Impulsively Thinking About Moving to Texas

[ClappingCarrot]

Maybe it's a quarter life crisis thing, but hear me out. My old lady and I are thinking about just leaving our lives here in NC and just packing up the UHaul and moving to the Lone Star state. Something about a fresh start in a new place seems refreshing to me. I would also make a killing on my house in the Charlotte city limits.

A little background on the situation:

I'm born and raised in North Carolina, and all of my family lives here. Openly, I'm not close with my family and can count on one hand the amount of times I see any of them in a calendar year. The lady is from New York State, and all of her family lives up there with the exception of her parents. Their family is close and enjoys doing things together, but they're spread out pretty well as it is. Her and I despise even visiting her family in NJ and the Hudson Valley, so moving to NY is off the table. Most of my really close friends and I still communicate, but rarely see each other as well because of family obligations (they have kids and I don't) as well as varying work schedules and responsibilities.

We work for the same company and have worked our way from menial jobs to cushy, corporate roles. I've been with my company for close to 15 years now, and she's been there for close to 10. They've been good to us, and it's the only company I've ever worked for, but I'm at a point in my life where I feel complacent and trapped. There is probably some resentment there deep down, because I was passed up for a life changing promotion this past November. I would likely not even be having these thoughts deep down had I not been passed over.

The Texas coast is attractive to the lady (for good reason), and the Metroplex is my Graceland for obvious reasons. It's been my dream since I was a kid to have season tickets for the Cowboys and the Mavericks. I genuinely have enjoyed some times spent in Texas, but completely uprooting my life and moving there is an extreme decision because it's a complete reset. I've basically determined that I live where I live and do what I do because it's the only thing I've ever done. The real estate seems affordable for us in the suburbs and neither one of us should have any trouble finding a career with our experience and education.

I know of a few guys on this forum that have made that leap and seem to be pretty happy with it, but everyone's situation is different.

Anybody have any good advice, or can talk me off the ledge? I know the grass is always greener.

 

[Rockport]

It’s hotter than hell from mid June to mid September. Lots of folks can’t handle that.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

It’s hotter than hell from mid June to mid September. Lots of folks can’t handle that.

The biggest adjustment there is I'd probably pay a landscaper instead of doing it myself, but I'll take heat over the incessant rain and humidity that we've gotten here the last two years.

 

[roughneck266]

The biggest adjustment there is I'd probably pay a landscaper instead of doing it myself, but I'll take heat over the incessant rain and humidity that we've gotten here the last two years.

IT gets pretty humid down here. If you're near the coast in Summer, you will definitely feel the humidity.

 

[Rockport]

The biggest adjustment there is I'd probably pay a landscaper instead of doing it myself, but I'll take heat over the incessant rain and humidity that we've gotten here the last two years.

Most parts of Texas, rain is like Christmas. Funny how different places have different perspectives.

 

[cowboyec]

good luck and Godspeed if you do.
i've always wanted to....for only 1 reason in all honesty...

 

[YosemiteSam]

Couple of things.

• Traffic sucks way more in DFW than it does probably anywhere in NC. You move there, you're buying into that mess.
• It gets hot. Not NC 90s hot with a breeze from the ocean. I mean searing heat with no wind where you feel like you're in standing in a broiler hot. Real hot, not fake NC hot.
• If you like Mexican food, you just hit the jackpot. Not because of Texas' Mexican food, but because Texas has Tex-Mex and that makes regular Mexican food taste like dry *** tasteless rice cakes.
• You can get North Carolina BBQ in Texas, what you don't get is real Texas BBQ in NC. It's a different beast. It's not sweet and molasses like. Spicy and tangy is how it's really done. Smoked Brisket is the BOSS.
• It's been a while since I lived there, but road rage was common. Heed the warning because a lot of people are packing heat and the combination of dumb and crazy are common.
• You seem like you're miserable right now. If there is one thing I can tell you, moving won't magically fix that. You need to find the cause and remedy that first. Otherwise you will just take your unhappiness to Texas and suffer with it AND the 103F temperature.
• If you have a specific trade as your career. Investigate the area as it related to the trade you're in. Don't move to a place that doesn't have any jobs for you!
• Most people I know from the East Coast. (I live in the Tri-State area) all hate the AC. They like it when they are hot, but they complain about it when it's on. When you live in Texas, the AC is a staple of everyday life. When I first moved to NYC back in 2005, my girlfriend at the time couldn't understand why when my house was 76F I said I had to go buy an AC. She said, you're from Texas, you should be used to 100F temperatures! What most fail to understand is when it's 100F+. You're AC unit is sprinting like it's Carl Lewis all day long!

