Moving with the Boyfriend... first BIG move.

Pyropunk · 09-25-2009, 09:42 AM

Ok so Jer and I have been together about 2 years now, and we've stuck in Orlando. Obviously due to the crappy economy, we're looking at places to move to. We've narrowed it down.

Austin, TX
Minneapolis, MN
Seattle, WA

Anyone who lives in these or knows anything about them as far as what to do, culture, jobs, people, computer animation companies, PLEASE offer up your information.

We've done a lot of talking, and it's really cool because as a couple, we've never had to del with something THIS serious before. We've decided I will switch from being ON Full Sail campus to Online, so that will help a lot since I can continue to get my degree. Neither of us can get a job cuz this place sucks so bad, and the unemployment rate is dang near 12.6% right now (just read that in three of the papers here this week, how lame!)

So any information on those places would rock out as we are making pros and cons lists <3

DIdn't know where else to put this, and I figured hey, it's kinda got to do with a relationship =)

Lurch1982 · 09-25-2009, 02:11 PM

Have you been to any of those places?

The economy sucks pretty much everywhere.

Metal Man · 09-25-2009, 02:48 PM

The only difference is the economy sucks more in California than any of those places.

***The Doctor*** · 09-25-2009, 03:03 PM

Dunno. But Good Luck to you Pyro. <3

**Valigarmander** · 09-25-2009, 04:14 PM

Psst, Seattle.

But I don't really know what to tell you jobwise around the area. Like Lurch said, the economy sucks everywhere.

Pyropunk · 09-25-2009, 09:42 PM

yea we're pretty much sold on seattle... we did a LOT of investigating and research today and it seams to be the best place to move... just with the whole they actually have places hiring, min. wage there is $8.55, and we have a friend who MIGHT be moving with us.... Orlando is just bad... when i mean bad i mean there are literally probably close to 10k people looking for places to work. Disney laid people off, so did Universal, a few other larger companies have laid people off or closed... so it's like wow. lame. I know Cali sucks majorly... As far as Minneapolis, that's our second choice right now, but seattle would be something totally new for BOTH of us.

Jere · 09-26-2009, 02:21 AM

Just remeber, All my Exes live in texas.

Otherwise i don't know.

Lurch1982 · 09-26-2009, 02:41 AM

Again, have you been to Seattle? Blind-moving isn't really something you want to do lightly. I would heavily recommend taking a scouting trip and checking the city out for yourself. One of the dealbreakers for Seattle is usually the weather. Especially coming from sunny Florida, you might be in for some serious shock.

The secondary benefit of doing a scouting trip is that you can hunt for jobs. ----DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A TAX ADVISER---- If I recall correctly, if you have a job offer you can write off some of the moving expenses on your taxes.

Things are pretty much terrible on the Gulf Coast in great times. During stretches where people aren't going to shell out hundreds/thousands to hit Florida parks/beaches make it worse. I know Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are terrible right now. Louisiana is actually slightly better than the rest because the housing bubble hasn't exploded yet and there's a ton of jobs in construction or service sector. Problem is they don't pay and the cost of living in any of the livable cities is abnormally high. I'm in Denver now and its actually cheaper than New Orleans to rent, pay bills (insurance is the huge one), and eat/power. The only thing slightly cheaper is internet/cable.

I mean, the big thing is "what are you doing for work?" If you're basically sticking with wage-slave/service sector jobs, you can do that anywhere and it honestly doesn't matter if you're in any city. The key is long term. What are you plans, what is your degree path in (both of you), and you need to figure out if the local market will sustain it (ie: no point moving to a place that has no industry presence).

I've been to two of the three places on your list. I love Seattle, but it really isn't for everyone (weather, attitudes, lack of mexican food worth a ****, etc). Its also literally on the opposite end of the country from you, so you're dealing with a HUGE move. It will be extremely expensive to U-haul (or Penske, or Budget) a truck there. You will be cranking down at least a grand in gas alone, not to mention costs plus hotels + food on the trip. If you have two cars, this is an even bigger pain in the ass. If you do this, you actually might be better off just selling everything that can't fit in a car and buying it there to minimize the moving cost.

