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So, I guess my question is; Is your heart with you??
I ask this question because though I sit in my home and type this, I am not "HOME" as I would like to call it. I would rather not go into specifics of location, but I am within a 1-2 Hr drive from Chicago, IL. Chicago is where I grew up. To be honest, even though I managed to try and fit in very well, in my heart I was not meant to be there. I like the quiet, and comfort of a small town. So, I moved to a smaller community with a pop. of about 20,000 in 2004. This is where I still reside today. Since moving here in 2004 I have met a wonderful lady whom I ended up marrying in 2007. We now have 2 daughters. 2 and 3 yrs old respectively. Long story short, I feel absolutely blessed by God to have such a wonderful family, although we reside in a real life Hell on earth!!
Aside from finding my Wife, I have learned so much about this town in the past 6 years. I have learned that most, if not ALL of those residing here are on welfare. Not always a bad thing (at the moment, I too am on welfare), but when 70-80 percent of the people I have met or known here are all either receiving money for themselves from Social Security, or they are having their kids diagnosed with ADHD/Bi-Polar/ADD/Schizophrenia, or anything else the counselors and therapists can come up with to combat the overly aggressiveness and disobedience in children due to lack of parenting or discipline!! In most cases the families are collecting check for both hem and the children. Everyone here (or most that I have seen) are fairly content living off the tax payers money, and drugging their children in order to make ends meet!! Jobs here are non-existent. I have mostly bounced around a few jobs for descent pay (not great). Though I worked as a plumber in the city of Chicago for 12 years, I am not licensed, and the local plumbers are keeping to themselves and are not looking to add any new guys. Even for starting salary. I just recently was laid-off in September. At the moment, I am on unemployment and am sick of it!! Just this past Saturday, my Wife's cousin committed suicide. She was very close with her. Services were the day before thanksgiving. The very same evening there was a shooting. Two more shootings happened on Thanksgiving. And finally, another shooting this morning!! I am done with this place!!
I have been doing research on "WHERE" to go for about 3-4 years now. I have settled on South Dakota. The reason I chose SD?? One reason is the people!! I hear from anyone, and everyone who has been or is from SD, that the people are some of the most hospitable in our beautiful country!!! Next, would be the activity, and the beauty!! It is, in all honesty, just time for a change for my family. They deserve much better. And I will provide!!!
I am not sure how to go about it yet, but I will go alone to get employed and settled, while my family will join when I am ready for them. Any insight, advise, or just criticism is very welcomed!!
BTW; I am looking at Western SD. Namely Rapid City, Sturgis, Spearfish, or Hot Springs.
Thanks, but the story here goes on and on.................
The predicament here is as bad as it gets for anyone, anywhere. I'd be ill-advised to stay. Worse case scenario there; is definite to be better than even the best case scenario here (if you catch my drift). Staying is a lose/lose situation!! I have plenty of prospects and the experience of getting employed by many different professions in lots of different fields. We are saving money for the move. We are only going to move forward when we have enough money to do so. The sooner, the better. Appreciate the suggestion. I'll look into it if things don't work out there!!
P.S. I will definitely have something set up for a job beforehand. I did not intend on sleeping in a park!! LOL
Last edited by ALMOST2L8; 11-25-2011 at 03:47 PM..
Reason: P.S.
Although I can understand the attraction in moving to the Rapid City area, for someone looking for decent employment without having any real connections, I would recommend Sioux Falls.
There are a lot more medium wage paying jobs here than in the western part of the state. The exception, as previously mentioned, would be if you were willing to go farther west to Gilette WY or way north to the frozen tundra of the North Dakota oil fields.
You are also over 300 miles closer to Chicago if you should want to ever go home to visit. Sioux Falls is well over twice the size of Rapid City, which translates into many more job opportunities, especially in the credit card, healthcare, and manufacturing fields. More houses also translates into more plumbing problems.
I don't think with your skills as a plumber you'd have much trouble landing a job, but you must decide if you really can live on the wages you'd be making in western SD. The cost of living is fairly reasonable here, but wages tend to be very low. It can be tough to make ends meet. A lot of people work 2 jobs. It is gorgeous here, and I absolutely love the land and the people. But as the saying goes, you can't eat the scenery. If you can live on the wages I can't recommend it highly enough.
You probably would make more money in Sioux Falls. The scenery isn't as dramatically beautiful, but since it's a larger town there are more opportunities.
Honestly I don't think South Dakota is the best fit here. If you are going to solo it North Dakota, there is a boom going on and I suspect the boom will be ongoing for a while. Right now decent housing is hard to come by.
The typical work schedule is a 12 hour shift for 7 days, with 7 days off. There is a flight from Williston to Chicago via Denver. Or you drive to Bismark and have a direct flight to Chicago, and cheaper air fare. The money would be better and you could still have family time. The wages are excellent. If you work hard and can pass a drug test you can earn up to $100K/year.
If you're lucky in South dakota you might earn $20K a year maybe $25k.
I have to agree with SD4020. Another option might be to find some housing for your family in the Belle Fouche area and commuting to the oil fields. Even McDonalds pays $16 per hour up there, I can't imagine what a plumber would make.
I don't know anything about plumbing and licensing. I live in Huron. I can pretty much guarantee that you could start your own business with almost nothing. I started a business of my own this summer. Office rent is cheap, and all of my equipment was sold cheap to me. It is scary because we don't know if it will work out, but we had to try.
I'd go for the licensing, then work for someone for awhile and then go your own way. I've been saying for awhile that the only person that can fire me now is me.
I was going to suggest Williston, ND.. you'd make a killing there. You could live in Billings, MT. However that part of IL is a nice area as is central WI. You could go anywhere as a plumber... the black hills are great but there are other places that are better where you'd earn a good wage.
I wouldn't get too nostalgic or romanticize or any one area... though I wouldn't want to live in the Chicago suburbs either. I'd pick Ozaukee county, WI around Saukville because of the amenities in the area and the good standard of living there.
Thanks for the multitude of responses...... not sure where to begin!! LOL
Thank you jmgg. Sioux Falls is also high on the list. That was where I had planned on going if I could not make it happen in RC. Also, I will be visiting home for holidays and such so the 300 miles closer is a plus!!
kbat, appreciate the hospitality!! Thank you for the recommendation. Let's hope I can get the wages to meet the costs huh??
To SD4020 and uncleharley, I have a class A CDL. As I said in the OP, I have the means and experience to land jobs in a few different fields if there are jobs. Although, uncleharley has to fill me in on this living in Belle Fourche and commuting these oil fields. How far would this commute be (estimate)?
leroy, Thanks for the encouraging response!!! I have my eye on the whole state of SD in general. I would just prefer the west!!
stockwiz, I have researched many places across the states, and South Dakota is where I am to go....... though I do appreciate the thought put into the response!!
Thanks guys, I appreciate the info and responses. Keep em coming!!
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