Good luck what whatever you decide to do! Going to Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers and Stars games was some of the best things to do around the area!

 

[Hardline]

I would have to know how to vote before welcoming you to my Great state of Texas.
We have too many people here already. I endorse more people to move out of Texas than in it.

 

[nobody]

Maybe it's a quarter life crisis thing, but hear me out. My old lady and I are thinking about just leaving our lives here in NC and just packing up the UHaul and moving to the Lone Star state. Something about a fresh start in a new place seems refreshing to me. I would also make a killing on my house in the Charlotte city limits.

A little background on the situation:

I'm born and raised in North Carolina, and all of my family lives here. Openly, I'm not close with my family and can count on one hand the amount of times I see any of them in a calendar year. The lady is from New York State, and all of her family lives up there with the exception of her parents. Their family is close and enjoys doing things together, but they're spread out pretty well as it is. Her and I despise even visiting her family in NJ and the Hudson Valley, so moving to NY is off the table. Most of my really close friends and I still communicate, but rarely see each other as well because of family obligations (they have kids and I don't) as well as varying work schedules and responsibilities.

We work for the same company and have worked our way from menial jobs to cushy, corporate roles. I've been with my company for close to 15 years now, and she's been there for close to 10. They've been good to us, and it's the only company I've ever worked for, but I'm at a point in my life where I feel complacent and trapped. There is probably some resentment there deep down, because I was passed up for a life changing promotion this past November. I would likely not even be having these thoughts deep down had I not been passed over.

The Texas coast is attractive to the lady (for good reason), and the Metroplex is my Graceland for obvious reasons. It's been my dream since I was a kid to have season tickets for the Cowboys and the Mavericks. I genuinely have enjoyed some times spent in Texas, but completely uprooting my life and moving there is an extreme decision because it's a complete reset. I've basically determined that I live where I live and do what I do because it's the only thing I've ever done. The real estate seems affordable for us in the suburbs and neither one of us should have any trouble finding a career with our experience and education.

I know of a few guys on this forum that have made that leap and seem to be pretty happy with it, but everyone's situation is different.

Anybody have any good advice, or can talk me off the ledge? I know the grass is always greener.

I would seriously research it. It's a big step. However, Texas is a fantastic place to live if you're okay with the heat and lack of snow in most places. The coast gets -really- humid. I'd take 100 and dry in the DFW over 85-95 and humid in Houston.

While there's been a huge influx of people from out of state over the years, it's still a different culture. People are generally more polite and more apt to talk to strangers in a friendly way. Of course, being from NC you probably have that too. It's not just near as pronounced as it was with all of the influx of people from California and other places. Things are a lot more spread out and traffic has gotten horrible near the cities, but it's still a great place to live. You might also research the job market for what you want here and put out some resumes. You don't have to take any interviews or job offers that aren't appealing.

If she's enamored of the coast and you're wanting D/FW, you'll more than likely end up on the coast. But a decent compromise might be San Antonio. Personally, I'd rather live near D/FW, but you have to make the decision as a couple if you decide to move here. It's a big step so maybe just throw resumes out there and if you get lots of bites right off the bat, maybe it was meant to be.

 

[CouchCoach]

It's May and you do not seem past the pass over back in November so I don't know if a change of scenery, and yours in NC is far superior to most of Texas, will give you what you're looking for, new place, same problem.

I've moved around a lot and I can tell you taking a problem to a new place does not solve the problem, just the view. It sounds like you need a change of company more than a change of address but after living for as long in one area as long as you have, an adventure might be the ticket.

Lots of folks move to Texas, hell, I moved here from New Orleans, PA and Idaho so something kept pulling me back. It's a pretty easy place to get acclimated because there's so few natives to tell you to go home.

I don't know about your lifestyle, and having access to sports tickets seems important so DFW or HOU might be the best, but Austin is the most forward thinking part of the state and is a hell of a lot prettier than DFW, flat and ugly unless you like strip centers and malls, and the humidity in HOU is awful, it rains up. Austin has a lot of great food and music.