Austin is the only place in Texas I can stand. Thanks to UT, there's a ton of cultural things out there, and last I heard the Texas tech boom was basically centered in Austin. Granted, no idea if its extremely inbred with UT grads, but whatever. Plus SXSW every year is fun. Austin really doesn't have the same feel as the rest of Texas. It isn't as busy as Dallas or Houston, and really has a college town feel to it IMO.

Also: when are you moving? If you're planning on doing this in the winter, that might rule out Minneapolis. Moving in the snow is hell and horrible, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Panfan · 09-26-2009, 11:14 AM

come to detroit we have so many jobs we're swimming in em

Pyropunk · 09-26-2009, 03:51 PM

We're looking to move the end of November, first of December. We're actually looking at packing our stuff into a crate and shipping it (there's a few places like POD that do that... it's cheaper than hauling it in a uhaul). Also, we have one car, but it's going to be sold before we move because of how dead it is. It won't last 6 more months down here anyways. We both aren't HUGE fans of sunshine, we prefer just a bit of sunshine... FL isn't TOO bad because it rains at the same time every day for the same time =/

Sadly, we do not have the income to scout, we have no choice but to blind move. Seattle would be completely new for the two of us. Minneapolis i know like the back of my hand seeing as I used to live there, we have 5 friends in Austin that love it to death and are like MOVE HERE!!! We think seattle would be nice because of the min. wage being as high as it is vs. everywhere else, and a lot of the places we've looked at are fairly priced for those wages and we could easily make due.

It wouldn't be a permanent move at the moment, right now it's a "hey let's live there for a year and see how we like it" type of thing O_o That and there's a lot of animation companies out there and in CA so if needed when we do get a car and Jer DOES need to interview at those places either there or in WA than we can drive.... As far as me, there's a million coffee shops out there O_o so that would seriously make me happy seeing as I have been a Barista/Manager of coffee shops for... EVER.

I've got a few friends over in Oregon who love visiting Seattle as much as they can and love the Sushi and atmosphere and people O.o

mehhhhh we'll see...

I appreciate the input ^^

I REALLY HATE POKEMON! · 09-26-2009, 04:54 PM

I heard Texas has a pretty high rate of employment in some parts, compared to most of the U.S.

Lurch1982 · 09-26-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyropunk

We're looking to move the end of November, first of December. We're actually looking at packing our stuff into a crate and shipping it (there's a few places like POD that do that... it's cheaper than hauling it in a uhaul). Also, we have one car, but it's going to be sold before we move because of how dead it is. It won't last 6 more months down here anyways. We both aren't HUGE fans of sunshine, we prefer just a bit of sunshine... FL isn't TOO bad because it rains at the same time every day for the same time =/

That's the way to go, especially if its cheaper. If you're doing the pod/container approach, you have to make sure the place you're moving into allows it. Some places have no place for the truck to actually unload (I ran into that problem, so I had to truck it myself). Selling the car before you leave is probably a good idea, especially if you don't think its going to live 6 months (probably less after a cross country move). That makes it a little more important that your new place is close to transit lines or is in a neighborhood that basically has everything in walking distance.

Quote:

Sadly, we do not have the income to scout, we have no choice but to blind move. Seattle would be completely new for the two of us. We think seattle would be nice because of the min. wage being as high as it is vs. everywhere else, and a lot of the places we've looked at are fairly priced for those wages and we could easily make due.

You might find that potential landlords may be a little skittish dealing with you if you don't have a job set up and if you're not going to be there before you fully move up. Since you're shipping via Container, you may want to eat a week's worth of storage and get up there to spend a few days physically apartment hunting. The lack of an income might be a problem, especially given the state of the economy. Depends on how they are. I've found that single landlords are a little more forgiving if you can just cut them a check. The property management companies tend to have hard guidelines (ie: occupants must earn 2x the rent per month).

