We'd like to move in a few years, where would you go?

Like the title states, me and the soon to be Mrs. z31maniac, know that within lets say 4-6 years we would like to move out of the Tulsa, OK area.

That would give us enough time to save up cash, pay off the new cars, get a bit of equity in the new house..................

I'm a Technical Writer (with a Journalism degree), she is a hair stylist (with business degree and double minor in marketing/management). I'm 28 she is 25.

She would like to remain in her profession, I'm open as long as it pays the bills. When we visited Wyoming/Montana last year, I fell in love with it like I thought no city boy could.

We are realizing more and more, that a smaller COMMUNITY is where we would we be happy. Personally after our trip last year I have a prediliction to the northern Rocky Mtns. But other places further south could work as well. And doesn't necessarily have to be the Rockies, anywhere that falls into the smaller community lets say 50k-75k, that I could still earn a reasonable living and would have access to outdoorsy things.

If we were, within a 4-6 hour drive of a Top 60 market, it wouldn't hurt, but wouldn't be a deal breaker either. We've just realized/decided that we want a calmer/slower paced lifestyle.

What suggestions do my GRM brethren have?

My only suggestion is to do it. Much like a job you don't hate, where you live makes life so much better. Waking up every day and looking out the window and seeing scenery that pleases you...that's a wonderful thing. I wasn't smart enough to do that when I was younger and now I'm rooted here. My only hope is for the retirement years. Take the chance. Most everyone I know who has were glad they did.

I can't tell you where to move, but David is right. I couldn't move the wife out of New York, but i did find a part I really like and can almost afford. It makes a big difference being happy where you are. i'm still hoping that once the gov't runs the state into the ground and finally lays us both off that we will be able to go somewhere else. Perhaps those moon colonies that Popular Mechanics kept promising will be ready soon

There is always Michigan, someone will need to turn the lights back on.

Colorado Springs.

It CAN be tough telling someone where they might want to move to, especially when the move won't occur for at least 5 years. Example? My folks live in rural Pa. It's generally a nice enough place to live if you want to be far from the crowds that cities bring and yet close enough that NYC or Phila. are within a few hours drive. So what's the downside? A year or 2 ago, it was discovered that sizeable shale oil deposits were beneath the surface in NE Pa. Folks weren't sure how to deal with it at first, then when the oil/mineral companies started drilling, and verifying the HUGE reserves....land prices and/or mineral rights SKYROCKETTED. A dairy farmer, for example that made an "okay" living, thanks to government price supports, became an overnight millionaire when he sold the mineral rights to his farm. With the mining, there has come A LOT of new folks/strangers, prices for rental properties also skyrocketted, traffic, with all the trucks that mining entails, became a nightmare. My folks, who have lived all their lives in the area, now wish they could move, but very deep roots prevent that. Just changing doctors/hospitals, for my Mom, would be wrenching.

Yet, 5 years ago, no one could have foreseen any of that.

integraguy wrote: It CAN be tough telling someone where they might want to move to, especially when the move won't occur for at least 5 years. Example? My folks live in rural Pa. It's generally a nice enough place to live if you want to be far from the crowds that cities bring and yet close enough that NYC or Phila. are within a few hours drive. So what's the downside? A year or 2 ago, it was discovered that sizeable shale oil deposits were beneath the surface in NE Pa. Folks weren't sure how to deal with it at first, then when the oil/mineral companies started drilling, and verifying the HUGE reserves....land prices and/or mineral rights SKYROCKETTED. A dairy farmer, for example that made an "okay" living, thanks to government price supports, became an overnight millionaire when he sold the mineral rights to his farm. With the mining, there has come A LOT of new folks/strangers, prices for rental properties also skyrocketted, traffic, with all the trucks that mining entails, became a nightmare. My folks, who have lived all their lives in the area, now wish they could move, but very deep roots prevent that. Just changing doctors/hospitals, for my Mom, would be wrenching. Yet, 5 years ago, no one could have foreseen any of that.

Its unbelievable. I live in N. Lackawanna county in the last town with a hotel large enough to house drill crews. There is a nonstop stream of trucks, trailers and/or big giant things on trailers clogging up (and tearing up) all the roads. There are dairy farmers driving Ferraris.

