Moving from Cancun to San Diego (San Francisco, Chula Vista: apartment, rental, good hotel)

[Bamtastic]

Hello there!

I'm 24, I live in Cancun with my parents and I wish to move on and relocate to San Diego.

I was born at SD, but my family decided to move to Cancun, Mexico (Where I currently live) when I was young (4 years old). Luckily, I have close family here that can help me lending me a room at their house for the first 2-3 months while I'm looking for a job, after the job's settled I would start looking for housing near workplace. I'm planning to move on early February, and my parent's are willing to support me financially the first months.

I work as the graphic designer of a good hotel company and the job is good but.. pay here in Mexico isn't great and cost of living in Cancun is expensive (I know that San Diego is also expensive, but salaries here in Mexico are really low...), I also have some freelance graphic design work available sometimes, but it isn't constant because of my current day job. I wouldn't mind finding new employment and living a new experience..

I was wondering if someone could help me with tips and advice for this big decision. I'm single, no kids, no debt, I have a savings account for any emergency. I love going to concerts, museums, longboarding, and I'm really interested in the entertainment industry.

What's the job market like down there (In Graphic Design / Creative Industry)? How about the cost of living, housing? What are the good neighborhoods? The bad?

What are the people like? I used to visit San Diego and most California for vacations when I was younger, but I haven't visited recently.

I would fully appreciate any opinions and feedback.

Thank you!

Ivan.

[malcorub16]

I presume you have citizenship here in the US since you were born here, but have you ever worked or gone to school here? What part of town does your family here in SD live in.

The important thing is to find a job to pay the bills, see if the hotel you work for is connected with any hotels here in San Diego, that might help you land a job faster. I know it's probably not the "career" path but you don't want to be stuck out here without steady income. Then you can start finding a job that you really want to do while you are already here.

As far as what the people are like...? It depends on where you live and what industry you choose to work in. Some people like to write off San Diegans as being pretentious or a bunch of lazy surfer dudes....but its a big city of 3.5 million and everyone is different and seems to be from somewhere else in the country/world, if not... their parents are from somewhere else.

It sounds like you have plenty of safety nets including your family here and the one back home that's willing to support you for a while. Your still young, c'mon back to your hometown and rediscover yourself.

[echo42]

Two ways to derive citizenship at birth:
Jus Soli
Jus Sanguinis

[Bamtastic]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

I presume you have citizenship here in the US since you were born here, but have you ever worked or gone to school here? What part of town does your family here in SD live in.

The important thing is to find a job to pay the bills, see if the hotel you work for is connected with any hotels here in San Diego, that might help you land a job faster. I know it's probably not the "career" path but you don't want to be stuck out here without steady income. Then you can start finding a job that you really want to do while you are already here.

As far as what the people are like...? It depends on where you live and what industry you choose to work in. Some people like to write off San Diegans as being pretentious or a bunch of lazy surfer dudes....but its a big city of 3.5 million and everyone is different and seems to be from somewhere else in the country/world, if not... their parents are from somewhere else.

It sounds like you have plenty of safety nets including your family here and the one back home that's willing to support you for a while. Your still young, c'mon back to your hometown and rediscover yourself.

Thank you for answering! Yes, I have an US citizenship and passport, and I have both nationalities because my parents are from Mexico (Mexican and American). My closest family lives in Chula Vista and I also have some cousins who live in Arizona, San Diego Downtown, Vegas, San Francisco and northern Mexico (Tijuana, San Luis, etc).

About living and school at USA... I had all my schooling and career in Cancun, I really don't know if I need some kind of special validation test to land a job, but I doubt it because employers mainly care about portfolio and experience (I have 2 years working at the hotel). I don't know if this is the case for Master Studies or Specialist Courses...

I will ask for job networks at my hotel, but not now... I think it would be awkward and might give a red light to my boss if I tell him I'm leaving in a couple of months. I guess a good call would be telling him with a two weeks notice. The real reason of moving is to rediscover myself, as you say, get more experience in California where the Entertainment / Creative industry is better off than in Cancun (Tourism is the main source of income for the city), and where I feel I could find more job opportunities related to my field.

Also, I suppose life quality is "better", generally speaking. Of course I would need a steady income, but where's the fun and challenge if I don't even try?

All opinions are welcome!

[JohnSoCal]

I assume you are bilingual which is a big advantage for a professional in San Diego. There are a lot of cross border businesses. I took a certificate program at UCSD on cross border business. You can make a lot of good contacts through it. I don't if they still have it or not.

My wife ( Mexican ) and I have spent a lot of time in Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

[Ragnar]

OP, you have family in SD which is a great help, but have you also considered LA for your job search? There may more opportunity there for the creative types like you in entertainment-related industries. Just a thought.