Word of advice: make sure you have at LEAST three months worth of savings in the bank after moving expenses. In the best case scenario, you don't need it. In the likely scenario, it'll hold you off while you're trying to line up a job (when we moved out to Denver, my g/f's job process for retail took about 2-3 months before she got an actual offer). You also need to account for deposits with the utility companies in your budget. I paid more in deposits with my utilities than I did bills for the first month.

No car initially makes your neighborhood extremely important. My advise is to basically find a decent one in the city and avoid the suburbs until you get a vehicle. I can't remember what Seattle's transit system is like, but you should check it out before you move.

Do you know anyone in the area?
[/quote]

Quote:

Originally Posted by I REALLY HATE POKEMON!

I heard Texas has a pretty high rate of employment in some parts, compared to most of the U.S.

Eh, depends on the sector and city. Some areas are doing well, some are doing horrible, and some job sectors are basically dead.

Pyropunk · 09-27-2009, 07:16 PM

^ Thanks =) I totally forgot about asking about PODS being able to be brought in >_< That would suck if it got rejected.... I'll make sure to ask.

Yea Jer has a few jobs he's looking into right now that would be the "bread-winner" (meaning over 35k a year) and than I'd just worry about my job when we get there... so not TOO bad. It's really weird for us to try and figure out how to do this O_o

I know a few people in Portland that are amazed with how easy Seattle is to navigate around. There's a few places we are looking at in downtown, and a few out of town, that way if necessary, one of us will have to take the bus til a car comes through.... we'll have to see... So much planning and so much up in the air O_o I just want to put this puzzle together and GO. lol

***Cosmonautical*** · 09-28-2009, 08:05 AM

Best of luck. Try not to take any huge risks - you don't want to end up completely homeless and too broke to travel.

Jesus · 10-01-2009, 01:33 PM

So your just gonna up and leave a town because of the economy? Yeah minimum wage might be 8.55 in Seattle but the cost of living there is much higher as well. You'll have access to public transportation but it can be very confusing. The weather is usually always cloudy as well. With 50 percent of the population having a bachelor's degree or higher that'll also put you at a disadvantage with employers because if I remember correctly you don't have an education yet. As far as employment in Seattle goes for you it is a blind spot as you honestly don't know what it is like there. Did you know some districts in Seattle have a VERY HIGH crime rate?

Are you leaving school?? Make sure your credits transfer over to schools in Seattle and that there are no violations of your financial aid because of the move. I thought you were all set in getting a degree earlier on. Have you ever thought that maybe staying in school might be the best choice for you? Youa re like 25-26 and you can get so many grants and financial aid at that time....not to mention opening the door to better jobs with much higher pay giving you a more comfortable life. My mother always told me when the economy gets down that the safest place for you to be in right now is school.

If school just isn't for you have you thought of entering an apprenticeship? Most places that offer apprenticeships give great benefits not to mention a higher wage. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for example! You make good money while learning a trade as well as possibility for promotion as places like these always hire within. Look at all your options first before you make such a brash decision. I don't think that staying happy with minimum wage environments would be best for you....but that is just my opinion. Consider EVERYTHING.

Pyropunk · 10-02-2009, 12:41 PM

Well we are... considering a lot. I already have had a few interviews at some coffee shops out there with one being at the Nordstroms e-bar. The e-mails I have received back have all been positive in regards to being around $12 an hour plus tips. Not too shabby if you ask me. I've been scoping out online reports about good vs. bad areas in seattle and have had a friend of ours that lives out there letting us know about the area.

And cost of living there is about just a little bit more than here at times. And considering that you make barely $7 an hour, have no hours, etc... down here and no matter what your experience you get shafted over? meh....

Besides, I'm working on my business plan through school while working these "low-end" jobs and in the end going to be very happy with the results...

Also, Jer is in negotiations with places of employment... his being over 50k a year type jobs... (and yes, that's what the lowest offered negotiation is at this moment), so, yea, I think we can make it. We've made it on under 10k the last two years a year so I think we'll be ok... and the last few months? with nothing....

