[JGatti]

I don't think I responded to this post. I am not LOOKING to move out of Michigan, but I am starting to think I may not have a choice. I can't find a job that pay's a decent wage to save my life. We're trying to sell our house before we get behind and lose it. We're in a debt management program trying to keep a few extra bucks in our pocket. I love Michigan, but my family is in survival mode right now just trying to hang on to what we have. I'm starting to think we might not have a choice but to move, and that stinks. My kids love their schools, my wife has a good job and is in school. But I can't find squat. With an 8 year old diabetic at home who needs care and nobody to care for him other than my wife and me. It limits our opportunities. I don't know what we'll do.

[dragon_fly_12]

Originally Posted by JGatti

I don't think I responded to this post. I am not LOOKING to move out of Michigan, but I am starting to think I may not have a choice. I can't find a job that pay's a decent wage to save my life. We're trying to sell our house before we get behind and lose it. We're in a debt management program trying to keep a few extra bucks in our pocket. I love Michigan, but my family is in survival mode right now just trying to hang on to what we have. I'm starting to think we might not have a choice but to move, and that stinks. My kids love their schools, my wife has a good job and is in school. But I can't find squat. With an 8 year old diabetic at home who needs care and nobody to care for him other than my wife and me. It limits our opportunities. I don't know what we'll do.

You may have to bite the bullet and go looking for work abroad while family stays home in MI. I know that doesn't seem logical, but what are your options? I personally know several families that have done this just to survive.

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by chance2jump

You may have to bite the bullet and go looking for work abroad while family stays home in MI. I know that doesn't seem logical, but what are your options? I personally know several families that have done this just to survive.

I've thought of that. Problem is my son again. Same issue's with me gone as here. My wife works full time and is going to school. Ever try to find a babysitter that can take on the roll of a parent? Not easy to do. During the school year they would need to get him up, test his blood sugar, feed em, give him his shots, make his lunch and take him to school. This poses a major problem for us because we really have nobody other than each other to count on. My wife works 12 hours shifts. This is part of the problem. That's a long day and amount of time she is not here, and with her in school it consumes all her free time. I just hope the foreclosed house next door that just went on the market brings some extra traffic to us.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by JGatti

I don't think I responded to this post. I am not LOOKING to move out of Michigan, but I am starting to think I may not have a choice. I can't find a job that pay's a decent wage to save my life. We're trying to sell our house before we get behind and lose it. We're in a debt management program trying to keep a few extra bucks in our pocket. I love Michigan, but my family is in survival mode right now just trying to hang on to what we have. I'm starting to think we might not have a choice but to move, and that stinks. My kids love their schools, my wife has a good job and is in school. But I can't find squat. With an 8 year old diabetic at home who needs care and nobody to care for him other than my wife and me. It limits our opportunities. I don't know what we'll do.

I know how you feel. Good schools in your neck of the woods. Not a bad place to raise a family either. Poor kid. I wouldn't be willing to trust too many people to help out.

You prob'ly have family and close friends there; with your situation I would be hell bent on not moving. You spoke on another thread about jobs in your field in the TC area. Would that be a good option?

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by YAZ

I know how you feel. Good schools in your neck of the woods. Not a bad place to raise a family either. Poor kid. I wouldn't be willing to trust too many people to help out.

You prob'ly have family and close friends there; with your situation I would be hell bent on not moving. You spoke on another thread about jobs in your field in the TC area. Would that be a good option?

It would have been. Had my wife agreed to the move. But she is against moving into northern Mi. Thing is I'm 42 years old. I have experience in a few fields but made the mistake of sticking with a company that ended up being sold. I dedicated most of my adult life and trusted the owner to do what he always said he was going to do. Long story short after the sale I was left trying to get established doing the same thing.
I started doing video work here a few years back but that went south with the economy. I also did maintenance years ago. So I guess in short I know a little about a LOT and a lot about one thing. LOL that one thing has no jobs here as of right now.
One thing I have going for me out there is I have two brothers who have in's for me to get clients getting back into video and photography for local sports teams. Other than that I got nuthin! LOL

[Peter B]

Northern Michigan is a nice place to vacation but as time goes on it becomes more and more clear that economically and career-speaking, the opportunities in this beautiful part of the world are WAY too limited. It is not a place to build a career and a fortune for retirement. I love it up here but it's time to go, the grass is a lot greener south of here.

