Pennsylvania to Missouri? (Kansas City, St. Louis, Rolla: fit in, transplants, for sale)

[stuckinatrumanshow]

My husband & I are seriously considering moving to Missouri. Anyone else done this?
We'd be moving pretty much on a whim, selling off what we own here, donating the rest & only taking what can fit in my car. We know some people who live out there & could probably crash at their place for a week until we find a new home/jobs. I work fast food now & can do that pretty much anywhere. He's a fabricator so again, he can work anywhere.
I'd like to have enough cash in my pocket for a cheap/temp rental until we find something better. So with any luck we can swing that.

We have no kids, I have no parents & his parents are insane. Both of our families (with the exception of my sister) are backstabbing ingrates (this is not a rant, this is years of observations, we don't associate with most of them) whom we can't see ourselves missing. Though they may miss us.
My sister will be sad, but she's got her own life to live. I'm almost 30yrs old & have never lived anywhere but right here. I've been wanting to move for the last 10yrs & it's getting to the 'now or never' point.

Are we crazy? A small part of me keeps saying 'what are you nuts?' I've never lived anywhere else, this is my home. But at the same time I need this, I don't want to grow old & gray never having taken this chance.

So I guess what I'm asking is, has anyone else been here/done this? How did it turn out? Do you regret it?

[racer56]

I say go for it. Depending on what part of Missouri you land you will start at 7.50-9.00 and your husband if he tig welds well will be around 12-16 to start roughly. I don't know what you guys make there now but this will get you in the ballpark for what wages are here for that type of work. Always a need for both types of work.
We have left with not much more than what we had in the car before we had kids and I can tell you we didn't regret it. You guys are young so now is the time. Welcome to Missouri!!!

[aragx6]

Where in Missouri are you thinking about? What makes Missouri seem like a good option? I definitely think it can be done; best of luck!

[christina0001]

Life is short, go for it!
I consider myself a Jersey girl but I did live in rural northeastern PA for several years. HATED IT. When I first moved to MO I started out in the Kansas City 'burbs but ended up in the rural Ozarks. And I LOVE it. Go figure! Jobs are scarce in the most rural areas so I would stick to the more populated areas to get jobs, at least until you get your feet wet so to speak.
If you give it six months, a year, and it just doesn't feel right, you CAN always go home...or try somewhere else.

[7gkids]

We lived in the same house for 39 years and decided to move when we retired! We love it! I say,Go for It! Nice to get rid of 39 years of clutter!!

[moving46]

go for it and enjoy. I got divorced and took off for the mountains and have never looked back. be happy!

[sequoia14]

Might be smart to secure a job before you go. Also might want to look up some housing in the areas that you want to live to make sure you can afford it. Some places pay less, some more. All over, jobs are pretty scarce even in retail. Best of luck!

[ozarksboy]

Originally Posted by stuckinatrumanshow

My husband & I are seriously considering moving to Missouri. Anyone else done this?
We'd be moving pretty much on a whim, selling off what we own here, donating the rest & only taking what can fit in my car.

Are we crazy?

So I guess what I'm asking is, has anyone else been here/done this? How did it turn out? Do you regret it?

A lot of folks have done this, and many of them wish they hadn't.
Many transplants live here in Rolla, and every single one of them I have talked to gripes about living in a small town with nothing to do.
Of course, the natives do the same.
My response is always the same, "If you don't like what life in Rolla offers, leave."
That is why I like to ask wannabes: "Why Missouri? What do you expect us to provide for you? What do you offer us?"

[7gkids]

We did it and the only thing I regret is not puttiing our house up for sale sooner. Now we have a home sitting empty. We should have tried to sell our home before we moved.

As far as our new town.....we love it. My husband has been wanting to live here for years and he wishes we had moved a long time ago. The people are great and the neighbors have been wonderful!!

[GunnerTHB]

Originally Posted by stuckinatrumanshow

My husband & I are seriously considering moving to Missouri. Anyone else done this?
We'd be moving pretty much on a whim, selling off what we own here, donating the rest & only taking what can fit in my car. We know some people who live out there & could probably crash at their place for a week until we find a new home/jobs. I work fast food now & can do that pretty much anywhere. He's a fabricator so again, he can work anywhere.
I'd like to have enough cash in my pocket for a cheap/temp rental until we find something better. So with any luck we can swing that.

We have no kids, I have no parents & his parents are insane. Both of our families (with the exception of my sister) are backstabbing ingrates (this is not a rant, this is years of observations, we don't associate with most of them) whom we can't see ourselves missing. Though they may miss us.
My sister will be sad, but she's got her own life to live. I'm almost 30yrs old & have never lived anywhere but right here. I've been wanting to move for the last 10yrs & it's getting to the 'now or never' point.

Are we crazy? A small part of me keeps saying 'what are you nuts?' I've never lived anywhere else, this is my home. But at the same time I need this, I don't want to grow old & gray never having taken this chance.

So I guess what I'm asking is, has anyone else been here/done this? How did it turn out? Do you regret it?

Whatever you decide I wish you luck and happiness. With that being said you need to do a significant amount of research first. Missouri isn't homogenous & the state is completely different depending on where you go. Not sure what part of PA you currently live but things in most of this state move at a slower pace than much of the East Coast. Familiarize yourself with Missouri culture (Not stereotypes) and make your decision accordingly. Like Ozarksboy said, many that move here from far away places end up regretting it. I would say that the least amount of culture shock for you would be if you stayed near St. Louis.