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Although this post has been a long time coming, I find myself at a loss for words. My boyfriend and I have been wanting to move to Washington state for some time. Neither of us are what you would call 'Golden' millennials, I am a 23 yo Cert. EMT here in Saint Louis who is fluent in Russian, and my boyfriend is a 22 yo with 'some college' who is fluent in Spanish. We both hate Missouri with a deep seated passion. We wanted out before we met and now as our lives are turning towards a future together we find ourselves desperately unhappy in this hell of a state, and city.
I guess the best way to do this is get down to the nitty gritty of it all; Missouri sucks butt.
I am from Tennessee originally but was raised in South Saint Louis City, I am a Missourian by right I guess. My S.O a Missourian by birth and raised in the Webster Groves/Clayton area. We both are avid hikers ( thank god Missouri is beautiful), enjoy a wide range of music from electric to lyrical rap and everything in between, we are both classic and contemporary art lovers, and have a need for open spaces but convenience of an easy commute (we are spoiled I know). We both fit the bill for nerdy midwesterners with an easy going southern charm, except for the fact that we are both way to open minded for such a close minded state.
As I said earlier I am an EMT and worked in the city of Saint Louis for 4 years, If you have ever heard of BLM movement then you've heard of how ass backwards Missouri really is, I need to get away from the violence and contempt of this place. I am a spiritualist who craves a calmer less jaded lifestyle. I have no need to stay in public service in that respect as I find myself being driven more towards teaching at some level. S.O. is aspiring to be a K9 trainer (see tactical and guard dog), whom is a strong silent type with a unwavering moral compass. We are the worst kind of people; if you are a right winged nut job that is. We seek better opportunity, and the possibility of a better life for our future family.
S.O has close family in Everett, and I have distant relatives in Oregon. So because of that we are looking in the area of at least an hour from Everett either way. Being a city kids we enjoy the convenience of having everything you need within walking distance but we also really want a waterfront home. We have an okayish?? budget with renting at 1500 max, we have a sedan that will be payed off in may so we wont have to worry about that bill but, as it goes with moving, there will be rate changes up the wazoo. I am totally digging Aberdeen but S.O. is leaning more towards a bigger city, which for job opportunity is more rational. We do have a pitbull so we need to be aware fo any BSL that are around.
After all this rambling I will leave ya'll with these ever pressing questions:
1.WHERE IN WASHINGTON SHOULD WE MOVE?!
2.What do we need to be aware of taking on such a big move?
3. We want to move by summer, when should we start applying for jobs,apartments,doing visits to areas?
4. Are we being realistic in the hopes that Washington has more to offer us? ( of course blood sweat and tears will be involved, but in the long run espc. with the world affairs now, is our hopefulness an empty pot after all?)
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH!!
Last edited by 2midwesterndreamers; 02-01-2017 at 06:42 PM..
You want a waterfront home in the greater Seattle/Everett area for $1500 max? I suggest you get yourselves moved to wherever you can afford an apt., any apt., and get jobs. After you're stable income-wise and employment-wise, and have adjusted to life in the area, you can start setting goals for your dream location. Nobody your age gets a waterfront home unless they've already made it big in tech or some other lucrative field, or are able to work remotely from a coastal village in Mexico.
Take a look at apartments in Edmonds, next door to Everett (at least it has waterfront), and Burien, just south of Seattle. Those are good places to start. Your SO wants to be a dog trainer? He should research where those jobs are located. Aside from Seattle, you might be able to make a go on the Kitsap Peninsula, a ferry ride away from Seattle and Edmonds, if there are jobs in his field around there. Take a look at Bremerton, Poulsbo, Silverdale. You might also look in Olympia, even though it's farther away from Everett than you said you wanted to be.
Are you trying to be an hour away from Everett or within an hour of Everett? If within, Mulkilteo is a charming blue collarish waterfront town near Everett that might fit your budget. The pitbull is going to be an issue with most rentals so maybe rural is the answer and then it might be Marysville which is not charming, but has rentals in your budget that might have fewer dog restrictions.
Aberdeen is not remotely close to Everett, it is hours away, very cheap and almost a trap because a house can be purchased cheap there but there are few jobs, and once the house is purchased, it's not so easy to sell it. The weather is going to be darker and wetter, which is not an issue IMO but the economy is.
There's other towns like Vancouver bordering Portland which would have a lower cost of living, there's Olympia, a very pretty town, pretty progressive and nice and Bellingham, also charming and a college town. In Eastern Washington there's Spokane, where the weather is more four seasons, colder in the winter, hotter in the summer, also more conservative.
It sounds to me as if the PNW would be a good for you personally.
Can your family in Everett help you with a place to stay for a while?
$1500 will most likely not get you a waterfront home in any urban area. And you'll need first, last, and a security deposit up front. The market is really hot right now.
As an EMT, you shouldn't have much trouble getting a job.
Some areas in the Puget Sound area have a lot of military people, and it's a bit easier for out-of-area folks to find a place to rent. I'm thinking Tacoma/Lakewood, Port Orchard, Bremerton, and Oak Harbor.
Aberdeen is in a beautiful area, but it isn't the greatest town, although it's trying.
