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Old 01-08-2010, 04:09 PM
 
172 posts, read 471,290 times
Reputation: 50

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Just wanted to hear people's experiences with moving their family away from everyone they know to try something new/ career advancement/living the dream. I am contemplating moving my family(includes young children) away from our family here in Michigan to pursue our dreams. I won't go in to detail about the "why" of moving but I wanted to hear from those who have done it. Did you regret it? Were you able to establish a "family" with friends you met in the new location? Would you recommend it or do you think it's best to go somewhere where you know at least 1 person? We have family in other parts of the country like Chicago, Cincinnati,Phoenix and San Fran but husband doesn't want to move to any of those locations. He wants a fresh start on our own. I say having some family around is crucial. What has been your experience? Good and bad.
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Old 01-08-2010, 11:11 PM
m22
 
139 posts, read 586,203 times
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Moved to Texas 2 years ago and had the same reservations you're having, but it was a good move. We're happy to be riding out the recession in a dynamic state that's THRIVING under conservative local leadership
We miss our family, but have (no surprise) met other Michigan families in the same position, we travel home for 6 weeks out of the year & we get a lot of visitors here. Family is important, but they understand. You don't even need to go into the "why." People are leaving Michigan in droves, especially young families. We knew one person, a college friend, down here when we moved (not family), and it tugged at my heart every time I had to put this friend down as our emergency contact on school forms and such, when we had a whole network of family members up north. It's not easy, but change never is.
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Old 01-09-2010, 01:23 AM
 
282 posts, read 1,168,990 times
Reputation: 106
Quote:
Originally Posted by aquadejoe View Post
Just wanted to hear people's experiences with moving their family away from everyone they know to try something new/ career advancement/living the dream. I am contemplating moving my family(includes young children) away from our family here in Michigan to pursue our dreams. I won't go in to detail about the "why" of moving but I wanted to hear from those who have done it. Did you regret it? Were you able to establish a "family" with friends you met in the new location? Would you recommend it or do you think it's best to go somewhere where you know at least 1 person? We have family in other parts of the country like Chicago, Cincinnati,Phoenix and San Fran but husband doesn't want to move to any of those locations. He wants a fresh start on our own. I say having some family around is crucial. What has been your experience? Good and bad.
... Rough choice. I wouldn't do it again. What's the good you ask? My daughters are doing great. My boys froma second marriage have been miss ing for 8 years. All that said, from my experience, you can't/shoudln't put kids through that. Messes with thier head in some way unexplainable. Kids are the most important. You have kids, your life is over. It should be.
I've lived in 4 states. I'm back in Mich. again.I wish I knew this when I was 16. Stay where you're at for the childrens' sake.
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Old 01-09-2010, 06:28 AM
 
172 posts, read 471,290 times
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wow- two completely different responses absolutely. Can I ask the first responder how they are able to get get 6 weeks off a year from your job? What line of work are you in?
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Old 01-09-2010, 07:33 AM
 
16 posts, read 41,444 times
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We moved when our first was just 2 and stayed for 1 year. Moved back to MI for a new job and because I was pg. with #2 and wanted to be close to family again. Now 3 years later we are again moving out of state away from all family. We are not to concerned since family will visit and we will make trips back. I strongly believe you have to protect your immediate family and do what is best for them. It will be a huge adjustment but I bet you will find that your new neighbors will become like family.
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Old 01-09-2010, 08:41 AM
 
Location: Huntington Woods, MI
1,742 posts, read 4,002,191 times
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My parents moved me the summer before my freshmen year from Detroit to northern Michigan where we knew nobody. It was the most miserable 5 years of my life. (I stayed about a year after high school) I developed mental and physical problems. I still have some deep down resentment towards my parents for moving me up there when I pleaded with them not to. My parent have said if they could do it all over again, they would've just moved to a nearby suburb instead of all the way up north.
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Old 01-09-2010, 08:47 AM
 
Location: Dixie's Sunny Shore
1,366 posts, read 3,346,217 times
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We left everyone behind for VA, but had to move back to MI 4 years later. Now, 7 years later we want to move again. It's a little hard, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Family can't pay the bills. We enjoyed our 4 years in VA more than any time here in MI. I cannot wait to do it again, for good this time.
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Old 01-09-2010, 09:05 AM
 
Location: West Michigan
12,083 posts, read 38,849,310 times
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I have moved small children away from Grandparents, Cousins, Aunts/Uncles, etc.... and frankly, they do better than adults do. Of course they want to know when they can go see Grandma/Grandpa, etc... and have a hard time contemplating the new distance, but they adjust and adapt to seeing family when they can. Plus it is a great treat to spend time with family so they enjoy every second. Anyplace you go and establish friendships, they will find surrogate Aunts/Uncles and family. My kids have about 3 times the Aunts and Uncles they would have if we had stayed close to family. The friends you find that become "Aunt/Uncle" really become part of the family, sometimes closer than "real" family members.

GO!!! You have to do what is best for your family. If someplace else will provide a better life for you, then you should go. "Family" will be there, you just have yet to meet them.
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Old 01-09-2010, 11:23 AM
 
47,525 posts, read 69,687,395 times
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My kids are close to cousins in Michigan because we all vacation every summer up there together.

I grew up closer to cousins and relatives that lived in other cities or states if our parents took trips together, hiking and canoing trips, trips out west, went camping, sat around the campfire and so on than to those in the same city but didn't do that.

If you vacation there and your relatives take time off and your families do fun things together, that can work better than living nearby and taking it for granted but not making much time.
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Old 01-09-2010, 05:51 PM
 
Location: On the brink of WWIII
21,088 posts, read 29,216,093 times
Reputation: 7812
Many years after the fact, my parents said they had once thought about "following their dreams" when us kids were younger (under 10 then)...

When they were In thier 60's they sort of wished they had. They wanted to go west and buy a campground (KOA)...

The kids were all shocked!

Why didn't they do it?!

We wished they had...

Suppose we never really know what our kids are actually thinking huh?
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