I want to move but I don't know where? (relocating, jobs, cheaper)

[Abrielle]

Currently live in Tampa, Florida and I have about $1500 to travel with and no car, I enjoy walking and biking everywhere I planned to just purchase a Greyhound ticket online or Amtrak ticket to get where I wanted.

I recently visited New Orleans and loved it so much, it was and incredible place but I just didn't like how it was one big tourist trap and it got really rowdy at times but somewhere similar to that would be nice.

What I'm mostly looking for is: A good place to open a small eatery/cafe and get a nice little piece of farmland with space for a garden, horses, and goats.
-Lots of coffee shops.
-Trails and pathways for hiking or running.
-Eco friendly and green, like good farmers markets and family/local owned stores and cafes.
-Perhaps even culturally diverse, I really enjoyed all the Asian and Oriental shops and stores in New Orleans.
-Everything walking distance in town, like once I'm in town I can just walk around and browse all the stores and cafes with friends.

I hope that all doesn't sound too crazy :P but thanks for any ideas.

[MrRational]

if this gets you any dates will you let us know how it worked out for you?

[Abrielle]

Did I post this in the wrong section? Or did I word myself wrong? I'm sorry Anyways I'm going to try again? I'm looking for a nice state that has a good city/country ratio like a 30-40 drive inland to the city would be okay or less would be even better. I stayed in New Orleans for a while and I really liked it there, I would've moved in if it wasn't such a tourist trap. Thanks for any suggestions

[SCGranny]

I think (I could be wrong) that what MrRational is saying is that this post on its face appears too cute and naive and precious to be real - or realistic.

What you are describing sounds like Seattle to me. It's like New Orleans all grown up, with wonderful shops, great markets, even an amazing waterfront market. Not as touristy and yet busy with things to do, and they love their parks and greenspace there.

However - you state that you have $1500 and no car. You want to open a cafe? And buy farmland? With what? How will you haul your produce or goats to market, how will you stock your cafe, how will you run a business OR a farm, with no money and no transportation? $1500, after a bus or Amtrak ticket, won't even pay your bills for one month. My daughter, with a degree in BioMed, moved to Las Vegas with $10,000 - and six months later, as she was running out of cash (she prepaid her apartment lease for a year so she would have at least a roof that long) she finally got a job in her field to pay her bills. Are you aware that the job market is in the sewer, and that people are lining up for every job that comes open? What will you live on, how will you live?

While trees and running parks and sunshine and lots of cafes and coffee shops all sounds like so much fun, how will you pay for it all? What job skills do you have, have you ever run or owned or bought a farm or raised farm animals, and paid for their food and medications, have you ever owned a cafe or restaurant, managed a chef or a kitchen, hired waitresses?

It's fun and exciting to dream, isn't it? Now let's get down to brass tacks. And no I'm not asking you to answer these questions to me or for me - I'm asking if you are aware and have considered all of these things, because from your initial post it doesn't sound like it. Owning your own business is HARD, owning a farm is even harder. I've owned two of the former and am currently living on the latter, so trust me, I know. Unless you have help, you can't do both, and will be hard-pressed to do even one, as fun as it sounds.

Of course, if MrRational is right after all, do please let us know how that works out for you, too.

[mistygrl092]

Originally Posted by MrRational

if this gets you any dates will you let us know how it worked out for you?

Oh, MrRational, I fear you might have scared her off. Some people are new to the Net and I could tell she was sincere - maybe a bit naive and a dreamer, but sincere.

To the OP, if you come back, you cannot move with only $1500 to your name. You may well end up homeless if that is all you have. Please take the time to read more threads or search on things to get a better handle as to what it takes to relocate. Personally, I would not do it without $20K in the bank at least unless, of course, I had a fairly decent and secure job lined up.

[loose cannon]

Obama needs to just give us all travel grants.

[bouncethelight]

She didn't give a timeline in her post, so my assumption was that the cafe and/or farm were long term goals - she just wants to end up in an area where they would both be possible, at some point in the future.

I don't have an ideas on where she should go, but I do know what it's like to have plans for the future, and if you're going to move, it's definitely best to think about what you want now AND what you want in the future - so I think she's on the right track!

[MrRational]

In the absence of an actual plan or at least more realistic dream of how to go about achieving all those other things somewhere...
then where that somewhere is doesn't really matter much.
All that really matters is the short term (3-12 months?) needs for shelter and groceries.

Although SC Granny rather well nailed my point...
and Loose Cannon started a new thread on it ("possibilities and fanfare do not pay your bills")...
to expand on these I read a sugar-baby looking for someone to help with those short term (or longer) needs.

The OP is already in a destination location for a LOT of people.
A place that has ready access to many (most?) of the lifestyle amenities she alleges to seek elsewhere.

[missmc66]

I used to live in Florida it's too expensive. I am relocating myself soon.Still debating on where to go. I have researched Tx,Ok and Ks.Cheaper rent. You can always hit day labor up or register with temp agencies.If you want to work you can find it. I say go for it nothing worse than hating the city your in. In a year from now you will be so glad you moved.

[Nukem]

People have to move for different reasons. But every time somebody asks for help everybody shoves money & employment down their throats. Like that's the only thing there is in life.

Money, Jobs & employment suck everywhere! Humans are impossible to deal with no matter where you go. Employers are evil pricks everywhere. Most (normal) people despise working. Rents are too high & wages are too low no matter where you go. So you have to look to other things like climate & how pretty it is outside.

Every one of us is in hell because of money & employment. It's a black cloud hanging over all our heads every second of our lives. Money & employment will never bring happiness. You have to look to other things to be happy. So when somebody asks where is a place they might like, don't tell them about money & employment, that's not going to help at all. We all know about that. There's no way to escape it. Money & employment is the same wiping our ass, we all do it but we don't talk about it.

I'm in the position where I have to move but can't worry about money & employment. The climate in East TN. is killing me. I need to move out of here because of health issues. But I don't have a college degree, I don't have much money & all I can get are crappy minimum wage jobs. None of that matters, I still need to escape this place before it kills me. If going to a homeless shelter is where I have to end up then so be it! Hopefully it'll be in a cooler state that doesn't have a sickening 6 month+ summer with no seasons like here in East TN. This place is the worst hellhole I've ever lived in & I can't worry about unemployment rates or the dollar collapsing or another great depression coming next year or the year after. That's all stupid man-made bull**** & I just can't be bothered with it. I'm too sick to bother with all the stupid retarded crap the other humans thought up.