Relocating to Maine from Texas (Bangor, Brunswick: house, high school, budget)

[mnew2010]

My husband's job may be relocating us to Maine from Texas. The areas of possibility are Bangor and/or Belfast. We have never been to Maine and are very nervous and we are looking for some insight from the natives. Also what are good areas for children as well as the schools. We have 4 children from Elem. to High School. Also just any helpful information that can be provided would be greatly appreciated!!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Bangor schools are good. Hampden schools are better and newer. Several towns around Belfast have good schools. I don't know about Belfast schools.

Maine needs people. If you arrive with a job you will be most welcome. That said, we do have real winters. One of your vehicles should have all wheel drive. Once you see the difference, both of your vehicles will soon be all wheel drive.

Southern vehicles get much better trade in values because they are generally rust free.

[PAhippo]

In addition to the all wheel drive vehicle, don't forget to budget for winter clothes for everyone. I imagine with a family of 6, it won't be cheap.

Maine folks are friendly but they also respect your privacy. This may come across as stand-offish to someone from away. It's not really-just another kind of friendly than what you might be used to.

[Mark S.]

Bring a lifetime supply of good tortillas, because if there are any in Maine, I haven't found them yet.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by PAhippo

In addition to the all wheel drive vehicle, don't forget to budget for winter clothes for everyone. I imagine with a family of 6, it won't be cheap.

Good point. With my four kids (a girl and three boys), I bought "unisex" the best quality winter coats and boots for the oldest, which got handed down to each of the others. For the youngest, I bought the cheapest or went to Goodwill, as it was the end of the line in terms of hand-downs and kids outgrow so quickly. My grown kids now still joke about how they had to wear boots too big for them with plastic bags stuffed in their toes, lol. Dressing little kids every day in their outerwear for winter can get real old by Feb. Teach the oldest to do it.

[mnew2010]

Thank you for some of the replies! From what we know right now they will give us an allowance for winter clothes. I did not really think of all wheel drive truck but that makes sense. Why are they stand offish toward others? We are very friendly people.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by mnew2010

Thank you for some of the replies! From what we know right now they will give us an allowance for winter clothes. I did not really think of all wheel drive truck but that makes sense. Why are they stand offish toward others? We are very friendly people.

Unless you find a home in a rural location, I wouldn't worry too much about an all-wheel vehicle. We've never had one and never needed one. Unless you have to go out in the middle of a blizzard, roads are generally kept clear. Most Maine communities do a great job of keeping the roads clear even during heavy storms.

Mainers are not unfriendly, but the social protocol is probably different that what you're used to.

Where I grew up in eastern NM (which is basically west Texas), nothing is off limits for conversation. It's just considered being neighborly. New Englanders are more private and reserved. It's not that they're unfriendly, it's that they respect your boundaries and expect you to do the same. The problem arises because folks from the south and southwest tend to have much broader boundaries than New Englanders.

Just as an example:

Person A: "Hi. How are you?"

Person B: "Doing well. My daughter has been sick, but she's on the mend."

Person B has volunteered that info about her daughter, thus telling Person A that she thinks it's okay to talk about. It is now open for conversation. However, had the conversation been more like:

Person A: "Hi. How are you?"

Person B: "Fine. How are you?"

Person A: "Fine, thanks. I hear your daughter has been sick. How is she doing?"

So even though Person A is expressing genuine concern, Person B might feel that Person A is being nosey and should mind her own business.

I will forewarn you that eventually you will run into the Cranky Yankee who has a chip on his or her shoulder about anything and everything from away. Cranky Yankee actually looks for things to get offended about and will parse every word you say. Cranky Yankee is NOT the norm. At all. 99.999% of people in Maine are friendly people who would give you the shirt off their back. But you will eventually until into that exception to the rule. When that happens, just shrug it off, smile, and go about your business. I've never run into a Cranky Yankee younger than 50, but I'm sure one or two exist somewhere.

[mnew2010]

Thank you so much for the clarification. Are you currently in Maine now?

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by mnew2010

Thank you so much for the clarification. Are you currently in Maine now?

Yup. In the Brunswick area.

I've been to Bangor several times. It's nice as big towns go, but a tad too large for my taste. It's a fun place to visit, but if I had a job in Bangor, personally I'd look for a house in one of the smaller communities outside of town. I'm just not a city person.

Never been to Belfast, but I've heard good things about it.

[mnew2010]

There is a house that I am looking at currently that is between Bangor and Ellsworth. We are wanting the smaller cities since we are coming from Dallas we want more family oriented.