Road trip logistics, or not

[chipotle]

I've passed my one-week anniversary of being unemployed without undue incident. In a way I'm still enjoying the sense of vacation. I woke up today about the time I'd have had to be at the office, had a bowl of cereal and a leisurely cup of coffee, did some more cleaning, and generally took it easy in a way that was both more relaxing and just a bit more productive than the "down days" at NetPoodles. I was eating dinner by 6:30, something that doesn't happen when you leave work at 5:30 and have a 40-minute commute back unless you pick up something at a drive-through.

And, one of the résumés I sent out on Wednesday got a return call. It's a short-term position--I don't know how short--in the local area, although it's in Largo, well over thirty miles away. (Basically I'd head toward where NetWolves is, and keep going.) It'd be through a contracting firm and the hiring manager has to get back to the recruiter, so I won't know if I'm really even in the running for a couple days, but at least I'm out of the starting gate.

I know that even if I get this it'll just delay the questions facing me, though. My house-cleaning is in preparation for a move, the move may well be to the other side of the country, and this means I'm going to have to start seriously thinking about the logistics. I've talked about just crashing with friends and looking for work in Silicon Valley, but what does that mean, exactly? Putting all my remaining stuff in storage here, with the intent of somehow getting it from here to there if I get a stable job? Moving it all out there with me and putting it in storage there, with the assumption I will get a stable job?

In either case, the cost of living in the San Francisco Bay area is steep. How steep? How much would a one-bedroom apartment with 800 square feet, screen porch, a surprisingly great kitchen (pantry, long open counters, dishwasher, disposal) and included washer and dryer go for in Santa Clara? If I hadn't gone month-to-month I'd be paying $660 a month for mine. (Side note: a couple years ago people told me, "Sure, the cost of living is much higher, but the salaries are much higher, too." They are, but the catch is that the cost of living difference between here and there is about twice the salary difference between here and there.) The upshot of this is that I'd have to seek a housemate, which opens up a new can of worms between myself and anyone who offers me space. Would someone be willing to let me transition from houseguest to housemate ASAP, or would I be moving on ASAP?

On paper--well, text editor--storing things here makes more sense, although the logistics of having whatever I leave behind follow me at a later date are daunting. And then there's new questions. Foist my stuff off on mom, because that's what parents are for? If I can, but ya know, I don't want her going through my fanzine boxes. So do those come with me? Just clothes, laptop, and a fine selection of computer programming books and risqué APAs. Hmm.

I know these questions would come to mind sooner or later, of course; I suppose they're coming now because the "Tampa Pack"--my local group of friends--seems to have a lot of melancholy in it lately, and tonight it struck me that the prospect of my move added a little to it. Ultimately friends are what I've formed my sense of place around. My thoughts about moving out west have flitted around for years (they actually go back a decade, before most of the current members of the Tampa Pack were in Tampa!), but they're taking on a gravity now they didn't have.

As much as the idea of a move seems to make sense--and as long as I've been interested in moving to the area--actually doing it won't be easy. In the final analysis the logistics aren't what will make it difficult.

But those are the only parts I can focus on.

Comments

[chastmastr.livejournal.com]

*HUG*

Not sure what else to say, really; you need to make the decision which is best for you, whatever that might be.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

A good one-bedroom apartment would probably run you some $1500 to $1800, depending on the location.

[prickvixen.livejournal.com]

Enh, that's not really true. You make twice as much, the rent is twice as much, but all your other expenses are just a little more than you'd expect elsewhere. You will end up with a lot of surplus cash, as long as you're not foolish with it.

When I was there I had a very small studio apartment for $850. I mean very small. If you hunt you could probably find what you're looking for in the $1100-$1400 range. Bay Area Rentals is a decent apartment locator service; they'll email you updates daily. They're a bit steep for a newcomer, at $99 a month, but I believe they have some sort of money-back guarantee if you don't find a place within a month. Don't take my word for it, though; check them out.

[chipotle.livejournal.com]

I admit I'm looking at this from across the world, so to speak, but the "rent and salary are both twice as much" just doesn't seem to pan out when I look at rents and pay online. The rent difference between the Tampa market and the Silicon Valley area is closer to 250%, and judging by what I've seen from (current) posted jobs and salary surveys, the salary difference is more like 125-150%. (In fact, I've seen web design and development positions listed around the Valley that weren't paying more than I was making here.)

I suppose $1300 or so would be doable, depending, but... well, it depends on a lot I can't predict now. I head out west and succeed in finding work, my "after living expenses" salary is likely to be smaller than what it was here for the last couple of years--maybe a lot smaller--if I don't share living space.

[prickvixen.livejournal.com]

Although I'm making very authoritative statements, naturally I'm only drawing from my own experience. It could be that you're used to making much more than what I made outside of California... I just know that what I made there was astronomically higher than what I made in places like Florida or Michigan, and that's considering that I wasn't paid especially well by Silicon Valley standards. I also made a point of finding an unusually inexpensive apartment, and I didn't own a car; I had been told that you can't get around the bay without a car, but this just wasn't true for me (although it can be quite time-consuming). In these ways I managed to accumulate a lot of spare cash, and in fact that was my express purpose the last time I went out there.

Sharing a house isn't a bad idea. It wasn't especially wise, economically, for me to get my own place, but at that point I was weary of roommates. You might be more tolerant.

Begin at the Beginning, Go Through to the End, then Stop

[katrinahawke.livejournal.com]

I can truly sympathize. Sometimes, however, thinking too much is not a good thing. Once you make the decision, don't worry about the reasons. Just go. The reasons will follow you anyhow.

Safe journey, whatever you decide.

Bird