18 year old thinking about moving to NH. Should I do it?

[Crocuta]

nursing (yes, nursing -- nurses make a hell of a good wage and are always in demand).

Thank you for that plug.    I've never been happier since I changed careers and went into nursing.  Pay *is* excellent (except in Florida for some strange reason), there is a terrible shortage and it's getting worse which means you'll never lack for work, and the work is meaningful.  Since I started nursing, I've gone home every single day and said to myself, "I made a difference to someone today."  That's a good feeling.

On the downside, nursing and the medical field in general is getting more and more regulated every day.  I can forsee a day when the paperwork and the bureaucratic requirements could become intolerable.  Hopefully free market forces will take over before then and just let doctors and nurses care for patients.

[error]

Whatever you decide, be sure to stay in touch.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Rosie Quote: "We have debated here at nhfree.com whether or not college is important, but that is a personal choice you have to make."


Yes, I should have added "End The Degree Tyranny!"



If I were maybe 10 years younger and if it is true about students in their 50's I would look into nursing.

[Rosie the Riveter]

Rosie Quote: "We have debated here at nhfree.com whether or not college is important, but that is a personal choice you have to make."


Yes, I should have added "End The Degree Tyranny!"

Based on the insight that I gleaned from our past debates.  I did decide NOT to go to grad. school... I have finally realized that anything I need or want to learn -- I can read in a book, find via google or through a mentor.

Thank you Lloyd, and everyone on the board, for always speaking your mind. It helps me to see things more clearly.

[JellyFish]

I like the idea of you starting school and maybe transferring. However, the bottom line is that you MUST be able to support yourself financially. If you can't do that then you should stay where you are until you have acquired the skill sets necessary to do so.

When I was in my early 20s I didn't do that and ended up homeless for a while. It was not a pleasant experience but it made me realize that I had to grow up and accept responsibility for supporting myself. Relying on other people for that is never a good idea.

Having said all that, I look forward to when you do arrive in New Hampshire. The state isn't going anywhere and neither are we. So take your time and prepare yourself, you will be welcome regardless of when you arrive. 

[Mellamo]

Thank you all so much for your replies. You've helped me a lot, believe me.

I've decided to stay in South Dakota for college. I can move after I graduate. It's only four years away, and I'm sure I'll love it here when I'm in college.

This post in particular made me realize that moving now could be a total disaster:

I'll never forget the young man at the first PorcFest who took a statement like that as "We have a job and a place to live for you."  He showed up with no money, no place to live, no job, no way home.  I found him in tears at PorcFest because he had no idea what he was going to do, once he realized the real situation - we might be able to help some, but aren't going to provide these things.  The poor guy was a total mess.  We finally managed to get him on a bus to some relatives.  It was really sad.

That really sucks, and that could happen to me too. $800 is not much more than nothing if you're talking about housing and things like that. I would be biting off more than I could chew if I move now.

To finish my stupid little diving metaphor: maybe I should learn how to swim before I dive into the deep end.

Transferring is an option. I'll keep that in mind.

EDIT:
My parents can't afford to pay for college for me (part of me wants to pay my own way anyway), but they said that they will help out whenever I need it.

Today I told my parents that I'm thinking about going to New Hampshire for Porcfest. They told me that I should stay here and make money for college. They don't know what Porcfest is all about and they don't seem to care, but they're right. I need to start supporting myself financially rather than spending money right now. I'll try to make it next year.

[jaqeboy]

...I've decided to stay in South Dakota for college...

This sounds foolishly conservative to me!

This post in particular made me realize that moving now could be a total disaster:

...He showed up with no money, no place to live, no job, no way home...

That really sucks, and that could happen to me too. $800 is not much more than nothing if you're talking about housing and things like that. I would be biting off more than I could chew if I move now.

Even with $600 left after travelling, it sounds like you'd be phat with cash to make it. Remember the guy above had NO money. One fellow here landed in town and went straight to work through Labor Ready and has kept busy with basic jobs while he works his way up to better things. We've got about the lowest unemployment rate in the country, so you can easily be working within a week.

To finish my stupid little diving metaphor: maybe I should learn how to swim before I dive into the deep end.

Transferring is an option. I'll keep that in mind.

EDIT:
My parents can't afford to pay for college for me (part of me wants to pay my own way anyway), but they said that they will help out whenever I need it.

Today I told my parents that I'm thinking about going to New Hampshire for Porcfest. They told me that I should stay here and make money for college. They don't know what Porcfest is all about and they don't seem to care, but they're right. I need to start supporting myself financially rather than spending money right now. I'll try to make it next year.

I hope you'll splurge for the bus fare to come here for PorcFest. I'm sure someone can arrange to pick you up at the bus station in Manchester and get you up to Gunstock. I'll scholarship you into my campsite so you'll have a place to stay. Think it over.

