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Have you ever just picked up and moved?

strider42

strider42

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 1, 2002
1,461
7
Curious as to the experience of anyone who has just decided to move somewhere, without having a job or anything first. My job will be ending in August since I decided not to move with the company, but the future is wide open after that. I have a vague thought of just moving to London (I have british citizenship, so it wouldn't be a problem to do so) and seeing how it goes.
 
Funny, my wife and I are going through that exact thing right now. We are moving from VA to CO at the end of the month. We know no one out there and are moving because we are sick of all the traffic and have lived here our whole lives. We need something different and we love the mountains. Our immediate families are both in VA and we need to get away from them as we are newly weds and it's just to easy to lean on them for help. We really just need to be on our own.

We started planning by flying out there and scoped out where to live. Once we found a place we started looking for jobs. We knew exactly where we wanted to live so finding a job first wasn't our first priority. My wife is a nurse so finder her a job is as easy as it gets thankfully. Right now we are in the process of securing both our jobs (I'm moving within my company and she is interviewing for several positions at various hospitals).

For what it's worth, people here think we're crazy while everyone we talked to out there understands and keeps telling us we'll love it.

Personally, I think you should go for it while you still can. If you ever get married and have children it gets quite hard to move.
 
Yep- I moved here to Chicago in 1992 with no job and no place to live. I found a job and a place to live in the space of 6 days. It was scary as hell, but it was also really necessary and well worth it.
 
Some people cannot find comfort being away from 'home'. It is just not in their make-up. Others are just the opposite. For them, the lure of distant lands, and chance for adventure, is enough to uproot them and send them on their way.

From age 18 to 26, I traveled and lived in Mexico, Alaska, Asia and the South Pacific. It is much easier to do this when you are young. I would not trade those years for anything. The good thing is, if you survive, there is still plenty of time to settle down and into an 'established' life, have a nice career, and then do it again (after you have earned a lot of money). In a couple years, I am going to retire to Costa Rica - spend the mornings nursing a hangover and playing my guitar on the beach.

Go have fun -
 
I really want to do it when I'm done with University. I'd love to just go to Chicago or New York and never come back to Arizona.
 
it5five said:
I really want to do it when I'm done with University. I'd love to just go to Chicago or New York and never come back to Arizona.
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Dude....winter. :(
Though I'm sure you're probably sick of the 115* F days of Arizona summer. -20 below ain't much better.

I hear you though, I live in eastern Iowa, and I've been yearning to be somewhere else for sometime. Even if it's just a larger city that's relatively close (and liberal to boot), like Madison Wisconsin.
 
ecche said:
you must be from Prescott
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Heh. Seems like I know a lot of people who used to live in Prescott -- the key words being "used to". ;)

If I were younger, single and financially secure enough to be able to just pick up and move somewhere where there wasn't a job waiting for me -- yeah, I think it would be a cool thing to do.
 
My family when I was 10, I am 21 now, moved to the Whitsundays Queensland for 12 months. Just because. Best year of my life. I learnt more about myself in that 12 months than the other 20 years of my life. :D
 
strider42 said:
I have a vague thought of just moving to London (I have british citizenship, so it wouldn't be a problem to do so) and seeing how it goes.
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For London, allow an absolute minimum of US$2500 (about £1200) per month to cover costs until your first pay... this should cover the absolute basics. $3000-4000+ to afford some dinners out and to enjoy yourself.
 
Yup! I moved out here in 1990 from the Toronto area with 5 suitcases (one was all shoes). One way plane ticket, found a place to live right away and was working within a week. haven't looked back and do not regret it.

I'm sick being here in Calgary though. Can't go anywhere permanently any more, got a wife, dogs, cats, house, grandbaby. I also have fewer shoes.
 
I did have a job when I came to Los Angeles, but no place to live, and it wasn't a pleasant experience—but I made it through. My friend who came out with me was trying the "pick up and move with no plan" thing, but he got discouraged over the week we were here and ended up going back home. :(
 
Blue Velvet said:
For London, allow an absolute minimum of US$2500 (about £1200) per month to cover costs until your first pay... this should cover the absolute basics. $3000-4000+ to afford some dinners out and to enjoy yourself.
Click to expand...

