Need some perspective on moving west in the US

[Engadget]

My life is essentially in shambles after I lost my job, my home and broke up with my ex-girlfriend of six years. Finding a job where I live is not working at all no matter how many places I give my resume, there's just too many people looking for work at the same time.

 

I want to move west, and don't actually have a specific place in mind. My cousin echoed my sentiments when I talked to him earlier actually. He's working out in New Mexico and Utah and said being out there and hiking on his time off in the untouched wilderness made him realize how much he despises where we both live. He also said he feels like he wouldn't hate life as much living there either.

 

My problem is, I don't even know how to go about it. I don't have enough money to just up and go and try to find a job and live off my savings if it doesn't happen quickly enough. I guess I could search out jobs somewhere else and if I found one just go.

 

Has anyone else made any spontaneous moves, and how did you go about it?

[califnan]

No spontaneous moves ... But I like your idea of - follow the job.. Keep searching on-line incl sending your resumes and to employment agencies to any areas you wouldn't mind relocating to .. .. And hopefully your cousin and other friends can keep you informed of any openings with his job or nearby ..

[Ruby Slippers]

I have moved to different states and even different countries a few times, and there are two elements that made the transitions MUCH, MUCH less stressful:

 

1. Save up money to use for moving costs, set-up costs in the new place, and a buffer until you find a new job. I would save a MINIMUM of moving costs, set-up costs, and 3 months of living expenses. When I moved to Europe after college, I had about $5,000 I had saved, and my boyfriend at the time had about the same. That gave us a solid buffer till we got on our feet. I have moved before, though, with next to no money, and that kind of sucked.

2. Research the job market there before you go. When I moved to places where there were lots of my jobs in my field, I was employed within a couple of months. In the opposite scenario, my finances took a huge hit, since I was not able to find a good and good-paying job in almost two years of living in that city. The silver lining was that I started working for myself during this time, and have continued that to this day.

 

I am a big believer in totally changing your environment to inspire new growth and experiences. I knew from the time I was a kid that I could never live in the same town forever. There's just too much to see and do and experience in this world.

[Gero]

I'm not big on moving probably because I moved so much as a kid that I got sick of it. I would probably move though if everything was right. I just don't like to take the big risk of moving unless I am totally prepared for it. If I did move somewhere it would be up to Oregon or maybe to somewhere in the Midwest.