availability of scholarships or aid for any of the Vo-Techs, such as WyoTech, or any of the manufacturer sponsored programs? Diesel techs are in demand, as are automotive techs with quality training. Trades programs are down at some of the schools right now; LCCC in Cheyenne closed down it's building trades and similar programs a year ago. They've still go their auto trades program, but you'll still need to get a decent paying job to afford tuition and housing and other costs of living.

I'd suggest you follow the wyoming at work website for possible jobs, and then ... if it looks like a possible job opportunity for you is in the making, check on the availability of affordable housing in the vicinity. You'll need to line this stuff up before you come out here if it looks like you're about to burn bridges back in VA, otherwise ... the outcome could be less than good.

You will need a dependable and reliable car, too, before heading out here. The distances folks normally drive for a lot of activities are pretty far compared to the densely populated eastern USA.

Good luck in making your move, wherever it takes you ....

[rmmoore]

Good point about driving distances. We tend to forget about that once you live here for a while. We don't tend to think about it too much, because most everything is "a ways" away once you leave town. Hopping in the car and driving a 100 miles one way, or more, isn't a big deal, and certainly isn't uncommon. We'll go to Casper for a day and be home that night to sleep in our own bed. It's a 185 miles one way. Cabella's is 100 miles one way, and we'll make an afternoon out of that and be home in time for dinner. We generally don't think about distance in miles, but hours to get there.

And, once you leave "town", there isn't a whole lot of "civilization" until the next town, and that might pretty small compared to what you're used to. I've driven a 100 miles and not seen another car. It's rare, but it happens. I helped a family that was broke down last year, I was the first person they saw in over an hour. The point? Get a DEPENDABLE automobile!!!!!!! There are many places where "towns" are 75-100 miles apart. Keep that in mind. Peace and solitude are wonderful travel companions, but not so good when you're in a bind.

[rmmoore]

In case you're wondering, I travel for my work quite a lot, and cover almost all of Wyoming, as well as other border States too. So I get a LOT of windshield time. About 35,000 miles a year, on my Company truck. Plus my personal one. I carry a LOT of Emergency equipment, especially in the winter. Some folks don't, you decide for yourself.

[wyoquilter]

Originally Posted by Twotoned

I'll be graduating from High School soon. I don't plan to pursue a college career, but I probably will go to some kind of trade or technical school. I have saved up money from working over the summer (maybe enough to make a move, but i'll obviously need to get a job very soon after doing so).

Right now I live in Northen Virginia, which has a very high cost of living (my family, however, does not have that much money, so I could not expect any financial aid from parents or siblings.) So after graduating, it would be impossible to live in this area. I want to move after working the next summer after my grad., either moving to a city with a school I plan to attend, or going to the school and then moving.

Either way, I'm interested in Wyoming as a place I'd like to live (I know it's very different from northern VA, but i don't like it here at all so that's no problem ), but I don't know anything about the different cities. I've been looking around at the other threads about different cities like Casper and Buffalo and Cody, but I don't know what to expect or really what to look for.

Basically, do you think it would be possible for a fresh-out-of-high-school 18 or 19 year old with a few thousand dollars saved up (like 5 or 6) to make a move to Wyoming? (if i run out of money before i were to find a job it might be hard getting back to VA so it's got to at least be possible to find some means of living ) If so, what cities would you suggest I look at?

I know with the economy the way it is and my lack of a college education it'll be hard to move ANYwhere, but I still wanna give it a shot.

Thanks for any help you can provide, and sorry for making you read all that text up there

Like someone else posted look into the tech schools in Laramie. Laramie has one of the best auto mechanic schools this side of the Mississippi River their other tech schools are pretty good too.

Given your age you might be able to qualify for a grant which will help greatly in paying for schooling and books. As far as housing goes, you might be able to roommate with someone and share housing expenses. Being that Laramie is a college town I'm sure that there are plenty of other young folks trying to stretch their money as well.

Check to see if there is some type of forum or puplic space on University Of WY website where you can look to see if someone is looking for a roommate or if you can post that you'd be interested in rooming with someone.

But before you do that check into grants or scholarships or student loans and jobs first. Good Luck to you and I hope you find your path.

[WyoNewk]

Wyoming also has some good community colleges which offer some great programs and majors. In Gillette, where I live, the school has recently expanded its diesel technology programs, and a good job upon graduation is just about a sure thing. They also offer programs in nursing, surveying, welding, and industrial electricity, just to name a few. Scholarships and grants are available.

[StealthRabbit]

I highly recommend WyoTech, as the content is good & the grads do well. But.... I would recommend trying a few occupations during this period in life. (BEFORE committing to a career). If you are a good worker, and company likes you, they may pay for edu, or at least help. WY has some great places, but as mentioned, the cost of living is a potential barrier. I would saturate the main cities for job potential. Starting with places with schools and potential jobs, but not at the center of mining / energy jobs, as costs are higher there. Try Laramie, Sheridan, Buffalo, Powell.

