I own 3!  I'd move to another state, but 87% of y'all would run me off the road just for seeing a ny plate

Not just states; several countries. No big deal.

10k rounds of 22 fit in a small (heavy) box. Same with a case of 9 and 556. A SDB fits in a small box as does a lifetime of primers. Done.

Plus before this year you could sell your ammo, drive with cash, and buy more when you arrive

I helped a lot of people as they were graduating college pick where they would move. I would print a black and white copy of the US and give them 3 colors, red, green, yellow.

Pick shit you hate and color it red. That’s easy, Ca is out, anything north of the mason dixon is too cold so that’s out, fuck the dakotas, etc. that’s easy. I didn’t want to be within an hour of center city any major cities.

Then do green. Things you want. I don’t want to be more than 3 hours from the ocean. I don’t like it too hot or too cold. I want to be close to mountains or at least hills.

Yellow is shit you’re on the fence about. Alabama meets those criteria but I have no idea about schools, weather, etc so warranted more investigation

If there are other people you need to account for, have them do the same map. See where greens overlap.

Then narrow into a state/city/town. Repeat the process with more specific parameters.

I’m in a limited field so only have the chance to work in 13 places. Of those, 3 are in Ca, 1 in Portland, and like 6 above the mason Dixon.

I was offered a position in Florida (which hit my wants) but investigation showed prices were too high.

Was offered a job in Ga. hit the criteria so I accepted. Once we got here did the same map, including commute time. I drew a map about 2 miles radius where I wanted a house because of school districts, commute, price. Did that the first week here. Moved into a house almost dead center of that first circle about 3 months later

I moved from Michigan to Syracuse to be a manufactures rep- packed up my van with my belongings- rented an apartment- bought a house - sold a house- then moved to New Hampshire- still self employed.

Moved back to Michigan without a job at 30- took a job - got promoted then moved to Ohio where I ended up and will probably die here since I have many grandchildren.

Took a lot of risks every time I moved - in the end it turned out great.

I was born in MN and raised in MN and ND.
When I graduated college I knew I wanted out of that miserable part of the country (I hate the cold and snow).
So I sold my car, bought a pickup, and packed everything I owned into it and moved to AZ.
I had never been to AZ before, I knew no one and knew nothing about life in that part of the country - I did have a job lined up though.
I made the move in 1978 and it was the best thing I have ever done in my life!!!
I'm still here 43 years later - I love this state and I love the town I live in, and I plan on dying here!

Like 5 times in my adult life...

But it was not too bad I grew up a military brat.

When i was 18, i put everything I owned into a bag and suitcase, caught a train to London, then a one way flight to NY and a few Greyhounds to PA.

It was great to show up randomly at my dads house but was hard leaving everything and everyone I ever knew.

I bailed on Kalifornia in 92 and headed to AZ,I already owned a condo here as an investment but didn't know anyone or really anything about the area.
All I knew was that I was sick and fucking tired of california and was done with the place..I've never regretted leaving,wish I had planned and done it sooner.

Yes, twice.  Each time moved thousands of miles to places I had never been to before.  Arrived at both places knowing no one.  

Moving to a new place without having been there is amongst the most interesting and/or exciting things I have done.  You meet new people and see new things every day.  I would do it every 5 years if the wife was game for it.

Yes. Moved to Appleton Wi in 2003. New nothing and no one. Started fresh and never regretted it.

Texas was a terrible place to live. Only rich or poor, no middle class just like Mexico.

I moved from Maryland to Ohio in 1992 to start a new job.  When I arrived at the new job on Monday morning, the boss asked me how it was going.  I replied, "Well, yesterday I was unemployed and homeless.  Now I'm just homeless."  

So many times I can't remember them all ... just kidding.

I remember them all. Every freakin' one of them.

Got to Florida and stopped. Not leavin' .. evah!

When we move again it's just gonna be deeper into the jungle.

What are you running from OP? You can't run from your troubles.

