The things I have done to move to San Diego... and now it is happening! (Chula Vista: real estate, apartment)

[wanttoteach]

Well, these boards have become quite the friend to me. So, here are the things I have done to move to San Diego...
1. Put my house on the market for 7 months last year and 6 months this year. I have spent hundreds of hours making this house clean. I have spent hundreds of hours at Starbucks waiting for the realtors to show my home.I have been utterly discouraged, even pulling my house off of the market last year.
2. Given up a secure teaching position
3. Sold my beautiful house
4. Left a wonderful family oriented community

I am 31 and my husband is 36. We don't have kids yet...only dogs. He just opened his commercial insurance business 2 years ago so he is not tied to Roseville yet. We figured that this was the perfect time to make this move. Over the past 5 years we have tried to move to Cancun, Hawaii, and other sunny places. We just aren't happy here. The winters are hard on me. I have that horrid Seasonal Affective Disorder where I get very sad all winter with the gloominess. We are scuba divers, and I am just dying to live by the beach again (I did as a child in Ventura). So...I have no job and no home (we will buy one if I get a job), but San Diego...here we come! I am freeeeeked out. I would love some encouragement please!

[Newyorkaise]

I'm new to this forum, but I've read most of your posts - I think it's just super that you're taking this huge step. It's clearly something you've thought out carefully, even if you don't feel you're making the move under ideal conditions. You should take comfort in the fact that in your situation and at your age, you and your husband have the flexibility and energy to make such a choice. Think how dreadful it would be to find yourself sitting in the gloom of your current climate in 20 years, regretting that you'd done the prudent thing and stuck with what you had.

Don't freak out - what's the worst that could happen? And even if you can think of a dozen ghastly things, at least they'll be happening in a sunny vibrant town, where you've set your heart on living!

I look forward to reading on this board how your move goes and I wish you the best of luck.

[NYSD1995]

Good luck!

[wanttoteach]

Originally Posted by Newyorkaise

I'm new to this forum, but I've read most of your posts - I think it's just super that you're taking this huge step. It's clearly something you've thought out carefully, even if you don't feel you're making the move under ideal conditions. You should take comfort in the fact that in your situation and at your age, you and your husband have the flexibility and energy to make such a choice. Think how dreadful it would be to find yourself sitting in the gloom of your current climate in 20 years, regretting that you'd done the prudent thing and stuck with what you had.

Don't freak out - what's the worst that could happen? And even if you can think of a dozen ghastly things, at least they'll be happening in a sunny vibrant town, where you've set your heart on living!

I look forward to reading on this board how your move goes and I wish you the best of luck.

Thank you! I will keep you posted!

[Jax]

Wanttoteach, good for you! I made the move to San Diego in 2000 at 28 years of age without a job and a sight unseen apartment/roommate lined up. I made tons of friends there and met my husband in San Diego (granted, you've already got that one checked off your list!). I even became a teacher there, earning a teaching credential through a local program. It was a dream of mine to move to SoCal, and, close to 30, I finally did! We only recently moved east due to cost of living, to be closer to our families, to start our own family, etc....but I am SO glad that I made the move out there years back. You'll love going to the beaches, Coronado, Balboa Park, restaurants, Old Town, Gaslamp District, and so on. Get your name in for subbing in Chula Vista (the only district still "growing" out there) and even Coronado if you happen to move close enough to that area...if not, it's probably not worth it to drive over the bridge everyday. Hopefully a job will come along soon for you.

[LookingtoLeave]

Originally Posted by Jax

Wanttoteach, good for you! I made the move to San Diego in 2000 at 28 years of age without a job and a sight unseen apartment/roommate lined up. I made tons of friends there and met my husband in San Diego (granted, you've already got that one checked off your list!). I even became a teacher there, earning a teaching credential through a local program. It was a dream of mine to move to SoCal, and, close to 30, I finally did! We only recently moved east due to cost of living, to be closer to our families, to start our own family, etc....but I am SO glad that I made the move out there years back. You'll love going to the beaches, Coronado, Balboa Park, restaurants, Old Town, Gaslamp District, and so on. Get your name in for subbing in Chula Vista (the only district still "growing" out there) and even Coronado if you happen to move close enough to that area...if not, it's probably not worth it to drive over the bridge everyday. Hopefully a job will come along soon for you.