Housing in Texas depends on how far out of city central you want to live. There's no state income tax but the property taxes in Dallas are pretty stiff.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Here is my advice to you and I hope you consider it closely. This is the wrong time in live to make any major changes. If in a years time, once all of the Covid stuff has settled down and the economy is on a clear path (good or bad), then make analysis of where you are at in life, what you want to do to change it and go forward. But today, right now, it's a bad choice IMO.

Take a little time

 

[jterrell]

Various:

The heat is overblown ... people in Texas drive everywhere and anything outdoors revolves around a pool or lake or ocean.
I've been in NYC when it was 85 and it was worse than anything in Texas ever.
Every Texas store is AC controlled and restaurants have indoor seating. .
Traffic in any real city in Texas is worse than suggested. I mean, bad in every way. Construction NEVER stops.
Suburbs offer great deals in housing price, convenience and personal space. But it does get homogenized.
Texas is amazing for live music. One of my favorite bands is out of Raleigh NC and they tour here incessantly, American Aquarium.
Texas coast offers some really nice combo of price/oceanfront but it can be more Outer Banks than Malibu. In Texas oil is king.
Any major Texas city will probably be a fairly steep step up in food quality. Texas is a hot bed for restaurants and you can't get better beef.

I have def considered moving out of Texas myself so get the thought.
Life is short and do you really wanna live in one place the entirety of it??
Traveling for work has told me not so much.
I'd actually like to live a few 6 month stints abroad.

You may wanna start around the The Star.
Research Frisco, Texas and go from there.
Depending upon jobs you can definitely end up moving again after you settle here.
No reason to buy day 1. Lease/rent and check it all out.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

Here is my advice to you and I hope you consider it closely. This is the wrong time in live to make any major changes. If in a years time, once all of the Covid stuff has settled down and the economy is on a clear path (good or bad), then make analysis of where you are at in life, what you want to do to change it and go forward. But today, right now, it's a bad choice IMO.

Take a little time

I understand the sentiment, but my field has done nothing but benefit from this entire crisis financially so I'm actually making more money currently than I ever have, even though I was denied a promotion that would've doubled my salary several months ago. Ain't life a kick in the head?

And none of what I've mentioned in the OP has any sort of timeline. This could be a year out or maybe even two. I'm not sure. Hell may not even happen at all. There are a lot of variables and moving parts to consider. It's a lot easier said than done to just move away from your home of 30 years, but at the same time I'm doing a disservice to myself if I choose to stay complacent. Q

2019 was just a very rough year for us personally and this COVID mess kind of allowed a lot of time for self reflection and evaluation.

I think in the short term I'm gonna plan a 2-3 week sabatical during the summer and go from there.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I understand the sentiment, but my field has done nothing but benefit from this entire crisis financially so I'm actually making more money currently than I ever have, even though I was denied a promotion that would've doubled my salary several months ago. Ain't life a kick in the head?

And none of what I've mentioned in the OP has any sort of timeline. This could be a year out or maybe even two. I'm not sure. Hell may not even happen at all. There are a lot of variables and moving parts to consider. It's a lot easier said than done to just move away from your home of 30 years, but at the same time I'm doing a disservice to myself if I choose to stay complacent. Q

2019 was just a very rough year for us personally and this COVID mess kind of allowed a lot of time for self reflection and evaluation.

I think in the short term I'm gonna plan a 2-3 week sabatical during the summer and go from there.

Isn't all about money. It's your choice but I'd wait.

 

[Tabascocat]

Texas is flat with not much scenery except out West. It does get hot and if close to the coast it gets hot and very humid. You will walk out of a store or something and you will find your clothes sticking to you. That is only a concern from June until October or so.

There is only two seasons......Summer and Winter for most of the state. The Fall and Spring will have some very nice days thrown in there.

The hill country is a beautiful area though just steer clear of living in Austin, I would stay in the burbs or closer to SA.

The food......I don’t think any state comes close to the variety and taste from Tex-Mex to BBQ to seafood.

I would definitely visit before jumping in, preferably in the heat of Summer to get that out of the way.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Various:

The heat is overblown ... people in Texas drive everywhere and anything outdoors revolves around a pool or lake or ocean.
I've been in NYC when it was 85 and it was worse than anything in Texas ever.