Originally Posted by JGatti

It would have been. Had my wife agreed to the move. But she is against moving into northern Mi. Thing is I'm 42 years old. I have experience in a few fields but made the mistake of sticking with a company that ended up being sold. I dedicated most of my adult life and trusted the owner to do what he always said he was going to do. Long story short after the sale I was left trying to get established doing the same thing.
I started doing video work here a few years back but that went south with the economy. I also did maintenance years ago. So I guess in short I know a little about a LOT and a lot about one thing. LOL that one thing has no jobs here as of right now.
One thing I have going for me out there is I have two brothers who have in's for me to get clients getting back into video and photography for local sports teams. Other than that I got nuthin! LOL

[PreservationPioneer]

I left Michigan last summer. I was working part time in Lansing, and I was only getting about 10 hours a week. I was working as a parking ticket person. This was after I got my bachelor's degree in Social Work. There just weren't any jobs around, and that was all I could find. I kept applying for jobs out of state but nobody would call me back, or if they did, I couldn't afford to drive to the interviews. Eventually, I started applying at Walmarts out of state. The walmart in Pittsburgh called me and so off I went. I was able to find a very cheap apartment and make a very meager living for about three months until I landed a great job in my field at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center! I have never looked back. My advice is to just get out of Michigan any way you can. It's a black hole.

[Midas AG]

Leaving Michigan in 2 weeks, after living here for 27 years. I wasn't planning on moving so soon, but the time has come. Michigan is heading down a path that I don't think it can recover from, at least not any time soon.

My story:

I have always 'liked' Michigan, but never loved it. Never really felt like home here. After several years of floating through different colleges, looking for my 'calling', trying every form of engineering, math, physics, chemistry, until I found it. I decided that I would fulfill my childhood desire of becoming a pilot, and enrolled in Baker College of Muskegon's aviation program. Even got a job at the local airport, working ramp and ticket counter. Everythign looke good. Then the airline crash came, and I lost my job in September. I tried finding a job for a few months, then gave up. My wife and I have had a desire to move to Seattle when we graduated, but when she got accepted to Nursing school out there, we decided to move. The wait to get into a nursing program around here ranges from 2-4 years, and she got right in out in Seattle.

So while we are young and able, (as much as 25, and 27 are young and able), we are selling everythign we own, and goign to give it a go in Seattle. I have about 1.5 years to go to finish my Business, Management, and Aviation degree, which I can do online, and she will start nursing school this upcoming school year.

I understand that being in a new place won't automatically change our lives, but it can't hurt to try. Everything seemed to fall pretty much in line, it just seemed to be right. I do need to finish selling some furniture, but we are only 2 weeks away from striking out in this world, and trying some new adventures.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by chance2jump

You may have to bite the bullet and go looking for work abroad while family stays home in MI. I know that doesn't seem logical, but what are your options? I personally know several families that have done this just to survive.

It is depressing, but that is what we had to do...now we are gathering boxes and those little styroform peanuts...

[Peter B]

You are making a great decision. Seattle is wonderful place with great economy and MUCH more to offer career-wise than Michigan. The only things you'll miss from Michigan is all the hunting and cheap golf courses.

Originally Posted by Midas AG

Leaving Michigan in 2 weeks, after living here for 27 years. I wasn't planning on moving so soon, but the time has come. Michigan is heading down a path that I don't think it can recover from, at least not any time soon.

My story:

I have always 'liked' Michigan, but never loved it. Never really felt like home here. After several years of floating through different colleges, looking for my 'calling', trying every form of engineering, math, physics, chemistry, until I found it. I decided that I would fulfill my childhood desire of becoming a pilot, and enrolled in Baker College of Muskegon's aviation program. Even got a job at the local airport, working ramp and ticket counter. Everythign looke good. Then the airline crash came, and I lost my job in September. I tried finding a job for a few months, then gave up. My wife and I have had a desire to move to Seattle when we graduated, but when she got accepted to Nursing school out there, we decided to move. The wait to get into a nursing program around here ranges from 2-4 years, and she got right in out in Seattle.

So while we are young and able, (as much as 25, and 27 are young and able), we are selling everythign we own, and goign to give it a go in Seattle. I have about 1.5 years to go to finish my Business, Management, and Aviation degree, which I can do online, and she will start nursing school this upcoming school year.

I understand that being in a new place won't automatically change our lives, but it can't hurt to try. Everything seemed to fall pretty much in line, it just seemed to be right. I do need to finish selling some furniture, but we are only 2 weeks away from striking out in this world, and trying some new adventures.