Have you ever relocated?

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I would like to hear from anyone who has picked up and moved to a new city. Not so much the why, but the how. Did you have a job waiting for you first, or a place to stay? Especially if you didn't know anybody there.

I have lived in the same place most of my life. I think about moving away, to experience something new, or if a dream job opportunity came up, but I don't know how I would make it happen logistically. I own my home and I barely even do any traveling. I don't have strong family/friend connections anywhere (or at home for that matter). How realistic is it that I could relocate in my lifetime?

I relocated to Saint Louis,MO.

Pretty sh***y place IMHO, but it needs some Creedonianess.

5 times to different homes, in different cities, but all in New Jersey.

Major moves more often than I can recount. Five very major moves to different counties and cities in the last fifteen years. The last one I had a job waiting for me. Fat lot of good that was! The job dried up, and I'm stranded hundreds of miles from my family. Ah well, c'est la vie.

Several times in different countries - I haven't been "home" in years. Always moved following a job offer either for me or my husband.

It can be pretty tough but interesting too. I don't have strong family connections either and don't feel much need for company/socialising and that helps - most people have a lot of problems in the beginning from feeling home-sick and missing their friends.

I've lived in states on opposite sides of the country and countries on opposite sides of the world. The first and second times I moved, I did so for education, so I lined up schools and apartments before moving. Last time, I lined up a job before moving and found an apartment after coming here. Next time, I will probably do the same--line up a job or school first, then move. I may or may not arrange an apartment in advance--that's always a bit iffy. I lived in one place which was quite a dump for a little while because you just can't always trust pictures and maps.

Picking up and moving is a hassle and can be expensive, but is entirely doable. If you're not attached to a lot of possessions, it's really not terribly difficult or problematic.

The only time I think would qualify as "picking up and relocating", is when I was 18. I had been branded as the weird-o in school, and I was sick & tired of it. Add to that, the fact that my mother had become ill, and was to be in a wheelchair, and our little house in West Los Angeles was too small & tight for someone in a wheelchair to get around safely. So we moved to the suburbs, and I left all my friends (nemeses) behind, except for a select few. I kept my job, and commuted 3 days a week back to West LA, which was about an hour's drive each way.

The move was a little hard, but I was so sick & tired of not being able to enjoy my community anymore, since I was the nut case in the neighborhood that everyone knew, and nobody wanted to associate with. Moving to the new place relieved me of that, but it also left me with a little bit of anger that I felt "shoved out" of my own home town. Today, 25 years later, I don't regret it. It was a good move.

Charles

I live in the UK, used to live in London but January last year moved to Cambridge (not too far away, only about 45 minutes on the train). I moved because my husband got a job here and the commute was too far from where we lived in South London.

It took me probably about a year altogether to feel like Cambridge was my home. I got a job but it wasn't a good one (I'm quite good and picking bad jobs) but I've made some friends through my husband's work and through a couple of people he knew through university. But then I'm quite a solitary person so I wasn't that bothered about making new friends.

Although it took me a year to feel completely at home I still felt quite settled within a couple of months. Something I always do when I go somewhere new is spend the first couple of days just walking around town, getting my bearings and just seeing what it has to offer in terms of restaurants, shops, parks etc. Walking I find is the best way to do this as you can take your time.

If you do want to make friends when you move I recommend finding clubs or groups that share a special interest and seeing if they have any websites/forums that you can join prior to moving, so you can make some friendships that way and you'll also have someone to show you around and let you know all the best places to go.

Lived overseas and in 3 different states.
Military life.

I up and moved from Southern California to Northeast Oklahoma. I moved because my family moved (I was 20 and just had a baby). I didn't know anyone. I have some family out here, but no one I really knew. It was miserable for me at first. No friends, no job or car for a year and I was in the middle of nowhere.

But now, 4 years later, I am super happy! Good job, nice car, a few friends and a wonderful boyfriend.

Yes I have relocated
I just save up a couple thousand dollars and initially accepted the first job that was offered.

Spent most of my life living in or around London apart from the last 5 years when I've been living in Sheffield

Recently returned to my home town which is on the outskirts of North London through a series of rather negative events resulting in me coming back down here. But since i've been back down here around May time it's all been an upward trend from here, new friends, new job etc so roll on 2011.

I relocated my shoulder once, it's a pig to pop back in.

I moved house when I was 18 months old and again when I was 11 years old. But all in the same city.

Thank you for the replies - it seems like most of you had a job waiting or were following someone who had a job waiting. Did you have any problem getting offered the job without having a place to stay (and if you could not commute?) Did you have to sell your old house, or were you renting and could just pick up and go?

First time I moved ws when I was 8, as the entire family was working or studying about 15 miles from where we used to live. So we moved to a small rural town close to two larger towns where we did shopping and such... The greatest step was when I went to live in Australia for 1½ years with my parents. this was back in '99, so I was hmm... 11 at the time. It cut most of my connections back home as sending letters back and forth took a long time and was expensive. It was hard when we went back too, as i've lost literally all connections with my friends and classmates there... so pretty much twice now.

luckily we got IM clients and facebook today, so it's much easier to keep in touch...