[MovingtoOK]

Ok, here's my sob story. You can rip on me if you want. I'm moving to the Norman area. For one, can't find a place. The ones I want are gone. The rest.....I have a wife and 5 kids. They wont join me until 6 months, probably longer. So, I'll be out there myself. I'm getting depressed at the thought of leaving them behind. In addition, to all the fun we have here in Michigan. All the things we know, like the car shows I go to with my old car and family, the outdoor museum of old buildings, the art fairs, the carnivals, the parks. The whole family (wife,kids,parents etc.) at Christmas and other times. My life out there as near as I can tell will be tv, computer games and boredom. If I could find a job here in Michigan, I'd stay. But, Michigan is on life support, so that's out. I love the scenery here in Mich, the lakes, the forests, the waterfalls and hills up north. Not sure what's there. Going by what I've always heard...it's flat and nearly treeless. Well, I'll go back into my world of depression....

[_redbird_]

Originally Posted by MovingtoOK

Ok, here's my sob story. You can rip on me if you want. I'm moving to the Norman area. For one, can't find a place. The ones I want are gone. The rest.....I have a wife and 5 kids. They wont join me until 6 months, probably longer. So, I'll be out there myself. I'm getting depressed at the thought of leaving them behind. In addition, to all the fun we have here in Michigan. All the things we know, like the car shows I go to with my old car and family, the outdoor museum of old buildings, the art fairs, the carnivals, the parks. The whole family (wife,kids,parents etc.) at Christmas and other times. My life out there as near as I can tell will be tv, computer games and boredom. If I could find a job here in Michigan, I'd stay. But, Michigan is on life support, so that's out. I love the scenery here in Mich, the lakes, the forests, the waterfalls and hills up north. Not sure what's there. Going by what I've always heard...it's flat and nearly treeless. Well, I'll go back into my world of depression....

Well, first, sorry to hear you are having to leave your family in MI while you move down here. You need to focus on finding a place and put your pity party on the shelf for awhile. Also, if you move anywhere with that attitude, you may need to borrow a sharp knife from someone.

Norman, of all places in OK, is not boring. Lamenting over what you are leaving behind is normal, but don't let it make you hate where you are going, especially since you know next to nothing about the Norman area.

Good luck on your move.

[MovingtoOK]

Originally Posted by _redbird_

Well, first, sorry to hear you are having to leave your family in MI while you move down here. You need to focus on finding a place and put your pity party on the shelf for awhile. Also, if you move anywhere with that attitude, you may need to borrow a sharp knife from someone.

Norman, of all places in OK, is not boring. Lamenting over what you are leaving behind is normal, but don't let it make you hate where you are going, especially since you know next to nothing about the Norman area.

Good luck on your move.

Thanks..yeah, I'm a downer..I admit it. Guess it's because I'm 45 and have never lived anyplace but here in Michigan. I'm just used to knowing where everything is, what's around and all....any good places to maybe find pics of the area online??

[Annemieke Roell]

Originally Posted by MovingtoOK

Thanks..yeah, I'm a downer..I admit it. Guess it's because I'm 45 and have never lived anyplace but here in Michigan. I'm just used to knowing where everything is, what's around and all....any good places to maybe find pics of the area online??

I agree with RedBird 100%.

Why isn't your family coming with you right away? Sounds like a bad idea, considering your state of mind.

I made some major moves in my life. Once from Europe to MA when I was 23 leaving behind my parents and siblings and everything I ever knew. The second time I moved from MA to OK for a better life, leaving behind my new family. That was possibly the hardest thing I ever had to do.

But you know what? That last move was also the best thing I ever did for myself. The quality of my life has improved considerably.

So ...... pull your big boy pants up and get going. Are you looking to rent or buy a house? If you are looking to buy, send me your email address and property criteria and I can send you listings. You'll have to find your own realtor because I don't have a sales license.

[Annemieke Roell]

Here you go ..... Google is your friend


City of Norman, Oklahoma

[MovingtoOK]

Originally Posted by Annemieke Roell

I agree with RedBird 100%.

Why isn't your family coming with you right away? Sounds like a bad idea, considering your state of mind.

I made some major moves in my life. Once from Europe to MA when I was 23 leaving behind my parents and siblings and everything I ever knew. The second time I moved from MA to OK for a better life, leaving behind my new family. That was possibly the hardest thing I ever had to do.

But you know what? That last move was also the best thing I ever did for myself. The quality of my life has improved considerably.

So ...... pull your big boy pants up and get going. Are you looking to rent or buy a house? If you are looking to buy, send me your email address and property criteria and I can send you listings. You'll have to find your own realtor because I don't have a sales license.

