12 times in my life I have moved to a new state. 6 of my moves were over 2000 miles. I’ve worked more than 3 months in several more states. But, I realized long ago I’m a bit different than most folks. An extreme move for me is like the jelly on the biscuit. I loved it, the butterfly’s on the tummy, most importantly the all the challenges it brought.
Between 89 and 96 I lived in 7 states. I could almost do it in my sleep. I knew all the tricks for getting settled quickly while working a new job at the same time. Within 30 days at a new location I knew… best places to eat, best places for my hobbies, the best mechanic, the best electronic/computer shop, best medical care for me.
Also, all the best places to meet new people and establish a new life. I was never afraid or bashful to put myself out there. My rule of thumb… out of 25 new people I’d end up with 1 or 2 good friends. People to have over for dinner or hang with on a holiday. The quicker I met that many new people the quicker my life would settle into a normal routine.
At the first opportunity when I moved to a new location I’d invite strangers… my new neighbors, coworkers and 1 or 2 food delivery people over for a cook out. I’d spend a couple hundred on burgers, dogs and beers and have them over for 2 or 3 hrs. Through each of those people I’d meet 2 or 3 more. This is how I would quickly find the best food in town or medical care and meet people who would become friends.
Food deliver people are a must invite. They know, the best food in town, which auto shops are the busiest etc. The pizza guy is one of the best sources of info when you move. They know 100’s of businesses and people… a fountain of information. They know an area at street level in a way no other profession does.
Also, out of a dozen people over for a cookout there will always be 2 of 3 duds. People I’d never want in my house again or their friends… Yet another reason to have folks over quickly after a move. Most of my belonging would still be in boxes, those people would never know what I owned and would certainly never be invited back.
Oh! another little trick I learned about money and moving… My moves were almost always paid for by an employer who would send me a check. Even if they weren't I needed a lot of cash quickly. I needed a deposit on a house or apartment, utilities, lots of sundry expenses etc. Cash was always better than checks!
I’d open a new bank account but I’d have the new account checks or checks from my old bank in another state. I’d still have out of state identification all of which made getting cash for writing checks difficult. I once opened a new bank account in a new town. They wanted to sit on my employers check for 8 business days because it and my id were out of state. I needed money then, not in 2 weeks. I called my old bank and spoke to an assistant manager I knew and arranged a federal reserve wire transfer. I fed-exed the check to her overnight. She deposited it the next day and did a federal reserve transfer that night. It cost $18 for fed-ex, $20 for the wire transfer… the next morning I had around $4K in my new account that I could withdraw as cash and pay deposits etc. Keeping accounts open in the town you are leaving always has advantages.
All in all… if the opportunity presented itself tomorrow, I’d go in a heartbeat. I guess I've never lost the desire to see new places and meet new people. I guess that will always be with me.