I moved to TX nine years ago, when my wife filed for divorce in SC. I transferred out here without knowing a soul. I lived in an apartment for over a year until my divorce was final and I got a house. Funny story about that apartment complex...it was somewhat controlled by a Mexican gang. I didn't know it when I moved in because I had done my apartment hunting from SC via the net. Initially, they avoided me and were suspicious because I work for the Fed, but not DEA, or ICE, or anything like that. Anyway, I helped them force the landlord to fix various things in their apartments like moldy carpeting, leaks, etc. They lacked the language ability to file the requests correctly, so they had been living with the problems. After it was all done, one of them comes up to me to thank me and tells me my car (a BMW) will be "protected".

Same.  I flew here to interview and drove back once to rent a house, prior to that I'd driven through, but never stopped.  

I moved to ID, UT, MN, LA and OK under similar circumstances.  

Yup.
Wrote about it many times here.

Up and just quit a job with no notice. Went on a 3.5 month solo backpacking and paddling trip.
Came back, said "fuck it", felt I needed a change and just did it. No place to live, nothing lined up and no job.

That was almost 17 years ago.
I always say everyone should do it at least once.

Wife and I left CA 40 years ago, WA was a good state back then.  No job or prospects.  In CA I worked in electronics for the government, great job.  Got a job in WA in construction and  retired several years ago.  WA is now a lost cause, get out as soon as you can.  Out daughter and son-in-law have great jobs so I don't think they'll leave so we can't leave our grandchildren.  Get out as soon as you can!   Did I mention to get out as soon as you can?

Attempted that in 2018 going from NY to MT, didn't work out, couldn't find reliable employment with a buddy that came out there a few months later.
Only way I was going back to NY would have been in a body bag, so he drug me back to MI where he had family on the last $5 I had to my name.

Been here two years now, got a decent job(Coca-Cola Delivery Driver), looking at purchasing my first house. Outside of work, and the buddies family I don't really have friends which is alright with me. Covid blew all the opportunities this past year to get out and about and meet new people though.

Packed all my things into a Ford Ranger and moved to Missouri after college.

First time I set foot in the state was for the job interview.  Second time was when I drove there.


I miss that state.  Good people.

It was roughly 10 years ago. Wife and I had a nice house in the midwest. Pond, stable and room for our 6 kids. Well our older 4 kids moved out, all across the country and I was tired of snow so we sold EVERYTHING (except guns) and moved to AZ. I dont even talk to my liberal family anymore so there is that plus as well...

Met the wife in 2001. Told her my long term plan was to get the fuck out of California. In 2004 we visited New Mexico in November. In September 2005, we bought a house there and I gave my boss 6 months notice. On president’s day weekend 2006, we loaded up our 2 cars and my buddy drug an enclosed trailer while I towed my boat from California to NM. We had no jobs, and I knew nobody there.

I started a business 3 weeks later doing what I did when I worked in California. The wife found a job pretty quickly as a secretary in an advertising agency. First year, my business “made” $32k. 2007 it made $198k and the wife was able to quit her job to concentrate on staying home with our 2 boys that were 6 and 3 at that time.

Then, 2008 happened and my business basically folded thanks to the busted economy. I think I made about $15k. What a whirlwind. My options were to turn tail and run back to California, where I had a standing job offer, or figure out how to make NM work. We had already started making good friends, had put some money in the bank from 2007 and loved the city we lived in, so we adjusted. The wife went back to work at a dental clinic as a receptionist and I went to Sandia Casino and played 1/2 no limit hold ‘em. Sounds crazy I know, but I was pretty good at poker already, so I played full time. The goal was $200 profit daily, 5 days a week. Whether that took an hour or 8 hours, it made no difference. That’s $52k a year. For 7-8 months, this is how we survived. It worked for us. I could watch the kids during the day and play poker at night.

This did start getting old and so we contemplated moving back to CA again in June of 2009. I told one of my buddies about our dilemma and he made a call to a contractor he knew to see if they needed anyone with my experience. I got a call from the President of the company in a day or 2 and went and interviewed. I accepted an offer for $1050 a week as a junior estimator 3 days later. It allowed me to continue to play poker on Friday and Saturday nights for “extra” money. It also allowed the wife to be able to come back home and stay with the kids again. The difference between her pay and childcare was pennies at that point.  

The wife has been home every since then. I have been with the same contractor since then. I have been promoted from junior estimator to senior estimator and eventually chief estimator. I have become one of 6 stock holders in the company and even started dabbling as a project manager the last year or so. I am currently next in line to become President. This is all for a company that did 9 figures in 2020.