[Rochelle]

I recommend that you stay in South Dakota for just a bit longer. Graduating with a good degree from a university with in state tuition will really set you up for success in the long run when you move: you'll have a job lined up for you, no (or not as much!) student debt. These things are important.
I know it's hard to stay in a place where most people don't believe in liberty or anything like that, but it's much much harder to move to NH and realize you can't afford to stay and have to move back home.
Just wait a few more years, work hard, save (you need more of a cushion in case it takes you a while to find a job!), and then move.
In the meantime, be a thorn in the side of everyone else in South Dakota

[cxxguy]

The nice thing about asking Libertarians for advice is they always suggest that you do the thing that you really want to do.  The down side is that they also suggest that you do the thing you really do not want to do.  The entertaining thing is some of them frequently suggest doing something that would look reallyfunny if it were caught on video. 

That said, I feel your pain.  I'm between jobs, with a bit more cash, trying to decide whether to work first, to move to NH and get a job, to move to NH and buy a lawnmower and a snow shovel, or what have you.  Hmmmmm .....

[jaqeboy]

The nice thing about asking Libertarians for advice is they always suggest that you do the thing that you really want to do.  The down side is that they also suggest that you do the thing you really do not want to do.  The entertaining thing is some of them frequently suggest doing something that would look reallyfunny if it were caught on video. 

That said, I feel your pain.  I'm between jobs, with a bit more cash, trying to decide whether to work first, to move to NH and get a job, to move to NH and buy a lawnmower and a snow shovel, or what have you.  Hmmmmm .....

Making a decision makes life easier than the agony of indecision...

Once you have made the decision and you are here, then you just face whatever is next. If you need money, you go look for a job. If you need a place to live, just call me or someone else who has rooms to rent. But at least you don't have to face the agony of indecision anymore.

[E-ville]

Just keep in mind its way easier to make a move like this when your younger and less tied down,

I have to sell a house and 2000 sq.ft worth of crap before I leave not to mention my wife and child's considerations.

I say go for it, but it's your choice.

E-ville

[error]

After I signed the statement of intent, I waited a year before I moved. Now that I'm here, I wish I'd moved sooner. But the previous year, I really didn't have the money to do it.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Just keep in mind its way easier to make a move like this when your younger and less tied down,

I have to sell a house and 2000 sq.ft worth of crap before I leave not to mention my wife and child's considerations.

I say go for it, but it's your choice.

E-ville

I don't know about a guy who would sell his wife and child's considerations

[sandm000]

I waited until I had enough money saved for six months rent on a place and money for food, and I moved with NO JOB.  My loving wife (who stays home with our son) made the move with me and supported the decision.  We came up here (from NY) several times looking for a place to stay, rented a place and moved as soon as we could.  

I think Alec has some rooms for rent in Manchester for ~$300/month, and groceries are $50/week
So, if you think you won't be able to find a job for 2 months bring $1000, 4 months $2000 and so on.

Your three options are A)Come to PorcFest, meet the people, see what happens... Maybe run out of cash
B)Get a job over the summer and work your ass off to save up some money to come here in a few months, and have significantly more breathing room money wise.
C)Go to school in SD and put up with your parents until you graduate, and then have to go through options A and B all over again.

And a degree is worth something, even though some people here don't think it means much.

I hope you don't regret anything.  And would your family help you get in school, if you failed here first?

PS ATHF  U=Mic Rula! Old Schoola?

[Lex]

My parents can't afford to pay for college for me (part of me wants to pay my own way anyway), but they said that they will help out whenever I need it.

If you are going to be paying for college yourself then you might as well go to college in NH. You will be in debt either way so there is no advantage to staying in SD.

There is a big difference between you and the kid with no money. He didn't ask for advice and just showed up expecting others to take care of him. You obviously are not as careless and do not have such an expectation.

My advice is the following: Unless your parents are willing to finance 4 years of college you have no business (doesn't make financial sense) staying in SD.

For $800 you can visit NH for 1 week which will be enough to find *some* job that will pay you enough to cover living and food expenses at which point you can start looking for a better job and go from there. Then once you have met the residency requirement and you still want to go to college you can apply for a loan and apply to college. Worst case is that you just go back home, take some crap from parents, and try again some other time. Just make sure you have enough money left for a ticket back but you sound like a responsible individual so I'm sure that won't be a problem.

You are in a much better position without a kid, wife, mortgage and a house full of posessions than many others who have migrated to New Hampshire.

I'm 24 years old, I moved to NH last year from Morris, IL with a wife, 6 month old daughter, a cat, two dogs, a horse, two cars and a moving truck. We move *before* we sold our house which ment that I would be paying mortgage on the house in Illinois while at the same time paying rent in NH (i don't make a lot of money so this was going to *really* stretch us thin). At the time of the move I thought we had completely lost our minds. A combination of luck and a lot of support from family and friends helped us through the whole thing. Granted I didn't have to look for a job because I telecommute to work, so that was definitely a huge plus for us.

But I don't doubt that if you just visit NH for one week on your $800 you will find a job, at least a temporary job while you look for a better one. Also, don't come during porcfest. Do it before or after porcfest since porcfest is just going to be a distraction to what you really need to be doing (looking for a place to stay, getting a job, getting situated, etc). In other words, get all the necessities of life out of the way before you go party 

As several others have said, it's not going to be easier later on. That's the honest truth. So, don't look at it as a matter of the move being hard, look at it in terms of pros and cons for you personally. Make a list of reasons why you should stay and make a list of reasons why you want to move, then after you have internalized the list throw it out and do what your heart tells you!