Yes, up and leaving. Family is gone as well and done the same thing due to the nature of the beast that is Florida. Tons of people I know are also doing the same. We probably have close to the worse economies down here.

As I said in my initial post, I'm going to be continuing on my way and maintaining my school career. I along with a few fellow students are switching from on campus to online due to the fact that the on campus? Is a waste of our time. Might as well attend class that challenges you and gives you more resources, which is exactly what online does. Than I have the freedom to move.

These grants and scholarships you speak of? Where? Because I've utilized all the ones I could here in Florida and that wasn't alot... All I could obtain was the Pell and FSEOG. And those were both a combined total of like 6k that's it. Also due to Full Sail being a private university? They don't accept all grants... scholarships yes. My entire education is around 54k... I've looked at a lot of options and have found that the only ones really out there are for those who had 3.0+ g.p.a's in high school. Any help I would more than happily accept and appreciate since I'm looking in the wrong spots.

All things are being considered and weighed out.. we have a wall of things *literally, our entire living room wall has been turned into a paper board of lists for us and pros and cons and what ifs and all that*

No sense staying in stagnant air that is suffocating you when you can reach to the world for opportunity...

out of curiosity, if you could pick a place, where would you go and why?

Lurch1982 · 10-02-2009, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by some idiot

So your just gonna up and leave a town because of the economy? Yeah minimum wage might be 8.55 in Seattle but the cost of living there is much higher as well. You'll have access to public transportation but it can be very confusing. The weather is usually always cloudy as well. With 50 percent of the population having a bachelor's degree or higher that'll also put you at a disadvantage with employers because if I remember correctly you don't have an education yet. As far as employment in Seattle goes for you it is a blind spot as you honestly don't know what it is like there. Did you know some districts in Seattle have a VERY HIGH crime rate?

Are you leaving school?? Make sure your credits transfer over to schools in Seattle and that there are no violations of your financial aid because of the move. I thought you were all set in getting a degree earlier on. Have you ever thought that maybe staying in school might be the best choice for you? Youa re like 25-26 and you can get so many grants and financial aid at that time....not to mention opening the door to better jobs with much higher pay giving you a more comfortable life. My mother always told me when the economy gets down that the safest place for you to be in right now is school.

If school just isn't for you have you thought of entering an apprenticeship? Most places that offer apprenticeships give great benefits not to mention a higher wage. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for example! You make good money while learning a trade as well as possibility for promotion as places like these always hire within. Look at all your options first before you make such a brash decision. I don't think that staying happy with minimum wage environments would be best for you....but that is just my opinion. Consider EVERYTHING.

Oh FFS, look at the crime stats. Seattle is actually better than Orlando in terms of crime across the board. Stop talking out of your ass.

Seattle Crime Statistics (WA) - CityRating.com
Orlando Crime Statistics (FL) - CityRating.com

It doesn't matter if you move to Manhatten, it will be easier to deal with than trying to live on the Gulf Coast and probably a little safer to boot. The South constantly has their stats skewed downward for 'cost of living' surveys. According to the surveys, New Orleans is supposed to be cheaper than Denver. It isn't by a longshot. Rent here is much cheaper, there's no sales tax on food, utilities are the same, gas is slightly higher, insurance is significantly lower, and it pays much more across the board. When I was considering Seattle, it was the same thing. The pay is higher across the board than the Gulf South. The difference is that if she works coffee shop in Orlando, its minimum wage or slightly higher. You work it out of the south, it pushes it into "living wage" range. That's the thing that people don't get when you're relocating out of basically the South. Due to the lack of anything worth a crap, the bulk of the population is using hourly food and retail to survive as fullblown careers, not temporary jobs or "until I finish my degree" or "until I get a real job" spots. Because there's way more people looking, the wage is driven much closer to minimum instead of living.

