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Anyone Moved Across Country?? Alone.


seaashley

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What's the craziest 'get up and go' story you have. I've been interested in moving to Alberta for a while, and recently find myself reading up on places to live, jobs, etc... that sort of thing.

 

Has anyone actually done this? If so, tell me about it. It can seem so overwhelming. Do you have a job lined up? How do you get hooked up with an apartment? I know how it works here... but... obviously I can't "view" an apartment because I'm on the other side of the country.

 

Any stories would help.

 

Thanks,

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I have done it where I found an apartment online and put down first and last month's rent before even seeing the place. But a better idea might be to stay in a hostel for your first couple of weeks until you're able to find a place. That will enable you to tour the city and find out which part of town you want to be in, taking into consideration safety, transportation, cost, etc.

 

It's pretty difficult to have a job lined up in advance. But what you can do is go to a temp agency and find a temporary job to hold you over until you find a permanent one.

 

When I moved to Vancouver, I picked up a hitchhiker along the way. (I obviously wouldn't recommend this. I was young and stupid.) He introduced me to the friends he was going to visit and I ended up living on their sofa and working in a nearby restaurant. When I moved to Toronto, I stayed with a friend of those friends in a downtown condo. Within a day I have secured a job at a bar 1/2 block away. When I moved to Montreal, I stayed in a hostel for the first few days but within 3 days I had an apartment (with roommates) and a crappy job (but a job nonetheless) within about 3 days. By the time I moved to Ottawa, I had finished school and had a good job lined up. They paid my moving expenses so it was much easier that time around.

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I'm moving accross the country at the end of the summer, but have a job lined up and they are helping me with relocation expenses. The job is providing housing actually so I don't have to worry about that. My sister lives in a city about 2.5 hours away - I lived in her city for a summer so have some acquaintances there.

 

I have some friends who moved accross the country without jobs - they had savings so crashed on someone's couch for the week or so it took them to find an apartment and then moved in, found jobs later.

 

I don't think I would want to move without a job or friends in my new city (as in, I'd move without a job and I'd move knowing nowhere there, but not both). I would want to have at least some sort of network/pool of people I could plug into to get me started.

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This isnt really in the same sort of vein as what you ask but i guess i look back on it and smile

 

I had just turned 18 in 2001, my friends and I (five of us all in total) had booked a "lad's holiday" for two weeks to Kavos, Corfu (Greece). It was a blast. Amazing weather, cheap drinks, girls... The lot. Looking back I roll my eyes at some of the stuff we got up to but meh only young once!

 

I hit it off with a female rep quite well... Basically, last minute, I decided I would stay. I watched as my friends waved from the back of the bus which was taking them to the airport and I remember feeling bl**dy terrefied but ridiculously excited and alive as well! When I stayed it was peak season and there were a couple of jobs but I was so broke and desperate for money I grabbed what I could! So, I worked in a place called "Bob's Chip Shop" hot as hell but it was good! Anyway, the rep I was shacked up with was going to lose her job if I kept crashing with her, so, I found another worker and she let me stay at her place and we had planned on finding our own place. Unfortunately, we had a falling out - dont even remember what it was... I ended up sleeping rough for a few nights. Mainly on the beach but a couple of nights I was picked up buy a group of British boys and chucked in the sea - BLOODY cold in the middle of the night! I slept on a porch or two as well but then decided I had had enough. Was an extra three weeks ontop of the holiday and really learnt to fend for myself on that holiday!

 

Went back the next year with a mate and did it properly great memories!! Actually, the second year, I left before my mate, I had enough after five months? I think? And ended up dirnking all night with my mate and planned to stay up till the bus to the airport came in the morning but overslept!! Missed my bus and ended up trying to pawn my watch to a taxi driver cos I didnt have enough cash on me to pay. I think it had just changed to Euro's in 2002 and the first year it was still Greek drachma? (spelling?!). The taxi already had two English louts who were absolute idiots doing they're best to prevent me from getting in the taxi... I told a white lie or two to the taxi man and he saw i had some british money and took that instead. The Brits were still talking sh*t and the taxi driver dropped them somewhere random and gave half their money back hahahaha he took pity on me and I felt like such an a55h0le cos I lied to this guy to get to my plane on time but I more than compensated with the British money.

 

Im smiling like a fool would love to go back, everything was so... simple

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I've moved country about five times. It's varied from having no job or permanent apartment to go to, to being picked up at the airport by my employer and driven to my housing. I'm in the middle of relocating right now and have been having some housing issues, but it's slowly working out. As to finding accommodation remotely, I ask them to send photos and speak to potential house owners on the phone, or I get temporary accommodation for a month or so and then go flat hunting after arrival.

Moving countries can be a hassle, but so far it's always been worth it for me!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm actually kind of in the same boat as you. I'm between going down to FL in the States or moving to a different country. So if you do move you should let me know how it goes. I know my friend is moving down to FL in August and he told me that he was actually looking at apartments online and finding some he liked and then in July he was going to go down to visit and check them all out, plus look for jobs then put down a deposit on a place and have things ready by August to move down. You should let me know how it goes! I'm nervous, but I want change!

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  • 1 year later...

In the same boat. Moved to a new state last year for a new job... I only have one real friend out here. Its taught me a lot about independence but at the same time it does get quite lonely at times. I have learned to make the best of my situation and find remedies when I can. I'm sure it will work out for all of us at some point down the road.

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I moved accross the world to a country that I had never been to alone.

Arranged a job from home, but when I got there they could not give me any hours. this was particularly hard because I also had a broken coccyx at the time. I eventually got a new job and things fell into place.

My friends started off as just having work friends and then I branched out from there.

 

I don't recommend arranging accommodation from abroad, I know too many rip off stories, just stay in hostel/hotel whatever you can afford while you look. Deal with people in person.

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