Anybody ever move across the country without knowing anybody? (1 Viewer)

[RyanAn]

Well, I'm not really planning on moving on my own persay, but with my mom and grandma... We don't know anybody but have always wanted to spend the rest of our days out west. We've basically lived in the midwest, Indiana to be more specific and are frankly sick to death of the harsh winters and it makes us all depressed. The weather can be so dangerous, especially this last winter with severe black ice everywhere.
We're planning on the Las Vegas/Henderson/Metro type area... I've worked a steady job since highschool, so almost 8 years then went over to Wal-Mart, where I'm currently at. I don't plan on staying there forever and hear that the casino industry has some pretty well-paying jobs. It'd probably be smart to try and transfer over to another store out in that area and get an apartment to see how things are in the area, but I'm kind of anxious to try and make as much money as I can as quick as I can...legally.

Anyone have any expierence doing this? I'm afraid if I transfer over to a city were the cost of living is more expensive, I'll keep my same wage from my current town and miss out on what other's get.
If I do apply for a job, I can't really afford to fly out for an interview and not get the job and fly back... Maybe I should transfer out there for the time being and then scout out other job opportunities, but I would'nt want to transfer for only a couple weeks of work and sour my relationship with the company.
Maybe I answered my own question... I'll appreciate any tips.

 

[Lucia Duran]

I moved from the west coast to the east coast and didn't know a soul. It was hard at first, but I quickly found my place and I have been out here 7 years now. It was quite the culture shock for me. Things are done so differently here then where I grew up. I still find it a bit conservative and straight here, but there is slowly but surely more diversity setting in.

Scout out the jobs long before you actually go. If you plan to go work in a casino, learn about them before you go in. If you don't know a thing about cards, learn quickly. I had a friend that moved out to Vegas wanting to work in a bar and didn't know a thing and couldn't get in the door.

My biggest advice to you, and I wish I had done this when I first moved out here, is to get into things quickly. For instance, check out meetup.com for local groups that share the same interests as you. It makes it easier to find people that you have things in common with and you can learn the area much better with someone local showing you the ropes.

Make sure you take the time to get to know the people around you. Introduce yourself to your neighbors. Have a small get together and invite some of the neighbors over. Get to know your co-workers as well.

I also use to drive around on my free days to learn the streets and short cuts. I found a lot of interesting things that way.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Who's supporting who in your current living arrangment? If your income is critical to keeping the household afloat, you'll want to proceed very carefully since the Las Vegas metro area has the third worst unemployment numbers in the entire country. The good news for you is that the booming real estate market has gone bust, so housing should be a lot more affordable than it would have been a year ago.

Whatever you decide, good luck! I personally haven't been west of the Mississippi (except maybe to change planes at an airport) since I was a toddler.

 

[drobbins]

I moved from NJ to Indiana temporarily then to Kentucky then to Mississippi and then back to Kentucky with out knowing anyone but my family. I already had a job though. (the reason for moving) I would recommend renting for your first year. This way you have time to scope out the area and see if the new pans out. You would be supprised in how much neighborhoods change 15 minutes from work in one direction vs. 15 minutes in the other. A church is also a great place to meet people.