The only point he has that's worth considering is that it will be hard to do anything without at least a bachelor's in Seattle, including assistant manager or management positions at retail and food. This is partially from the higher educational rate in the area as a whole, but also from the tits-up economy that's pushing everyone between 20 and 30 with a bachelors out of the entry level white collar jobs into upper food and retail (management, assistant management).

Also, on this:

Quote:

My mother always told me when the economy gets down that the safest place for you to be in right now is school.

WRONG.

How many people are doing this? Think about this crap. How many people are hiding out and extending school until the economy straightens up? Law Schools and MBA programs are getting stuffed with people trying to "hide." What this means is that in 3 years, the market is going to be flooded with people suddenly being pushed out. You'll actually be facing MORE competition with people more qualified if you "hide it out." It isn't as bad if you're going for your first BS/BA, but holy hell everyone is hiding in school right now, and its just going to flood the market in a few years when everyone graduates. The question is if its better to hide in school and crank up significantly more debt going or not gaining debt but working meaningless filler jobs while looking for something good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyropunk

Well we are... considering a lot. I already have had a few interviews at some coffee shops out there with one being at the Nordstroms e-bar. The e-mails I have received back have all been positive in regards to being around $12 an hour plus tips. Not too shabby if you ask me. I've been scoping out online reports about good vs. bad areas in seattle and have had a friend of ours that lives out there letting us know about the area.

And cost of living there is about just a little bit more than here at times. And considering that you make barely $7 an hour, have no hours, etc... down here and no matter what your experience you get shafted over? meh....

Besides, I'm working on my business plan through school while working these "low-end" jobs and in the end going to be very happy with the results...

Also, Jer is in negotiations with places of employment... his being over 50k a year type jobs... (and yes, that's what the lowest offered negotiation is at this moment), so, yea, I think we can make it. We've made it on under 10k the last two years a year so I think we'll be ok... and the last few months? with nothing....

Yes, up and leaving. Family is gone as well and done the same thing due to the nature of the beast that is Florida. Tons of people I know are also doing the same. We probably have close to the worse economies down here.

As I said in my initial post, I'm going to be continuing on my way and maintaining my school career. I along with a few fellow students are switching from on campus to online due to the fact that the on campus? Is a waste of our time. Might as well attend class that challenges you and gives you more resources, which is exactly what online does. Than I have the freedom to move.

These grants and scholarships you speak of? Where? Because I've utilized all the ones I could here in Florida and that wasn't alot... All I could obtain was the Pell and FSEOG. And those were both a combined total of like 6k that's it. Also due to Full Sail being a private university? They don't accept all grants... scholarships yes. My entire education is around 54k... I've looked at a lot of options and have found that the only ones really out there are for those who had 3.0+ g.p.a's in high school. Any help I would more than happily accept and appreciate since I'm looking in the wrong spots.

All things are being considered and weighed out.. we have a wall of things *literally, our entire living room wall has been turned into a paper board of lists for us and pros and cons and what ifs and all that*

No sense staying in stagnant air that is suffocating you when you can reach to the world for opportunity...

out of curiosity, if you could pick a place, where would you go and why?

I'm sending you a PM with a link that might help with area research. Other helpful tips would be to figure out where the Seattle PD posts their crime maps and crime stats. Basically, you want to cross-reference the crime maps with where you're looking at living.

But really, leaving the Gulf Coast is pretty good for your situation. The region has a young adult drain as a whole mainly because there aren't enough "good" jobs and the pay as a whole is significantly lower. Just make sure you've researched it correctly and have enough cash to survive.

People who don't know what the **** they're talking about say things about grants and scholarships and how easy it is to get them. In my experience, if you ask them how to get them, they have no damn clue. Scholarships, barring you finding one that's open to an essay contest or resume-and-mission based competition, are mostly academic based.