I am in the same boat as you. I have been wanting to move to SD for so many years now but put it off till graduation. Well I graduate w/ my Masters next summer and still want to move. After reading your post, it seems very doable. Was finding a place to live hard?

[wanttoteach]

Originally Posted by LookingtoLeave

I am in the same boat as you. I have been wanting to move to SD for so many years now but put it off till graduation. Well I graduate w/ my Masters next summer and still want to move. After reading your post, it seems very doable. Was finding a place to live hard?

Finding a place to live would have been easy if we would be willing to lease. We also have dogs and that was difficult. We only found ONE person that was willing to go month to month. We wanted month to month because if I get a job then we want to buy. If not (and it is looking that way) then we will have to rent for some time. We really had to sell ourselves, but we found the greatest landlords. They are such nice people, and we are really looking forward to our new home. If you are willing to lease, you really shouldn't have any problem finding a place. The home is in Fallbrook in Rancho Viejo which sounds like a great little community for us. We go in a week, and I just can't believe it is actually happening!

[mossomo]

Originally Posted by wanttoteach

Here are the things I have done to move to San Diego...

1. Made my moms cry, I had to break it to her; she doesnt like the idea of her baby moving 3000 miles away. =(
2. Bought a car
3. Sold my personal property
4. Paid my credit cards down
5. Saved up about 2 grand
6. Am psyching myself with a musical diet of Operation Ivy, Sublime, ChiliPeppers, and ZTrip
7. Bought Sirius for the road trip
8. Took the LSAT and applied to a couple law schools (am wait-listed)
9. Updated my resume, posted it and have additionally been contacting head hunters and recruiters
10. Told my boss Aug 17th was my last day
11. Parted ways with the girl I was dating
12. Been reading up on surfing and ocean kayaking
13. More research on general San Diego type things
14. Bought Tom Wolfe's The Pump House Gang
13. I visualize success and repeat the mantra "3000 miles aint ****"

[wanttoteach]

Originally Posted by mossomo

1. Made my moms cry, I had to break it to her; she doesnt like the idea of her baby moving 3000 miles away. =(
2. Bought a car
3. Sold my personal property
4. Paid my credit cards down
5. Saved up about 2 grand
6. Am psyching myself with a musical diet of Operation Ivy, Sublime, ChiliPeppers, and ZTrip
7. Bought Sirius for the road trip
8. Took the LSAT and applied to a couple law schools (am wait-listed)
9. Updated my resume, posted it and have additionally been contacting head hunters and recruiters
10. Told my boss Aug 17th was my last day
11. Parted ways with the girl I was dating
12. Been reading up on surfing and ocean kayaking
13. More research on general San Diego type things
14. Bought Tom Wolfe's The Pump House Gang
13. I visualize success and repeat the mantra "3000 miles aint ****"

I love it! Hey, I made my mom cry too, except its not a cry, its more of a nag, nag, nag, as she says, "Why would you want to be in such an unsafe place with all of that traffic?"

What is The Pump House Gang?

[Jax]

Wanttoteach, that's funny about people calling San Diego "unsafe"...sure, it has it's areas to avoid and car theft is HUGE there (be careful!), but San Diego seemed safe overall for me living there. Best of luck with your move. Fallbrook is pretty far out there in regard to San Diego County, but I'm sure you've considered that in regard to jobs, etc. Probably find cheaper real estate since it's so far from the coast. Probably too far away to sub with Chula Vista, etc. LookingtoLeave, I was able to line up a CHEAP living situation (at the time, it was like $350 or so a month!) for a run-down apartment in the Clairemont/Mission Bay area with a girl that needed a roommate when I was looking to move to SD. Friend of a friend of a friend of a friend kind of thing. Or God opening doors. Anyway, I was not crazy about the place, honestly, but it got me there. I ended up living there over a year before moving into a nice house rental in Point Loma and then renting from a friend's house, before getting married and moving into my husband's condo in Coronado. So, I was pretty fortunate to never pay more than $600 in rent per month before I got married! I know that that may not be the case for all moving to SD, but if it worked for me, and can hopefully work for you. Go for it! You'll love it out there.