I'm posting a link to Craig's List. I had good luck finding a rental - not just answering ads, but running one of my own. craigslist: seattle-tacoma jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events. But be careful - I've seen obvious scammers advertising places for rent or sale. You can tell because they are advertising ridiculously low prices for super-nice homes. You can also contact a couple of property management companies and see what they can do for you.
Oregon and SW Washington (Vancouver, Longview, Chehalis/Centralia) run cheaper than the Puget Sound area.
Any chance the family in Everett will let you crash with them while you look for apartments and jobs? Savings go flying out the bank account when you don't have money coming in. Sadly, the pit bulls are going to make it extra hard and extra expensive to find housing.
The good news is that you guys are coming with some skills, between the language skills and your EMT background this at least gives you something to work with. I know you don't necessarily want to keep working in the field, but I would at least look into transferring the certification.
I don't know about K9 training, but last I heard the State Troopers were hiring, I am sure the application process is pretty long if that could be an option for either of you. If either or both of you guys do become troopers just remember your ol pal perigee if you happen to pull me over <wink, wink>
Start saving and start looking into translator jobs and government jobs, the hiring process for the latter is usually long and it might be adventitious to see if you can at least use the family that lives here as an address.
You guys are young and have a lot potential, best of luck with everything!
How is your compass?
In sociology circles, the PNW is the antonym of Affable (Seattle in particular). They come here to study, anti-social behavior, and have NO SHORTAGE of materials!
Consider MO, AR, LA, TX, OK, NE, KS...
While not often recommended....(and except for waterfront home...) Yakima or Moses Lake may suit your skills and desires, and be a good place to establish PNW roots, especially if you could work for Yakima Nation, Military, or State agencies. There is a BIG river / and decent lakes for water activities.
Also look to Walla Walla / Tri Cities (for work with Spanish language)
Income tax free TX would be a LOT closer to give it a try, and (most) people are actually nice / af·fa·ble there!
I must say i was teasing about waterfront , I am more than aware it is a unrealistic want ( hence the tears). we have money saved up already about 3,000. We plan to stay with his family for a short time while we figure things out if needed. His family also has a lake house in Idaho ( I know that's the opposite side of where we are talking) that we may be able to saty at for a few months.
I say at least an hour because ya know new state and all but we are more than willing to go farther because this really is the start to the rest of our lives. Where we move, housing and job opportunity, tax rates, BSLs, the economy of a city/town, school districts, job outlooks, all will effect our future. We want to have very little room for error. I actually researched bellingham and did enjoy what I found out but find myself being timid due to it being so far north ( bad winters?)
S.O. plans are going to school for a bachelors first so right now full on K9 jobs arnt a real concern just yet, although he plans on creating his own business later on. I also Plan on going back to school so good commute to local c.c would be nice. Also is we were to live in a city I find that I am very open to Public transportation.
sorry if I sound super ignorant with my rent max , in Missouri 1500 is a 5 bedroom house in the good part of the city haha
SUPER FUNNY that you started talking about state troopers S.O has been seriously considering that for sometime!! maybe that's our sign
Whether you think the winters are bad will depend on your tolerance for short days. The days are getting longer right now, but dawn is still about 7:30 am and full dark is still about 5:30 pm. A lot of people think it's the rain that bothers them about winters here, but when you talk to them, it becomes obvious that it's the dark. Summers, on the other hand...
The Puget Sound area is littered with colleges, you'll have no issue finding one when you're ready.
In your situation, I wouldn't move with less than $5000 in hand when I got here, and that's a minimum.
I will also say that in the affability department, I don't think Seattle is much different than anywhere on the west coast. But it's true that while strangers are helpful and even chatty in public, it will take longer to get personal invites here than it would in the midwest. Join at least one organization as soon as you can, and be patient. It'll happen. People here really are very tolerant, they just want plenty of time to see who you are before they decide to share their personal space with you.
The winter concern is bitter cold, neither of us are fans of 10 below for more than a few days.
Ugh, I swear money is the one thing that scares me the most. I'm in no way against staying with his family as they are soon to be mine as well. I fear we will up root ourselves to a,for lack of better term, foreign area and belly flop! Time and money wasted. YUCK!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Bellingham is an excellent choice. (tad spendy, but VERY nice / great recreation and near BC!!! ) Weather is NOT an issue (usually)...on We_tside of Cascades.
If school is a biggy... there are 20+ colleges in Portland Metro area and some very cheap towns to hide out nearby (Tho Portland is WAY expensive for housing). Recreation is excellent too, and not 10 zillion neighbors rushing to the same spot as you (4 hrs of traffic to get OUT of Seattle on a Friday afternoon)
Don't plan or take a teaching job in Oregon Public Schools (underfunded)
yes... it is DARK in PNW winter. Hitting an unseen smooshie possum while biking is a bit of sickening feeling.
All 8 weeks of summer is great (tho can get to 100F).
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so we wont have to worry about that bill but, as it goes with moving, there will be rate changes up the wazoo. I am totally digging Aberdeen but S.O. is leaning more towards a bigger city, which for job opportunity is more rational. We do have a pitbull so we need to be aware fo any BSL that are around. 
amiable
, genial, congenial, cordial
, nice, likable, personable, charming, agreeable, sympathetic, simpatico, good-humored, good-natured, jolly, kindly, kind, courteous, civil,
) Weather is NOT an issue (usually)...on We_tside of Cascades.