09-25-2009, 09:42 AM	#1
Pyropunk Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Gender: Posts: 367 Thanks: 139 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts	Moving with the Boyfriend... first BIG move. Ok so Jer and I have been together about 2 years now, and we've stuck in Orlando. Obviously due to the crappy economy, we're looking at places to move to. We've narrowed it down. Austin, TX Minneapolis, MN Seattle, WA Anyone who lives in these or knows anything about them as far as what to do, culture, jobs, people, computer animation companies, PLEASE offer up your information. We've done a lot of talking, and it's really cool because as a couple, we've never had to del with something THIS serious before. We've decided I will switch from being ON Full Sail campus to Online, so that will help a lot since I can continue to get my degree. Neither of us can get a job cuz this place sucks so bad, and the unemployment rate is dang near 12.6% right now (just read that in three of the papers here this week, how lame!) So any information on those places would rock out as we are making pros and cons lists <3 DIdn't know where else to put this, and I figured hey, it's kinda got to do with a relationship =)

09-25-2009, 02:11 PM	#2
Lurch1982 Senior Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: DenCo Gender: Posts: 9,850 Thanks: 127 Thanked 365 Times in 192 Posts	Have you been to any of those places? The economy sucks pretty much everywhere.

09-25-2009, 02:48 PM	#3
Metal Man Fairy-Slaying Maniac Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 1592 Miles Away From Here Gender: Posts: 18,062 Thanks: 148 Thanked 683 Times in 482 Posts	The only difference is the economy sucks more in California than any of those places.

09-25-2009, 03:03 PM	#4
*The Doctor* The Last Timelord. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: In the TARDIS Gender: Posts: 13,880 Thanks: 915 Thanked 656 Times in 426 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Dunno. But Good Luck to you Pyro. <3

09-25-2009, 04:14 PM	#5
Valigarmander The Bee's Knees Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The land of rain and trees (Oregon) Gender: Posts: 29,755 Thanks: 1,649 Thanked 5,700 Times in 2,580 Posts Blog Entries: 20	Psst, Seattle. But I don't really know what to tell you jobwise around the area. Like Lurch said, the economy sucks everywhere.

09-25-2009, 09:42 PM	#6
Pyropunk Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Gender: Posts: 367 Thanks: 139 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts	yea we're pretty much sold on seattle... we did a LOT of investigating and research today and it seams to be the best place to move... just with the whole they actually have places hiring, min. wage there is $8.55, and we have a friend who MIGHT be moving with us.... Orlando is just bad... when i mean bad i mean there are literally probably close to 10k people looking for places to work. Disney laid people off, so did Universal, a few other larger companies have laid people off or closed... so it's like wow. lame. I know Cali sucks majorly... As far as Minneapolis, that's our second choice right now, but seattle would be something totally new for BOTH of us.

09-26-2009, 02:21 AM	#7
Jere Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sutme Gender: Posts: 3,648 Thanks: 404 Thanked 331 Times in 256 Posts Blog Entries: 3	Just remeber, All my Exes live in texas. Otherwise i don't know.

09-26-2009, 02:41 AM	#8
Lurch1982 Senior Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: DenCo Gender: Posts: 9,850 Thanks: 127 Thanked 365 Times in 192 Posts	Again, have you been to Seattle? Blind-moving isn't really something you want to do lightly. I would heavily recommend taking a scouting trip and checking the city out for yourself. One of the dealbreakers for Seattle is usually the weather. Especially coming from sunny Florida, you might be in for some serious shock. The secondary benefit of doing a scouting trip is that you can hunt for jobs. ----DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A TAX ADVISER---- If I recall correctly, if you have a job offer you can write off some of the moving expenses on your taxes. Things are pretty much terrible on the Gulf Coast in great times. During stretches where people aren't going to shell out hundreds/thousands to hit Florida parks/beaches make it worse. I know Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are terrible right now. Louisiana is actually slightly better than the rest because the housing bubble hasn't exploded yet and there's a ton of jobs in construction or service sector. Problem is they don't pay and the cost of living in any of the livable cities is abnormally high. I'm in Denver now and its actually cheaper than New Orleans to rent, pay bills (insurance is the huge one), and eat/power. The only thing slightly cheaper is internet/cable. I mean, the big thing is "what are you doing for work?" If you're basically sticking with wage-slave/service sector jobs, you can do that anywhere and it honestly doesn't matter if you're in any city. The key is long term. What are you plans, what is your degree path in (both of you), and you need to figure out if the local market will sustain it (ie: no point moving to a place that has no industry presence). I've been to two of the three places on your list. I love Seattle, but it really isn't for everyone (weather, attitudes, lack of mexican food worth a ****, etc). Its also literally on the opposite end of the country from you, so you're dealing with a HUGE move. It will be extremely expensive to U-haul (or Penske, or Budget) a truck there. You will be cranking down at least a grand in gas alone, not to mention costs plus hotels + food on the trip. If you have two cars, this is an even bigger pain in the ass. If you do this, you actually might be better off just selling everything that can't fit in a car and buying it there to minimize the moving cost. Austin is the only place in Texas I can stand. Thanks to UT, there's a ton of cultural things out there, and last I heard the Texas tech boom was basically centered in Austin. Granted, no idea if its extremely inbred with UT grads, but whatever. Plus SXSW every year is fun. Austin really doesn't have the same feel as the rest of Texas. It isn't as busy as Dallas or Houston, and really has a college town feel to it IMO. Also: when are you moving? If you're planning on doing this in the winter, that might rule out Minneapolis. Moving in the snow is hell and horrible, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