The folks who oversee and protect the beautiful wildlife, water and scenery around here will take the envelope when its offered and all of Susquehanna will be one big blighted E36 M3hole in 10yrs.

I'm already working the idea on Mrs GPS that its time to go while we still can sell the view off the deck to the next guy. I only hope he runs a drill rig.

I'd want to go someplace where I felt like I was part of the community. Someplace where I identify with many of the folks that live around me.

I ride a lot of bicycle...not a ton, but a enough that I think I should always ride more. I love riding with people too. If I moved someplace, I'd want to go someplace where I could ride both mountain and road...but mostly mountain.

I'd also want to go someplace with lots of "nooks and crannies" as I call it. Secret outdoor places that only the locals know about. Cliff jumping, waterfalls, places to camp or just get away that aren't a state park or something.

We love it in South Carolina. The south seems to have a more relaxed atmosphere, less cost of living and more outdoors than more places. I wouldn't mind moving a bit north nearer North Carolina, though, but the taxes are worse. The biggest drawback of SC is the things they try to call 'lakes' - which are actually all reservoirs or manmade ponds. Coming from the great lakes and the finger lakes, that was pretty disappointing.

I can't wait to move back to Atlanta. Weather's much nicer than Houston, my alma mater is there, the appalachians are only a couple hours away and the atlantic and gulf coasts are a weekend trip away. There's also alot more old school charm than most cities to the west. One day...

PHeller wrote: I'd want to go someplace where I felt like I was part of the community. Someplace where I identify with many of the folks that live around me.

I have had trouble finding mental institutions with a metal shop near junkyards and race tracks. One with nice weather all year 'round seems like just too much to hope for.

I've lived in the Deep South, SoFla for 30 years. Would love to get out of here. Went to a family reunion last month in Magnolia MS and fell in love with the place. Very friendly folk, even though they probably thought we were from Mars. Stunning parks, hills, good roads, ridiculously cheap real estate. Big city shopping a few miles away. Population 2300. The obvious problem is making a living. After a long ride in the country and city, we saw very few for sale or for rent signs, which I took as a sign of a decent economy. I asked my cousin, the host, what the leading component of the economy was, and he quickly responded "Poverty". I'm not so sure. We certainly thought about settling there. Maybe in a few years.

Oh, my serious answer to the OP:

Wherever you decide to go... Do it before little maniacs get into school or the wifey (or you) will dig your heels in and you will be there until work or tragedy forces your hand. Either that or you will wait until the kids go off to college.

I wouldn't even wait until everything is perfect... cars paid off etc... as long as you can get out of the house sunny side up then sell and get an apartment.

Find work somewhere you think you want to be, get an apt and test it out for a while... repeat until you are somewhere you love.

I hear the west coast is pretty amazing, but thats a lot of separation from "home".

PHeller wrote: I ride a lot of bicycle...not a ton, but a enough that I think I should always ride more. I love riding with people too. If I moved someplace, I'd want to go someplace where I could ride both mountain and road...but mostly mountain.

This for me too. We live in North Florida but both my wife and I love to mountain bike. She just got back from an adventure trip in Winter Park, CO and her first question to me was "Why do we live in FL?".

I currently live in Lancaster, PA. It isn't an outdoor loves meca, but its got a nice mix of hills and good soil drainage that allows for riding 1-2 days after rain at most places in the area. Plus MTB has taken off in the area because of the large number of road cyclists wanting more excitement.

Erie (where I'm moving) on the other hand has horrible drainage, and very little in the way MTB trails in the area.

I'll deal for a year.

I like the Northern Rockies too. I considered moving up there when we moved out of Texas, but it does get a TAD COLD there in the winter. Dr.Linda wanted to move to Sedona. We kinda compromised on NW AR, which has worked out fine. Is that too close for you? Weather is better than Tulsa, not as hot in the summer, not as cold in the winter, and a whole lot fewer tornados. As long as people keep buying stuff at wally world, there will be work here.