My family isn't coming until I'm sure the new job works out, and I see if I think we'd like OK. And, it's too late in the year to pull them all out of school. I'm looking to rent first. Then we'd sell our home here if all works out.

[Emery'sMommy]

All of those things you mentioned about Michigan are here in Oklahoma as well...you just have to do some research to know when and where to find them all. I'd recommend visiting the museums on the weekend, taking trips to some of the state parks and visiting Tulsa- it is completely different from the Okc area. Full of hills and has a different vibe.
Norman is a great town, plenty to see and do. Keep yourself as active as possible- getting outside after work even if it's just a short walk will do wonders for your attitude. You might also look into an apt/rental that allows dogs...having a pet to take care of might keep you from getting too down as well.
Find a hobby...golf, biking, running, etc. that gets you outdoors amongst other people.

Oklahoma has a lot to offer for you and your family- I hope you give it a try and stay positive. That will make all the difference.

[MojoMadness]

I read your post and am happy that I can maybe help a bit. I moved to Norman in '96 and have loved it ever since! Just to help you with some evidence that it's a great town here is a link where we were in CNN's Money top 100 best small cities. We were voted number 6! [url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/top100/]Best places to live 2008 - Top 100: 1-25 - from MONEY Magazine[/url]

Anyway, there is a ton of things to do here. We have museums, botanical gardens, numerous parks, zoos, etc. Norman and OKC area has many fairs and events like the Mid-evil fair, Jazz in June, the Arts festival, etc. There are car shows in OKC during the summer for sure, although we've never been auto people, so I couldn't give you more info than that.

Campus Corner is just south of downtown right off of the OU campus. It has a lot of small shops and restaraunts. NY Pizza is one of our favorites as well. If you like pubs there are a few there too, with live music often. There is a huge music festival downtown, but I can't remember the month that it is in.

Because there is OK's largest University in Norman, there really is a lot to keep those students happy. My only issue is that when school is in, traffic is a bit congested.

Central OK is pretty flat but there are lots of areas that are not. Lake Thunderbird is only 20 min away from Norman city limits and is very large and has lots of trails and picnic/camping areas.I moved here from Northeast OK and it's true that NE OK is way prettier and has brown soil instead of red clay, but it's nothing to complain about.

OKC is only 30 minutes away, and has a lot of things to do, especially downtown in Bricktown. They are doing a lot to revitalize that area. Overall, I think if you will come with an open mind, you will find Norman a wonderful place to live with your family.

[okcgal]

Sorry that the economy is in such poor shape. You are forgetting those other people in the household who surely does not want to be uprooted. You must take the lead role and change your mindset to embrace new and exciting challenges. Expect good things to happen and they are more likely to come true. We do have lakes in the area if you like water sports and camping, Lake Murray in Ardmore is a 2 hour drive south of Oklahoma City, Turner Falls Park is 1.5 hours away. Lake of the Arbuckles is 45 minutes away, Arcadia lake in Edmond is 15 minutes from OKC, Lake Hefner 20 minutes is popular with sail boats and parasailers, Eufaula Lake is 2.25 hours away. Arbuckle Wilderness is a wild animal park that you drive through also south of OKC. In OKC there is a zoo, science museum, Remington Park Raceway for horse racing, the softball nationals are held here each year, National Softball hall of fame with yearly events, OU Sooner Football, NBA, ice skating, hockey, Chesapeake Boathouse for kayaking and rowing. As for the house, there is one around the corner from me for rent with a swimming pool. I did work in Norman until 1 year ago and it took me 15-20 minutes to drive. Call Malone Properties 405-670-1411 at least that is the number off their web site. The address is 5404 Embers Drive, Oklahoma City. This would be a good house centralized between Bricktown 10 minute drive and work. A new mall is 5 minutes away with lots of eating establishments everywhere you go in OKC. Good Luck!

[Okey Dokie]

I went through the same thing 3.5 years ago when I moved to OKC. Neither my husband nor I wanted to come but we had to move due to my job (no staying - old job was abolished). Anyway, we've made an extra effort to seek out new things and activities even if we hadn't been interested in them in the past. Right after we moved the newspaper had a list of 50 Oklahoma restaurants you can not miss and we have been making an effort to go to a lot of them. But you must make an effort to seek out things to do. I am now retired and looking to return back where I came from, but I must say I will miss OKC a lot.

You say you can't find a place to live in Norman. If Norman is anything like Lawrence, KS (a college town I am very familiar with) most rentals are full until school lets out in May and then you'll probably have your pick of places to live.

I don't know your religious inclinations, but Oklahoma City is very church oriented and there are many huge congregations that offer some of activity nearly every evening of the week, especially for kids. I recommend connecting with one not only for the spiritual aspects but also it's a great way to meet nice people and get involved in things.

Good luck!