The moral of the story. If we can do it, you and your family can do it. We moved here on a whim. And while NM gets a very well deserved bad rap, we have enjoyed our time here. We chose this state on purpose because it was so poor. We assumed that meant if you busted your ass, you can live like a king. We were correct. We have everything we need, and a lot more. Our kids went to some of the best schools in the state and I have already started my oldest where I work as a material handler. I left out a lot of trials and tribulations because the good out weighs the bad. But there plenty of times when the checking account had $800 or less in it with bills coming fast. But we somehow managed. So don’t think it was easy. It wasn’t. But I say go for it OP. What do you really have to lose. If you work hard, you’ll always find a way to come out on top.

From?

Let's hear the story!

I moved from PA to GA when I had a 3, 2, and 4 week old. I sold our house, then bought one that I had never seen in an area I was totally unfamiliar with. I did drive down and see it once before we actually moved there. I didn’t have a job lined up, and didn’t know a single person for 600 miles. If it didn’t fit in a 16 foot Penske truck, we sold it. I drove down with the two older kids, and my wife flew down with the baby the next day. I ended up getting the moving truck stuck in the driveway when we rolled in around 10pm that first night, ended up sleeping on a blanket on the hardwood floor in an empty house that first night. I set aside 3 months of bills from the sale of our PA house and figured I’d have a job by the time the money ran out. Everyone I knew thought I had completely lost my mind, but I just had it in my head I was going to make it work, and I did.

Well if you can deal with a bunch of friendly drunken fat retards and can handle a little cold, you can come to Wisconsin. We got flaws, that's true, but not being friendly ain't one of them.

Lack of decent jobs and very high property taxes. But the beer, blondes and cheese is good.

I moved my wife and kids from CT to TN in 2005.  I had lived in multiple states at different times in my childhood, my wife lived in the same town her whole life up until our move.  We had no family where we moved my son had just finished kindergarten and my daughter was 3.  We made friends fast and built a support network with neighbors.  I guess I never understood why people are so afraid to start over.  I’ve traveled to all but one state and would be willing to live in many different places.  In fact I almost took a job in Montana a few years back, and that would have had us moving away from our two college aged kids currently going to school in Mississippi.  We’d have done it, but I’m pretty sure my wife would have disliked Montana.

I’ve picked up and moved to 3 states where I knew no one.

Moved back to the United States to join the military....

Military moved me around....

When I moved to the metro Atlanta area...

I'm kind of a loner, so I do fine and prefer to be on my own. My first "friend" (who I ended being friends with a while now) came to me and chatted me up when I first moved here. When she first approached me, I was like "WTF does she want?" And I'm still that way....most women who initiate contact are just gossips who wanna get all in your business and mean no good. I ignore and/or avoid them.

If you're close to family, Idk, that would be a tough decision because maybe it's from my Banana Republic culture, but I see the benefits of having family closer. I don't like how Americans are so adamant about being states away from each other - especially their elders. The closer family is, you can get support like raising kids, looking after elders, etc....

So, while I can't stand my family, sometimes I do miss the simple things like bbqing, movie nites, helping out....and yeah, wish some others who are states away were closer. But, seriously, can't stand being under the same roof as them...I always yearned to get away and when they visit, meh, I'm getting less patient/tolerant of my "space" being disturbed.

Yup, Still here. It's the best thing I ever did.

That kinda sums up my feelings as well, but I have a wife and 2 kinda.  We’re, we’ll me and my wife, are loners together.  We do feel bad our kids aren’t close to their extended family, and they have a lot of cousins, because we are they way we are. But since we are who we are, packing up and moving somewhere totally new should be pretty easy, we’ll see I guess.  My reservation is we’ve become accustomed to the area we’ve been in for the last 20yrs so changing it could be difficult.

Twice. Just rent something cheap for a year until you figure out what's where in your new location.

Second time I did I actually had more than a $1000.00 in the bank so that was nice.

Honestly I enjoyed it both times. I get the itch to do it again now and then.

Eta: First time I fit everything I owned in a pickup. Second time I rented a 28' box truck and dumped all my crap into a storage locker where it stayed until I bought a house.