To OP: that area of the country is amazing in summer- you need to visit when the snow is flying sideways @50mph and the roads are all ice. See if you still like it. Small town living is nice. We've done it for the last 30 years. But there is a huge lack of opportunity for offspring of non natives. It's not who you know, it's who and how you're related. I've traveled extensively for work and have been to almost every state. Although taxes are high( the gov't always gets their pound of flesh), it's is very hard to beat the Finger Lakes/Great Lakes region of N.Y.

ALAFREAKINBAMA! I have been everywhere and you will not beat it, I don't care what anybody says....no I am not from here...the best race tracks and car/motorcycle and boat junk around.

We went through this process about a dozen years ago - I opened a map of the U.S. and said "pick a place".

Our semi-scientific approach was to make a list of things that were important to us, climate, cost of living, proximity to family, job opportunity, recreation, etc. We then rated various spots until we narrowed it down to a very short list. From there, I started applying for jobs in all of the finalist localities.

I'm convinced we would have been happy if we had landed in any of the top five on our list.

I would move here $185,000.

Less than 1 year old custom built home located blocks from Little Elkhart Lake and Road America. Home features soaring Vaulted Ceiling and Fireplace in Living room, Large Loft, 2 baths, Family room/Guest room with private bath. Minutes to downtown Elkhart Lake.

I posted a similar query a while back, the "Lets see 'em" button isn't working. IIRC there was quite a few pages of response.

This week I love New York, the weather is great with sun and a slight breeze everyday, the lawn looks great, the garden is popping up in colors. Unfortunately the Bozos in charge still haven't gotten a budget together, taxes and service fees are going up (doubling) and I've had enough.

After visiting Prescott, Az. I was ready to pack up. I posted your very question and learned a lot, I think it was "If you had to live somewhere else". I'm still leaning toward North Carolina although West Virginia doesn't tax my Gov't retirement. Because of my son and fiance's line of work they will probably never leave NYC. When they start spitting out kids I'm sure the commute from Az. to NYC will be often and expensive so something within driving range may be better.

My brother Mike is a meatcutter, had his own shop at one time. He visited Montana, I don't know the town, but he was approached by someone who said "we are like a town without a doctor". He made Mike an offer, if he moved to the town he would set up a butcher shop for Mike to work. We have no one here that knows how to or has an interest in whacking up animals.

At 25 & 28 you offer a lot of potential to a rural town. I'll be 57 in August and I have to think about things like if I whack my thumb off in the garage, or have a heart attack, will I live to the nearest hospital?

Dan

GPS, hehehe we are planning on no children. But I definitely know what you mean about waiting til everything is perfect. But we would wait at least two more years from September, we've got to be in this house for 3 years or else we have to pay back the $8k tax credit.

minimac, point well taken. I often wonder if I'd be able to deal with that aspect of it. My uncle has suggested both Albuquerque and Salt Lake City areas as well.

bludroptop, thats exactly the things we are looking at. OK has a VERY low cost of living, yet we are both able to make above avg wages.

Hess, I love NW AR and that might be easier to pull off than a longer distance move. The only thing I have seen is a lack of Tech Writing jobs in the area, then again I haven't looked much either.

That's one of the issues with moving, with a Journalism degree that opens me up to a lot of Writing/Marketing/Advertising type jobs, but since I'm currently a Technical Writer with no real experience in the other areas I would most likely have to settle for an entry level job. That is a prospect that is less enticing. Because from what I gather that would most likely put me around a 35-40% decrease in pay.

The pros/cons of being in a very specific field of a fairly narrow job market. I write manuals for Power Distribution systems on Naval/Commercial ships, and also did a stint as Tech Writer/Editor for Mercury MerCruiser as well.

As a tech writer and if you have an entrepreneurial inclination - my thought is that you could go independent of any specific employer or with teh interwebz not be locked to a location. Seems like a lot of chinese companies could use better technical documentation. Wifey and I are thinking about steppin away from the man. All I can say is don't waste time, go for it earlier rather than later. Take the 2 years to work out a plan.

oldtin wrote: Wifey and I are thinking about steppin away from the man.

Seriously. How good does a self-run, self-sufficient farm sound right about now?