09-26-2009, 11:14 AM	#9
Panfan AND HE PRAYS Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grayskull Gender: Posts: 18,806 Thanks: 1,405 Thanked 2,247 Times in 1,337 Posts Blog Entries: 15	come to detroit we have so many jobs we're swimming in em

09-26-2009, 03:51 PM	#10
Pyropunk Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Gender: Posts: 367 Thanks: 139 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts	We're looking to move the end of November, first of December. We're actually looking at packing our stuff into a crate and shipping it (there's a few places like POD that do that... it's cheaper than hauling it in a uhaul). Also, we have one car, but it's going to be sold before we move because of how dead it is. It won't last 6 more months down here anyways. We both aren't HUGE fans of sunshine, we prefer just a bit of sunshine... FL isn't TOO bad because it rains at the same time every day for the same time =/ Sadly, we do not have the income to scout, we have no choice but to blind move. Seattle would be completely new for the two of us. Minneapolis i know like the back of my hand seeing as I used to live there, we have 5 friends in Austin that love it to death and are like MOVE HERE!!! We think seattle would be nice because of the min. wage being as high as it is vs. everywhere else, and a lot of the places we've looked at are fairly priced for those wages and we could easily make due. It wouldn't be a permanent move at the moment, right now it's a "hey let's live there for a year and see how we like it" type of thing O_o That and there's a lot of animation companies out there and in CA so if needed when we do get a car and Jer DOES need to interview at those places either there or in WA than we can drive.... As far as me, there's a million coffee shops out there O_o so that would seriously make me happy seeing as I have been a Barista/Manager of coffee shops for... EVER. I've got a few friends over in Oregon who love visiting Seattle as much as they can and love the Sushi and atmosphere and people O.o mehhhhh we'll see... I appreciate the input ^^

09-26-2009, 04:54 PM	#11
I REALLY HATE POKEMON! Goku lives on the Sun Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: California, U.S.A Gender: Posts: 12,717 Thanks: 1,334 Thanked 275 Times in 234 Posts Blog Entries: 1	I heard Texas has a pretty high rate of employment in some parts, compared to most of the U.S.

09-27-2009, 07:16 PM	#13
Pyropunk Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Gender: Posts: 367 Thanks: 139 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts	^ Thanks =) I totally forgot about asking about PODS being able to be brought in >_< That would suck if it got rejected.... I'll make sure to ask. Yea Jer has a few jobs he's looking into right now that would be the "bread-winner" (meaning over 35k a year) and than I'd just worry about my job when we get there... so not TOO bad. It's really weird for us to try and figure out how to do this O_o I know a few people in Portland that are amazed with how easy Seattle is to navigate around. There's a few places we are looking at in downtown, and a few out of town, that way if necessary, one of us will have to take the bus til a car comes through.... we'll have to see... So much planning and so much up in the air O_o I just want to put this puzzle together and GO. lol

09-28-2009, 08:05 AM	#14
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Best of luck. Try not to take any huge risks - you don't want to end up completely homeless and too broke to travel.

