should i try moving?
 

I am kind of in a stagnant place in my life right now. Job I don't really like and not what I want to do, friends are moving away and starting their lives as adults, losing touch with older friends, and just a feeling of bordom.

My roommate (who will be leaving the state in March) suggested moving away... to another state. (I am in California now.) She is originally from Utah and said that coming to Cali for college was probably the best thing she did because she never would have left Utah otherwise.

I figure I am young, fresh out of college, a designer, and bright enough to go somewhere else. But I just don't know where. Or how I would start.

I don't want this to turn into "my state is the best" and whatnot. Maybe I am just looking for advice on how to go about... well... moving and starting over from scratch. For all I know, I am just running away from my problems.

So a lil about me: I am a graphic designer. I like warmer weather. Don't like snow. Can stand the heat but not humidity.

Re: should i try moving?
 

Take big risks, get big rewards. This would be a big risk. You will feel homesick and you will feel sad and depressed at times, but part of being independent and strong is learning to cope with those feelings and prosper.

-Rudey
--In the end it's a personal decision.

I haven't moved away yet, but I can kind of understand where you're coming from because I have similar feelings. I think the hardest part would be leaving everything that is familar to you...especially family and friends. My best guy friend made a big move at one time and at first he hated it...you have to find your niche...but after the initial suckiness of the whole situation, he ended up loving it. I think sometimes you just have to shut your eyes, hold your breath, and dive right in...there's no other way to see what else is out there.

If you've lived and gone to school in the same state or even region of the country your whole life, then I'd definitely suggest moving elsewhere, even if it's just for a year or two. I think you learn so much about who you are when you find yourself outside your normal surroundings and with people who are different from the ones you've known before.

I went away to college in a different region of the country from where I grew up my whole life, and it was a fantastic growing experience for me, adapting to a different sort of crowd and the regional peculiarities. It forces you to reconsider things you may have always taken for granted.

I'd say go for it. There's no reason you need to stay in one place your whole life, even if your family's there. I'm about to do the same myself, possibly moving to yet another region of the country to take a job (not the one I grew up in or the one I went to college in). It's scary but it's worth it. And this is the time, when you're young and not tied down by a spouse or kids.

:) So did I! I was the person in my class who went the farthest from home, and getting out of my comfort zone was probably the best thing that I've ever done. I know that if I had stayed here, I'd have a very comfortable life, but not on my terms. Now that I've graduated from college, I'm moving to NYC--very scary considering that I graduated from a HS with 40 students! But, after doing what I did, I feel like I can make it anywhere. :)

This is probably one of the only times where you have unlimited time and resources. What's the worst thing that can happen if things don't work out? You have to go home? The worst thing can be even worse if you have to worry about a spouse and children.

Re: should i try moving?
 

How exciting!!!

I say go for it! I'm planning to do the same exact thing right now -- going from Chicago to a town in Washington state I've never even visited!

Anyway, I think that if you have the desire to do it and plan it out as well as you can, you might as well try it. If you don't, you might always have that nagging "what if?" in the back of your head. If you go and don't like it, you can always come back and then you will only appreciate "home" more than you do now.

If you want to get some good ideas on where to go, check out Find Your Spot. They have a little quiz that matches you up with cities that might be good for you. If you're not on Live Journal, you might want to check that out. I've "met" several people in the town I'm moving to through LJ and it's been very helpful because they've given me a real insight into what it's like to live there. Once you start figuring out what states or areas interest you, you can also learn more about the important stuff (like rental prices, jobs, crime, etc.) by finding websites for local newspapers.

Good luck, and if I can think of anything else I will let you know!

I think that moving is a great idea. It gives you a fresh start for one and you definitly grow from the experience. I plan on moving to CA either a year before i graduate or right after only b/c I want to pursue my dreams of acting and singing and i dont wanna wait till Im 25 to do it so I figure 21 is a good age or 22 not really sure tho cause I know you gotta break into it young :( oh well anyways yes moving would be a great idea and you know that if you dont like it you can always move back.


Nichole

I say go for it... but do you plan on moving out to another state without a job or do you plan on getting a job before moving there? I want to move out to California so badly... it's been a dream of mine ever since I was a child... but my parents think I need to get a job first in California before I move out there. I wish I could just go out there and find a job (I have confidence that I'd be able to find a job and it would be a challenge I'm up for), but for now it's not really realistic since I haven't saved up anything for it.

I am facing the same thing. I've been here 10 years and its gonna be hard. I am considering it partly for the same reasons you are, and also becasue I am in a relationship with someone who will be moving to another are of the country and if things progress, theres a good chance I will be going with.

As a fellow graphic designer (print, not web) you gotta consider the impact an area will have on your carrear. I dotn knwo if you are wanting to get a goig with an in house design dept, liek for a big company, or with a firm or ad agency, but where you go will affect your choices. San Antonio sucks for design. In Texas you have to be in Dallas or Houston. There was some work in Austin, but its not what it was. I have also heard great things about Miami, Atlanta, NYC, Minneapolis, Boston and Philly as well as Seattle and obviously San Fran. I'd suggest contacting someone at AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts - www.aiga.org ) to get their feedback, 'cause ya gotta consider your career.

Good luck, whatever you do.

I would say, if you have nothing holding you back, go for it.

I always wanted to move out of state after I finished college....since my parents are moving away I wasn't going to have anything holding me here. I decided to stick around and save up some money....

and now I'm never leaving :( While I'm more than estatic that I met my husband-to-be.... I'm now stuck here. As you get older, things start creeping up on you that hold you to one place.... a good job... owning a house... owning land. I've finally come to accept that we will be living in Wisconsin for the rest of our lives. Is it worth it? Hell yeah... to be with him. But it is really, really disappointing that I won't get to live out my dream of living in the south.

Do it now, while you have nothing holding you back. You can always move back if it doesn't work.

The old American Dream was to live close to home, buy a nice little house and raise a family -- in other words, stay comfortable.

We lived in five cities in our first ten years of marriage. Upward mobility in my job pretty much demanded movement.

That was tough, particularly on Mrs. DeltAlum who had to make new friends every couple of years. And, her whole family lived in reasonably close proximity to each other -- except for us.

Now, there's no way she would go back "home" to live.

There's a lot to learn and enjoy and accomplish out in the world.

You may never find those things if you stay too close to the womb.

I did it and I'm so glad I did!!! After college I got a job in New York City and it is truly the best thing I ever did. I experienced so much and met so many awesome people (including my husband!).

It was scary at first, but I learned to cope, then to love it, then to really pride myself on my accomplishments. To this day, I laugh when I go into NYC with friends who haven't been there before and they're so impressed because I can navigate the subway system.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

PS from the weather you say you like, I'm pretty sure you would like Arizona :)