The hubby and I have decided to move to Texas in June. Reasons being that as beautiful as California is, do I really want to pay $600k for a 3 bedroom home when I can get a mansion in Texas for the same price? Plus the Bay Area traffic and increasing prices from the Tech Crowd is changing the whole dynamic of the area and I just want out! Hubby is also a Republican and Texas is like Mecca for him
I love my job and the only reason I'm skipping town is for our future and all that jazz, blah, blah, blah. We are looking to move to Amarillo because I have a friend who works at a great hospital there and I think I could get a position there with no acute care. I want to take a refresher class and I'm already talked to a recruiter so I think my prospects are good. However, I love school nursing and I would like to know if anyone could give me some insight on school nursing either in the Panhandle or in Texas in general. I know either way it will be a major pay cut for me, but the drop in the cost of living will be worth it (currently we are renting a 2 bedroom/2 bath townhouse for $2150/month!).
Someone give me advice, hope, or talk me out of going back to the small town, desert life
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.
Forget Austin. You have to bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store or you have to buy them while you're there, plastic bags not lawful. And they are trying to ban BBQ smoke from leaving the BBQ places property.
Dude I live in California. I haven't seen a plastic bag in YEARS! My trunk is full of reusable bags and I still forget them when I go in the store. I gotta pack it in the bags when I get to the car. Sacramento is about to go bagless and people are freaking out.
Also hubby is convinced I will go Red once I move to Texas. Fat Chance. I'm taking my Bernie stickers with me.
Well I can see he and I are on the same page; obviously a smart man. You will, but it'll happen naturally, no pressure. Yea, I should have know about the plastic bag/California thing. Austin is like an extension of California anyway. Just an example of where you're moving to. Remember, in Texas, you can hang your AR or shotgun on your shoulder when you are shopping at WalMart - without a gun permit; that's only required for handguns. Plastic bags are the least of our thoughts. Most grocery stores still stock paper bags for those who request it.
Taxes are lower in Texas, but that's evident when you look around ...and when you see someone beating a dog to death, call the police and are told, "Sorry, we really don't have anyone who follows up on those types of things."
I hope you're not an animal lover or that things are much better in north Texas than they are in the south. I moved from Texas to California and am much less depressed with my surroundings despite the high cost of living.
From Amarillo, currently live in Lubbock. Northwest Hospital (NWTH) is the 'County Hospital' of the area so they take the indigent, etc. despite the fact that they are still designated as a For-Profit hospital. Baptist St. Anthony's (BSA) is directly adjacent to NWTH and they are the place to go when you want the nice room with all the amenities because you have the insurance to cover it. There are a few more but they change names so often I don't know what they're called anymore... Triumph last I remember... then some specialty hospitals scattered about. NWTH and BSA are the primary two though and because Amarillo is the largest city within a 60 min span, they get patients from the small rural outliers.
Prices between Amarillo and Lubbock are comparable - our mortgage in Lubbock is $1150/mo for a 4 BR, 2 BA, my parents and brothers live in Amarillo and they pay probably the same or comparable to what we do. Sales tax is (price x 1.0825).
As far as night life, it is what you make of it. No, it will never be compared to 95% of the cities in CA for cultural endeavors but it depends on what you are into as well. As far as snow goes, we usually get one or two good snowstorms per year which quickly melt anyhow.
With your political views being in such opposition, I imagine you two have some lively discussions at the dinner table... But as far as Texas is concerned, yes I would move back there in a heartbeat if I could. I love Texas and am on the same page as your husband politically, but there are plenty of Dems in Texas too. It is one of the friendliest paces I've been.
Specializes in peds, allergy-asthma, ob/gyn office.
I would consider anywhere in the Hill Country of Texas. Lots of pretty rivers, natural swimming holes, small towns for antiquing. San Antonio or Austin would put you close enough to all of this if you wanted to live in a major city.
coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN
1 Article; 709 Posts
Dude I live in California. I haven't seen a plastic bag in YEARS! My trunk is full of reusable bags and I still forget them when I go in the store. I gotta pack it in the bags when I get to the car. Sacramento is about to go bagless and people are freaking out.