10-01-2009, 01:33 PM	#15
Jesus Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Gender: Posts: 5,617 Thanks: 104 Thanked 139 Times in 101 Posts Blog Entries: 3	So your just gonna up and leave a town because of the economy? Yeah minimum wage might be 8.55 in Seattle but the cost of living there is much higher as well. You'll have access to public transportation but it can be very confusing. The weather is usually always cloudy as well. With 50 percent of the population having a bachelor's degree or higher that'll also put you at a disadvantage with employers because if I remember correctly you don't have an education yet. As far as employment in Seattle goes for you it is a blind spot as you honestly don't know what it is like there. Did you know some districts in Seattle have a VERY HIGH crime rate? Are you leaving school?? Make sure your credits transfer over to schools in Seattle and that there are no violations of your financial aid because of the move. I thought you were all set in getting a degree earlier on. Have you ever thought that maybe staying in school might be the best choice for you? Youa re like 25-26 and you can get so many grants and financial aid at that time....not to mention opening the door to better jobs with much higher pay giving you a more comfortable life. My mother always told me when the economy gets down that the safest place for you to be in right now is school. If school just isn't for you have you thought of entering an apprenticeship? Most places that offer apprenticeships give great benefits not to mention a higher wage. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for example! You make good money while learning a trade as well as possibility for promotion as places like these always hire within. Look at all your options first before you make such a brash decision. I don't think that staying happy with minimum wage environments would be best for you....but that is just my opinion. Consider EVERYTHING.

10-02-2009, 12:41 PM	#16
Pyropunk Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orlando, FL Gender: Posts: 367 Thanks: 139 Thanked 26 Times in 25 Posts	Well we are... considering a lot. I already have had a few interviews at some coffee shops out there with one being at the Nordstroms e-bar. The e-mails I have received back have all been positive in regards to being around $12 an hour plus tips. Not too shabby if you ask me. I've been scoping out online reports about good vs. bad areas in seattle and have had a friend of ours that lives out there letting us know about the area. And cost of living there is about just a little bit more than here at times. And considering that you make barely $7 an hour, have no hours, etc... down here and no matter what your experience you get shafted over? meh.... Besides, I'm working on my business plan through school while working these "low-end" jobs and in the end going to be very happy with the results... Also, Jer is in negotiations with places of employment... his being over 50k a year type jobs... (and yes, that's what the lowest offered negotiation is at this moment), so, yea, I think we can make it. We've made it on under 10k the last two years a year so I think we'll be ok... and the last few months? with nothing.... Yes, up and leaving. Family is gone as well and done the same thing due to the nature of the beast that is Florida. Tons of people I know are also doing the same. We probably have close to the worse economies down here. As I said in my initial post, I'm going to be continuing on my way and maintaining my school career. I along with a few fellow students are switching from on campus to online due to the fact that the on campus? Is a waste of our time. Might as well attend class that challenges you and gives you more resources, which is exactly what online does. Than I have the freedom to move. These grants and scholarships you speak of? Where? Because I've utilized all the ones I could here in Florida and that wasn't alot... All I could obtain was the Pell and FSEOG. And those were both a combined total of like 6k that's it. Also due to Full Sail being a private university? They don't accept all grants... scholarships yes. My entire education is around 54k... I've looked at a lot of options and have found that the only ones really out there are for those who had 3.0+ g.p.a's in high school. Any help I would more than happily accept and appreciate since I'm looking in the wrong spots. All things are being considered and weighed out.. we have a wall of things literally, our entire living room wall has been turned into a paper board of lists for us and pros and cons and what ifs and all that No sense staying in stagnant air that is suffocating you when you can reach to the world for opportunity... out of curiosity, if you could pick a place, where would you go and why?