You might consider Rapid City as a potential step to WY. Jobs might be more plentiful and cost of living less. Hopefully enough opportunities to allow you to try a few careers. I did 3 jobs at a time + school during age 15 to 25 to help determine my career plans. I actually like working 3 part-time jobs, but I always had a fulltime evening job and part-time seasonal / weekend work. At age 18, a week at Caterpillar Factory in Peoria helped me to pursue Tool and Diemaking career, it worked good for ~ 30 yrs, and was really good training and super good pay. During better times it would be good for you to get a job at a truck shop (Heavy Trucks). You will get some exposure to mechanic-ing, parts, employees, and it could help you decide on that direction. Some car shops may be ok, but I think the pay and work competition is better with trucks / heavy equipment. (+ I prefer to work nights / evenings = more pay and days free for farming / recreation, or... racing motorcycles at your age). Autobody is a tough trade, but very satisfying and well paying for the few who are excellent and FAST. (FAST is terribly important for auto mechanics, you better enjoy 'Zooming' at hyper speed the rest of your life.)

I would look into environmental sciences, as watershed, wastewater, hydraulic / soils technicians and engineers are in demand. Energy is good too, as many ole-timers will be leaving great gov jobs in next few yrs. 'Power operator' for a utility (switching loads on transmission lines) is very well paying ($80k - $120k) and pretty EZ. Linemen are/will be in short supply. I have friends who worked for Bureau of Reclamation and public water / irrigation resources that lived in the woods and rode around on snowmobiles checking snowpack in winter, and used horse and 4x4 in summer to check high lake water quality. Some friends that work for Bonneville Power make in excess of $150,000 with overtime. The pay for equipment operators / truck drivers was $35/hr last I checked. double time for OT + great benefits and little stress. Power transmission and 'Smart-Grid' will be a great skill / background in the near future. You can start at a local Power utility and work your way up, or get your edu and (HOPE) you can join a gov agency. (That can take YEARS...)

I would look to farming / ag centric communities for a friendlier / helpful / less cost of living (less pay too) place to plug in.

Dig in and have a great experience,

[Twotoned]

Thank you all for your very helpful responses
Lot's of good advice.

[sixofone]

Originally Posted by Twotoned

I'll be graduating from High School soon. I don't plan to pursue a college career, but I probably will go to some kind of trade or technical school. I have saved up money from working over the summer (maybe enough to make a move, but i'll obviously need to get a job very soon after doing so).

Right now I live in Northen Virginia, which has a very high cost of living (my family, however, does not have that much money, so I could not expect any financial aid from parents or siblings.) So after graduating, it would be impossible to live in this area. I want to move after working the next summer after my grad., either moving to a city with a school I plan to attend, or going to the school and then moving.

Either way, I'm interested in Wyoming as a place I'd like to live (I know it's very different from northern VA, but i don't like it here at all so that's no problem ), but I don't know anything about the different cities. I've been looking around at the other threads about different cities like Casper and Buffalo and Cody, but I don't know what to expect or really what to look for.

Basically, do you think it would be possible for a fresh-out-of-high-school 18 or 19 year old with a few thousand dollars saved up (like 5 or 6) to make a move to Wyoming? (if i run out of money before i were to find a job it might be hard getting back to VA so it's got to at least be possible to find some means of living ) If so, what cities would you suggest I look at?

I know with the economy the way it is and my lack of a college education it'll be hard to move ANYwhere, but I still wanna give it a shot.

Thanks for any help you can provide, and sorry for making you read all that text up there

I can't blame anyone for wanting too escape NoVA, but there are a lot of very unhappy people who spent their last dollar moving to Wyoming, and once they arrived found themselves jobless and broke. Wyo is a great place to live, but there's no magic here. Even though things are better here than in some other places, the recession has still hit us hard. Here's some things you may wish to consider.

1. Get a job lined up first. The "wyomingatwork.com" web site is a good place to start. If you can pass a physical, background check and drug test, you might want to check out corrections jobs in Torrington, Rawlins or Lusk. All 3 prisons are recruiting heavily and the pay and benefits are far better than an unskilled HS grad will make elsewhere.

2. Once you have a job, check out housing in the area. Rentals are scarce in most Wyo towns. If you have a pet, things are doubly bad. Some folks are facing a painful choice between keeping a beloved pet and having a place to live.

3. Understand that Wyoming is far, far, different than where you're living now. Our largest cities only have 50,000-60,000 people, and most towns are small and isolated. That means that many things you take for granted (malls, restaurants, apartments, night clubs, etc) will be rare or non-existent here. Limited population means limited choice.

Best of luck where ever you may go.