Sounds like you have the resources (both family and financial) to make the move to the States, and with no kids or debt, now would be a much easier time to have the adventure since you are single and not tied down to Cancun.

[Bamtastic]

Hello everyone, posting an update on my relocation to San Diego from Cancun! I will summarize my current situation:

- I have my plane ticket ready to move on April 1st! I also got some Coachella tickets for Weekend Two as a gift

- I still haven't told my current boss I'm moving, I'm planning to do it two weeks before leaving... I also made some savings for the first months, and I'm applying for jobs from here before quitting my actual job. If someone has any tips in job hunting in my area, it would be greatly appreciated.

- I'm lucky that my family is willing to support me, but I want to be financially independent soon after arriving to SD. I will be moving with my cousin who's also moving from his current apartment. He's looking for a good place with 2 bedrooms, 1.2k - 1.5k rent price range.. any tips?

- Anyone has an idea of the Graphic Design job market in San Diego? Mainly in downtown / center of San Diego. I considered L.A. as an option but I don't have family there, so it will have to wait... maybe first line up a job at SD and then look for something at L.A.

- I heard Meetup.com is a great place to meet new people with similar interests! Anyone has any experience with that?

- Tips for buying a car? My family says having a car in San Diego is a must, depending if I land a job quick or not, I might save that money or buy a car when I arrive..

- I have like 5k USD saved up exclusively for the car. And 2k saved up for normal expenses. I also will be getting financial help from my family the first 2 months.

I greatly appreciate any tips and comments in my situation.

I can't wait to be there

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by Bamtastic

Hello everyone, posting an update on my relocation to San Diego from Cancun! I will summarize my current situation:

- I have my plane ticket ready to move on April 1st! I also got some Coachella tickets for Weekend Two as a gift

- I still haven't told my current boss I'm moving, I'm planning to do it two weeks before leaving... I also made some savings for the first months, and I'm applying for jobs from here before quitting my actual job. If someone has any tips in job hunting in my area, it would be greatly appreciated.

- I'm lucky that my family is willing to support me, but I want to be financially independent soon after arriving to SD. I will be moving with my cousin who's also moving from his current apartment. He's looking for a good place with 2 bedrooms, 1.2k - 1.5k rent price range.. any tips?

- Anyone has an idea of the Graphic Design job market in San Diego? Mainly in downtown / center of San Diego. I considered L.A. as an option but I don't have family there, so it will have to wait... maybe first line up a job at SD and then look for something at L.A.

- I heard Meetup.com is a great place to meet new people with similar interests! Anyone has any experience with that?

- Tips for buying a car? My family says having a car in San Diego is a must, depending if I land a job quick or not, I might save that money or buy a car when I arrive..

- I have like 5k USD saved up exclusively for the car. And 2k saved up for normal expenses. I also will be getting financial help from my family the first 2 months.

I greatly appreciate any tips and comments in my situation.

I can't wait to be there

Depends on what type of neighborhood you would like. For that monthly rental budget, you have some decent options. If you and your cousin like Chula Vista, you can find something nice there, though parts of CV are not as good so look around.

If you want to be in the more hip areas of central SD, where you can walk to cafes, shops, etc and lots of artists around, check North Park, South Park, Normal Heights and University Heights. Another great spot is in north county, it's on the coast: Encinitas and Solana Beach. Harder to find a 2 bedroom for under 1500, but worth looking if you like the area.

Yes, Meetups are a great way to meet people and make connections and are usually free.

Car: It's possible to get around any of the above w/o a car at first. Eventually, your job is likely to require a car. Older model hondas and toyotas typically do well here; low maintenance costs and good gas mileage.

I don't have any creative or design industry tips for you, though maybe enrolling in a cheap or free course at a local community college here would be a great way to meet others [even if you are already experienced] and make some connections? Also, it seems like consulting and working for yourself is common, too. You can advertise in several places, including online like craigs list dot org.

If you want to work in the tourism industry, being bilingual may be a great asset for you. Tourism is big in SD-plenty of choices. If you live in central SD [above areas mentioned], you can look in hotel circle in Mission Valley, for starters. Or along the coastal areas like Del Mar or La Jolla.

Maybe you can find your way into a smaller hotel or B and B, and design their website, brochures and advertising, as well? [Maybe you can find a way to combine both of your skills at first, as it may make you a more desirable candidate and help you build your portfolio further, while you look for design jobs.]

There are a lot of graphic designers and creatives in so cal [obviously...] But just stay focused and you can find your niche, as well. Good luck!