Divorce and Moving

[gmanpilot 0]

Within the last year or so, I got a divorce, a new job, and moved to a different state. It will suck for a while, but it will get better. I still live in the Southeast, and you could do a whole lot worse. The Southwest (ie; the desert) is weird to me, it's like being on the moon. It kinda sucks, really. Come on down to Dixie, but leave yer yankee ways behind.

_________________________________________
-There's always free cheese in a mouse trap.

[TypicalFish 0]

Dude, sorry for your situation and pain. Good vibes to you.

"I gargle no man's balls..." ussfpa on SOCNET

[RevJim 0]

Rick, dude, first off, vibes man. Going through that crap sucks.

Secondly, I know who you drive for man. They are big enough, as you know, for you to be able to live anywhere you want in the US and still be able to keep your job. You might have to beg for another dedicated run like you have now, but the relocation in that company is the easy part.

Seriously, dude. Finish your training, then grab a US map and a dart. Close your eyes, throw, and move there. If ya don't like it, no biggie, just throw again!
We drivers may get ripped on for the stereotypical image that is portrayed wrongly all too many times, but in the end, most people are just plain jealous of our freedom. We work in an industry that sees explosive growth every year, and as long as people need anything, we are needed, and will always be.

It's your life, live it!
Karma
RB#684 "Corcho", ASK#60, Muff#3520, NCB#398, NHDZ#4, C-33989, DG#1

[NoShitThereIWas 0]

That is funny Kai that I come across your thread, you live in Sullivan MO and are asking where to move to after a divorce. First of all sorry to hear that you may be getting a divorce that part is not funny, but I went through a divorce about a year and a half ago and spent at least a year trying to decide the same answer to the same question.

And ... I came up with your neck of the woods in Missouri. I can understand your desire to move someplace new and different. I knew for me after all that had happened in my experiences that I was definitely wanting a change and to move out of California and Hawaii. Since you are solo (meaning no kids) you have all the freedom in the world to decide where to go based on only you so that does simplify things a bit for you ...

I was initially planning on moving to Texas (San Marcos/Austin/San Antonio) area or Florida (Orlando/Tampa/somewhere in the Keys) and my third option was looking at Washington state. I have a 3 year old daughter so I had to place a lot of thought on an affordable place to live, good public schools, good wholesome people to be around with solid values, good DZ, places for me to work, finish my education, etc.

When I began to hang out with a friend of mine who lives in MO, he invited me down and we had a blast. He showed me around the Show Me State a bit ... I not only realized that MO was not on my list of choices and should have been, but I had been developing a strong like for the state and a strong like for my friend too.

After visiting Texas this summer (granted I never made it to Austin or Hill country like I had hoped) I realized Texas is a great state that I liked a lot but not exactly where I would want to live. So it became a toss up between Florida/Missouri/Florida/Missouri. (BTW, Austin and San Marcos look like nice places to live with a little higher cost of living than MO but not too much higher and I have visited San Antonio and it is also a very nice place but it gets very hot in the summertime).

After more time and more thought developing, I realized that my skyhottie doesn't live in Florida , but it doesn't snow and the weather is nicer in Florida . And, I don't have very many real close connections with too many things or people in Florida, eventhough I have a friend or two in the state and some acquaintances and Florida is very far away from ALL of my family . Also, it seems as though MO has better public schools too. So those things, talking to tons of people and a lot of my own research on everything from State Birds to mean annual incomes became deciding factors for me.

So I would recommend doing some soul searching first just to find out which areas interest you the most. Maybe narrow it down to three places like I did and then plan a road trip and go and visit them but always keep open to all the possibilities. After all I never thought at the beginning of my journey that I would end up in Missouri but now there is nowhere else I would rather be. (That is if I can survive the winters ).