I lived 31 years in Texas (DFW to be exact) and the last 15 years in the Tri-State area (NYC metro area) and I couldn't disagree more with this statement.

When people complain about the heat here in the Tri-State area, I laugh in their face. I used to work at DFW airport flipping planes when I was a youngster. I used to stand on the Jetway when the plane was disembarking. You would literally see people wilt followed by some sort of foul language the second they stepped off the plane into the Jetway due to the heat hitting them like a brick to the forehead. They clearly had NO IDEA that was coming.

I used to always animatedly say "Welcome to Texas!" with a smile on my face everytime I saw that happen.

 

[jterrell]

I lived 31 years in Texas (DFW to be exact) and the last 15 years in the Tri-State area (NYC metro area) and I couldn't disagree more with this statement.

When people complain about the heat here in the Tri-State area, I laugh in their face. I used to work at DFW airport flipping planes when I was a youngster. I used to stand on the Jetway when the plane was disembarking. You would literally see people wilt followed by some sort of foul language the second they stepped off the plane into the Jetway due to the heat hitting them like a brick to the forehead. They clearly had NO IDEA that was coming.

I used to always animatedly say "Welcome to Texas!" with a smile on my face everytime I saw that happen.

Texas heat is a very real thing but it doesn't compare to walking Manhattan and hopping subways in 85 degree heat with the soaring humidity of NYC.
Lifestyle is different. NYC people walk and bike and ride subways.
They are on the waterfront so humidity is a nightmare.
I lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks in NYC... eating lots of pizza lol.
My ex-wife is from NYC, I've spent a lot of time there between work and family.
In Texas people walk to the vehicle, walk into AC buildings and that's about it.

I can walk around Utah in the fall without a jacket. I'm not opposed to 55 degree weather at all but I'd rather have 105 I can get out of quickly than 85 I gotta experience 30 plus minutes at a time.

IF you work outside then yes Texas would be brutally hot, lol.

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

My take on the move and Texas.

Texas is a helluva large state ... if DFW is your destination I can give little advice except it's hotter than where I live in the woods here in East Texas but I'm 75 miles from the coast and the humidity can be cut with a knife. The closer to the coast the more wet the air is. Get up in the morning in Galveston and there's water dripping off of everything almost like it rained.

More on the coastal thangy. The Gulf of Mexico is brown pretty much all the way to the mid coast (600 miles of coastline from Orange to Brownsville). Not pollution but a plume of sediment from the outflow from the Mississippi River and westward flowing ocean (Gulf) currents. If the water is brown don't expect white sand until south of Rockport (see what I did there RP?). The only advantage I can see is the daily onshore breezes which can be blustery but keep it cooler coming off the water and all. When it's 105 in DFW it's 95 along the coast and 50 miles inland. Did I mention hurricanes? The upper Texas coast has been whacked and flooded 3 times since 2005. I'm talking 70" of rain in 3 days flooded. Even me being 75 miles inland got devastated by Hurricane Rita in 2005 with no power for 3 weeks and heavy timber losses on my lands. In DFW all you have are heat, tornadoes, and hail.

Having said all that we had a wonderful spring from early March until about 10 days ago. Now we are gearing up for sticky summertime ... 2 showers a day and pool, lake, and creek times.

Further from the coast the less humidity and more heat.

I'm happy where I live, if I weren't I'd move. My wife is Canadian and loves it. She never wants to see snow again ... ever !

Anyway ... my take on the Texas weather scene.

 

[Longboysfan]

It’s hotter than hell from mid June to mid September. Lots of folks can’t handle that.

Try Beginning of May till mid October.

I would recommend East Texas.

 

[Oz-of-Cowboy-Country]

I endorse more people to move out of Texas than in it.

Everybody wants to come to Texas.


I blame it on the food. When you take the best barbecue in the world then add in Tex-Mex, Cajun, Creole, Soul Food, and all our different herbs and spices, you asking for trouble. Heck they got folks on east/west coast that don't even know what a boudin is or what a chimichangas are. They've never had Blue Bell, 30 different smoked sausage, or fried turkey legs. So when they come here they always want to come back, to stay.

HELLO...its the fattest state in the union, why come here? In one week you gain 10 pounds and your cholesterol shoots up 3%.