Moved from Phoenix to Houston when I was in my mid 20's.

I did. I wasn’t a very far move..only about 45 minutes away. Went from KS side to the Missouri side. Didn’t know anyone.

Moved to Bangor ME solo as a 25 year old.

Rented a room in an old New England farm house barn off the internet.

Bought a sled and started doing Maniac things.  When in Rome....

It was a good experience, I spent two winters up there.  It was rather cold for a Louisiana boy. But the folks were awesome.

I have done it 3 times now. The last time was a move to NE MO.

I really enjoy doing it because it is exciting. I like finding my new favorite restaurants, fishing holes, shortcuts to get places, ect.
Everywhere you go at first is like being a tourist, but a deeply embedded one.

Everywhere you go is different in the way people engage each other as well. It's interesting to adapt to this, IMO.

The only drawback I have found is having no support if something happens. There's no one to rely on if things hit the fan medically.

Moved from Seattle area to the TX/MX border on a whim. Worked out great. Having children with no local family support has been tough though.

Join the military. Constantly moving you to shitty parts of states where you know no one there, every two years.

We did...moved from VA to WV...totally different culture...didn’t know a single person...no family here (bonus) ...had never even been near or through WV until we had the house built and visited it during construction...so far...it’s been fine...I know people now...made a few friends/Aquaintance’s....I don’t like commuting to VA for work however!

1992. 22 Years old. Moved from Tampa Bay area to Denver with a backpack full of clothes and a bicycle and $2k in my pocket. Rented a cheap, tiny apartment and took the first job I could find as a furniture mover. Could not do it now because Denver has become way too expensive.

Moved to Florida from Michigan. It's tough leaving friends and family. For the first 10 years, friends and family visit when its cold and snowing. Then as time goes on the visits become fewer and fewer, and my trips back home become fewer and fewer. Just after we moved, my best friend and his wife were killed in a MC crash, devastating me. Until I became involved in hog hunting and met two awesome friends, I didn't associate with anyone, socially. It just wasn't the same.
I know when I head to the shooting range in the sky, my wife and daughter will move back there, guaranteed.

Decades ago now, in the mid-90s when I was around 21 I packed up my pickup truck and drove from bumfuckville PA to Missoula, MT. for college.

Loved it.  Being from an area where there was not a whole lot going on, and being surrounded by what were basically uncultured rednecks at the time and moving to a small town with sidewalks, cool bars and lots of outdoors opportunities nearby was a great experience and I settled into things pretty easily.

That said, even back than I was a loner also, so being alone in a small town and not knowing anyone was not at all a big deal for me. I loved exploring and getting to the know the place on my own terms.

Home is where you hang your hat.

I moved to California when I was 18.  There was a welcoming committee waiting for me in the airport.  Turned out they weren't very friendly, but I did make friends with some other guys that were in the same situation.

Twice- to Chicago in 1999 and thence to Phoenix in 2003 ( once I realized what a hole Crook County was).

A couple times:
First time - Graduate college and took a job down in central Florida.  Didn’t know anyone except the guy that hired me and rented my first condo sight unseen.  It turned out well enough for me. I bought my first house, met my wife, and the guy that interviewed me for the job is the best friend I have to this day.

Second time - My time at my first gig came to a close and I had to move on. Took a position that was going to be permanent in Alabama but the first three months were working in a different state while the new facility/program came online. So for three months I was living in an unfurnished apartment with nothing but a camp cot, a folding table and chair, and a couple pots and pans.  Didn’t know anyone there except the guys I worked with. Simplest damn time of my adult life.  Then my wife and I did our permanent move to Alabama, didn’t know anyone there and just had the relocation company’s realtor to point us in the right direction.  We made out well in that, but I’d definitely do some things different if we did it again.

Third time - Had to take a job in Florida again due to a big layoff at my company, this time it was in south Florida. The wife is originally from there but I didn’t know anyone/anything about the area.  It might as well have been a foreign country to me but I met some really awesome people and am glad to have had the experiences.  That one didn’t work out as well (more location than the company), we got back to Alabama as soon I could find work.

Yes.  I was not married so I only had to worry about myself. Different ballgame if you have a family.