House sold/Downsized/Now what?

[AlreadyHere]

Hello all,

After a whirlwind year, I've returned to the forums to find y'all moved! Good to "see" folks from earlier discussions here too. (My former forum ID was "Chessica," changed since I'm no longer residing in the Chesapeake region). Wasn't sure where to post this as it involves housing, work, relocation, resulting in a late-blooming midlife crisis.

Earlier this year, I sold my sweet home and moved across the country to a job/residency that resulted in disaster. It is too painful yet to discuss in detail. Suffice to say, I feel deeply gullible and foolish to have changed so much in my life without a clear contract.

As I was already on the opposite coast of where I'd been living, I took the opportunity to visit family in the PNW and assist with them with some health care issues. My work here is done. Due to the size of their housing and plans to relocate soon themselves, I am needing to also move on very soon. All my alternate considerations (Plan A and Plan B) have not panned out. I've learned that all "friends" who were encouraging change and had verbally offered temporary lodging should things not work out, are now saying they are not able to do so. My family back east is all estranged, and there is no possibility of connecting with any of them.

While I have the freedom of going anywhere in the States, at 54, I'm not honestly feeling the "excitement" of possibilities. I'm tired of moving around, sleeping on couches and ready to settle down for a while. Eager also to get back to work and be involved in a community. (Employment history of mostly Administrative secretarial, clerical support) I've lived in coastal cities/suburbs most of my life. Still sorting out the psychological and emotional impact of so many changes in the last few months.

On a bright note, the last few years of simple living have been rewarding -- only wished I'd had a clue years sooner! Not independently wealthy, but have some savings. Downsizing has been achieved to the point of all my possessions (including one kitty condo!) fitting into my little truck. So wherever I end up, it won't require a moving van.

My question is sort of chicken or egg: Do I attempt to secure a job first or housing? So far, it has been challenging to secure any employment while at a geographical distance.

I've really no idea what to do next or where to go. All ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks for reading this far :-)
Jean

[Madsen]

Well your background sounds like your skills are fairly portable, so I would focus on housing first. Not just housing, but do some research on where in the country you'd like to live -- climate, demographics, etc. Find a place to live, then when you've landed there start hitting the streets and drumming up work.

[Rosemary]

Maybe you could find information about the job market for areas that you might like, as another data point for your selection.

[fidgiegirl]

A wise friend once told me to live where you want to live and figure out the job later. I was just worrying about my commute time, not a cross-country move, but I think it still applies. I could see where with your employment background you'd need to be able to attend in-person interviews and that it would be hard to get a job from a distance. So I agree with the housing suggestion.

And also, hugs to you.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Well I guess the usual questions are:
- where if anywhere do you already have a social network? do you miss it and want to go back?
- where do you like the culture? location and scenery? weather? affordability? etc.

Seriously though, don't move to somewhere with super high unemployment (here would be one example ) unless you have other really strong reasons for doing so. Because it is going to be MUCH MUCH easier to get a job somewhere with less unemployment.

[herisf]

I would choose the general area that you want to settle in (coast, lake, mountain, east, west). Scout around to see if there's someplace in particular that calls to you. Start job hunting, and look hard. Depending on where you go, you may or may not be successful. Up here in the rural area of PNW where I am, jobs with your skills are hard to come by because they're taken by the locals first. Right now, folks would rather help their neighbor than someone from elsewhere. Despite that, it *is* possible to find a job, but it is highly dependent upon your skills.

If you're more concerned about day to day living then go where the jobs are first. Once you build up a nest egg and have strong feelings about where you want to live, then you can move there and job hunt. Good luck.

[pinkytoe]

Isn't it ironic, my life is boring and certain, so I dream about being in your situation...
If I were footloose and fancy-free, I would head to the area I love (in my case the Colorado mountains and because I have close relatives there). Then I would look for work.

[Mrs-M]

Welcome back AlreadyHere! I second finding a happy spot (geographical wise) to reside, then work on setting out and finding work. Being content and comfortable where one lives is so important. (Sending a warm hug your way). P.S. Hoping to see lots more of you here.

[AlreadyHere]

I genuinely appreciate your ideas and the warm welcome back! Since my initial posting, I've hit the ground running -- hard -- in several states to scope out both job and housing possibilities. In the near future, I'm going to dedicate some days/travel to specific areas and try to get a feel for things. Even a trip to the dentist resulted in some leads :-)

A lot of uncertainty yet much to be thankful about. It's great to be back reading these boards. I'll keep you posted on how things develop.

Jean

[Mrs-M]

Hi again AlreadyHere. Just wanted you to know, for you!