Good advice. The severence pay and saved up vacation time I'll be getting from my company should allow me to do about 2-3 months based on 2500 a month if I decided to do it. I have savings too but I'd rather not dip into them if I could avoid it since I have plans for that money.

Here's a question for those who know (maybe I should start a separate thread for this, but here goes for now), what would be considered a decent starting salary in London. What do hourly workers make if they are getting an entry level job. Unfotunately I don't have a lot of specific skills (relaly should ahve done something other than an english major in college) and the skills I have from my current job don't directly translate into a whole lot, so I could see myself starting near the bottom. I figured I could probably live OK (if cheaply) there if I made 22-25 thousand pounds a year (obviously more is better too). Is that a reasonable thing to expect for an entry level office job for someone who has some job experience (been at my job for 6 years and have done well there). What kind of pay do aprt time jobs (bartender or the like) make? Thanks

Thanks to all who have responded. The more I think about it, the more I'm excited to just give it a shot. Worst case scenario is I'd have to come home after a few months. But its still a hard thing to pull the trigger on. Anyone elses experiences, good or bad, are appreciated.
 
strider42 said:
...what would be considered a decent starting salary in London. What do hourly workers make if they are getting an entry level job.
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Depends on your skills, qualifiations and the industry you're in... minimum wage is £5.52 per hour (pre-tax) from this coming October, although there are a few small businesses that will undercut this by fair means or foul: cleaning agencies and the like.

Of course, the sky's the limit if you're very skilled and experienced in a technical field.

In London, housing is in very short supply. The cost of rent and public transport will eat up your money, but there are also ways to live cheaply in London depending on where you live.
 
strider42 said:
I have a vague thought of just moving to London (I have british citizenship, so it wouldn't be a problem to do so) and seeing how it goes.
Click to expand...
Keep it vague. You need an income of at least $250 K to be able to live in London.
 
I did back in 2004. I was laid off from my job--the office where I was working was closed. I had felt for a long time that I needed a change so I decided that I would move to the east coast. There was a guy there I was interested in and the job prospects were supposedly a lot better out there so I packed up my car and drove. I've had several mini-moves since, but I'm still in the area. And the interesting guy is now my hubby.
 
One time, back in the mid 70's, I packed all my earthly possesions in a U-Haul attached to a brand new car payment, and drove out of California, east. I got a call in St. Louis one week later with a new job offer, and things were pretty fast in turning around for me. But it's scary.

I wasn't ready for an international jump, quite yet. That came some years down the road. But for your situation, it seems like a pretty steep step to head across the Pond with nothing awaiting your there. I'd be certain that you're at least sure in your gut about it, before making that kind of a move.
 
strider42 said:
Curious as to the experience of anyone who has just decided to move somewhere, without having a job or anything first. My job will be ending in August since I decided not to move with the company, but the future is wide open after that. I have a vague thought of just moving to London (I have british citizenship, so it wouldn't be a problem to do so) and seeing how it goes.
Click to expand...

i have done it and i'm considering doing it again. also to london or ny. but i don't have british citzenship. but i do have a mini, a bottle of marmite, and a large radiohead collection.

anyway i was talking to someone about this earlier, and really its the only way to make a change, i did it and i was scared at first and delayed it. and when i finally did it i was surprised at how easy it was. do it or you'll just spend 10 years talking about doing it, and you don't want to be that guy or gal.
 
I've picked up and moved a few times. For me, it's the only way to do it.

I'm not going to bore you with my experiences. Some worked out, some didn't. London was good, for a while.

A few thing to consider:

Have you budgeted in moving expenses?
Plane ticket, Are you going to ship stuff? If not, you'll need extra $ to buy neccessities. Anything with a plug, you're gonna need to buy there (except a mac). I blew up a few hairdriers, trying to use converters in London. :eek:

Are you going to be ok living a more modest life style than you might be used to?
When I moved to London, my first place was a B&B where I shared a room with 3 strangers and the shower was 3 flights down. My roommates were cool. We became good friends and ended up getting a flat together.

Public trans. is expensive, but there are so many great things to see in London, you might end up walking a lot. I did, even at night and felt safe.

I have to say Londoners and Britons in general are very friendly and helpful. Oh, and fun, too.

It was an amazing experience for me, kind of humbling. I'm so glad I did it. Having an open mind is key.
 
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