And, if I was totally solo like you, meaning no SkyHottie and no kids, I would probably live on the North Shore of Oahu, (if I could make a living there) or down in the Florida Keys. As far as cost of living goes, I have lived my whole life in So. & No. Cali and Hawaii. The cost of living in those places is outrageously expensive compared to Missouri (another huge consideration for me to move). Of the places I have lived, I would say Northern Cal cost of living is most expensive, Hawaii second and Southern Cal. third. The Southeast in Florida seems to have a cost of living much more comparable to MO. One way you can check it all out is by doing some research on the Internet. Realtor.com will give you a good idea of not only what the housing market is like, but you also get a feel for the area just by looking at the inside/outside of lots of people's houses. It is sort of a superficial way to go about gathering information, but I noticed when I researched Florida that lots of homes had swimming pools and palm trees and when I visited Florida I did like the bit of Southern flair mixed with a tropical setting. Meanwhile if you look at homes in Missouri, most homes have basements and fireplaces and you just get a completely different feeling when you look at a lot of houses there. Also you can easily check out cost of living indexes and comparative salaries on the Internet.

I wish you the best of luck Kai and if there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know. Just keep doing what you already are, have the inquiring minds want to know mentality. Gather information and ask lots of questions. You will develop your own inner sense after a while of what appeals to you and what doesn't. This forum is already a great place to go to ask questions because you already have something in common with everyone on this website, we all jump out of perfectly good airplanes! The people on this website live all over and all have opinions. I have always been able to find a wealth of information right here.

Follow your heart and whatever decision you make, I hope it is one where you will find peace and happiness.

Sending you ((((((((((vibes)))))))))))) with your current situation at home.

Sorry this post is so long but like I said I have literally spent a year trying to answer the same question you asked in your post and am teeming with information so you are also welcome to PM me if you are interested in any of the places I mentioned or if there is anything from my quest for knowledge that I can share with you.

Blue skies.

[VectorBoy 0]

Back in time to when I actually had a savings account.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Sorry to hear that you're going through that, and I can't offer any valuable advice from experience.

...I guess I could tell you what I would do if I was single and no kids at this moment...I would SEEK SUNSHINE for a few reasons:

It's a fact that studies have shown that overcast places are depressing. Living in the NW pretty much all of my life, I can attest to that

And if skydiving makes you happy, then by all means seek out a place to feed your happiness! For me, it'd be southern California.
Vibes to you....

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[JohnnyZ 0]

I'm a truckdriver and a skydiver... I see that you are a driver too... You might want to take an OTR driving job and see the country for yourself... There are many beautifil places... but you need to be able to make a decent living too.
My favorite areas are the Pacific Northwest and the Florida Keys... But I just haven't found a good enough reason to leave. I'm affraid that I would miss my friends too much.

[skydiver51 0]

I chose to stay here in Oklahoma when I got divorced after 23 yrs. Except I moved from the center of the state up to the northeast corner to marry my non-jumping-but-knows-almost-as-much-as-me-about-skydiving wife.
It seems to be far enough from the EX.

[NoShitThereIWas 0]

I'd have to agree with ACMESKYDIVER. One of the reasons Washington was #3 on my list of places to live eventhough it has a lot of positive trade-offs is the weather. I am someone who likes good weather. A little bit of snow is no biggie, storms don't bother me, etc.

But constant rain and fog I think would depress me so that is one reason why I chose to ditch the Washington idea.

California is a great state but I am ready to get out. The Bay Area is very overpopulated, the traffic sucks, the crime is pretty high (my house was robbed and my bike was stolen from the BART station all in a matter of a couple months) and on the whole in comparison to other places, IMHO I think people in Cali are more clicky and impersonal. I have found in less populated cities people are generally friendlier and more personable.

I guess it just depends on what it is you are looking for and what is important to you and like I said earlier, if I was solo and could earn a living there, I think the best place to live on American soil is Hawaii. A beautiful place to live and jump, the people who live there are warm and friendly, the lifestyle is layback, the weather is always great and if you are poor, you can always just go to the beach, blend a margarita and watch the sunset. Life is never bad in the islands.

[jumpinjackflash 0]

Ahh Fuck Kai, I thought you were messin with me at the DZ the other day...

I'd go for Florida or Arizona.

Vibes brother, my bad. You know I'm doing the same thing, but I have to finish raising my kids so I'm staying here in lovely St. Louis...

If you need anything, shout man.


Peace



Jack

It's a gas, gas, gas...

[rmsmith 1]

Quote

California is a great state but I am ready to get out.

Now is a wise time to leave before they try to balance the budget on your back. The change of pace and scenery will do you good. Many others just like you have already come to their senses and moved away for a simpler lifestyle.