I will be relocating to (its looking like) northeastern Florida within the year. I would love to hear some experiences others on here have had after relocating to a new state. Of course I'm interested in hearing about relocations to FL, but I am also just interested in the general experience of anyone who has relocated anywhere new. I will take most seriously those replies that are from teachers who have relocated and stayed in their new location for at least a couple of years. Though I have been meticulously researching, comparing, visiting, and planning on my own, I still want to know from even more people even more things. Of particular interest are the following topics: 1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state (job fair, online system, etc) 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocaters?) 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) I have heard quite a few nightmares regarding Florida teaching, yet the parents and families I know from there are relatively happy with their school/teacher relationships. I do know a couple of teachers there (in private, charter and public schools) who rather enjoy it, once they got past some of the not-so-desirables. Im just generally interested in the experiences others have shared relocating and teaching in an otherwise very new location. Thanks so much.
I think you are going to find out, that relative to Florida, most people are transplants from somewhere else and are very accepting of new people. I have moved several times throughout the years. The first thing I always did was to contact the DOE in the new state and get my transcripts analyzed. Then you would have your statement of eligibility to begin searching for jobs. I never had any trouble getting a job coming from out of state. I think the salaries in Florida enable you to live comfortably because the cost of living is lower here. I don't know what city you are going to look in, but Florida generally has an abundance of teaching jobs. Florida has been my adopted home for decades, so I am quite partial to life in this state. I wish you the best of luck.
I relocated from OH to CO right out of college. I've been here for 6 years. I actually considered Florida and asked about it here, and got TONS of replies telling me what a bad idea it was. The old thread is probably still floating around here somewhere. 1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state. I started in the CO mountain area, which doesn't get many applicants, so it was easy to get a job. I was having a little quarter-life crisis about never finding a job (job market in my home state is HORRIBLE) and applied on a whim in the middle of the night. Two days later I got a phone interview and was hired the same day as my interview. I would definitely recommend having your FL in hand (or at minimum, have applied for it) when you go to apply for jobs. I was applying to all kinds of other states and hearing nothing back, and I later figured out that was why. Having the license shows you're serious about relocating. My friend drove 14 hours to go to a job fair in NC, only to find out that no one would give her the time of day since she didn't have her NC license, even though we had reciprocity with them and it would be no problem to get. Once she got it, she started getting multiple calls for phone interviews per day and got a job really quickly. I later found out that my principal just (incorrectly) assumed I already had applied for my CO license when I applied. 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) See my answer above. I definitely wouldn't recommend moving and then looking for a job, even if it's an area jobs are plentiful in. Unless you have a lot of money from something else, you're also not going to be able to find an apartment with no proof of employment. 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocaters?) People were very welcoming. CO is full of transplants, so it's no big deal. My first job was in a very small town, but only one teacher in the entire building was originally from that area. 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) This has been the hardest part for me, but may not be the case in FL. Education funding in CO is absolutely horrible. In OH, you can make a very nice living as a teacher. In CO, the salary does not match the COL at all. My salary here is lower than I would get in OH and it's so much more expensive to live here. My parents live in a nice house in a very desirable neighborhood that cost about $130K. Here, a similar house in a nice neighborhood would be $700K on the low end. I work in a pretty "run-down" (as my mother would say) neighborhood with about 75% free and reduced lunch, and the houses around the school have been selling in the $400-500K range. Of course rent is sky high as well because landlords know they can charge what they want; people are moving here at an alarming rate and builders can't keep up. Of course, any time I complain about this, everyone says something like, "Yeah, but then you have to live in Ohio!" 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) What are you certified in? I'm a sped teacher and the policies here are very different. I taught gen ed at one point and found it to be pretty similar to OH. I would imagine that sped would be the exception where you would find very different policies from state to state. In other positions, I would assume policies would just depend on the individual school. In OH, there is a law that sped teachers can't have more than 16 kids on their caseload. There are no caseload limits here, and I've had up to 45 kids. Although that sounds horrible, I actually like the way we do sped here much better than in OH. In the OH schools I observed/student taught in, it was typical to have one sped teacher per grade level and everything was full inclusion. The sped teacher in this scenario ends up being a glorified para- basically watching the gen ed teacher teach, managing behavior and keeping kids on task, and going around to help kids who raise their hand. Out here we have so many students that this set up is impossible even if my school wanted to do it, so I teach pull out resource classes instead where I'm actually in charge of all of the teaching and planning. I hated my sped ST experience (in OH) but love my set up here. Yes, it's a lot more work and sometimes I think about what it would be like to have only 16 kids, but at least I get to actually be a teacher here! 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) I wasn't happy in my first location (mountain resort town area). I loved the school, but hated the area. I moved to Denver 4 years ago and absolutely love it here. I'm very sure that I'm much happier here than I ever would have been in OH. I wouldn't dream of moving back, if it weren't for that pesky cost of living factor. On most counts, I agree that it's worth it to have less money to be in a place that you love, but I do worry about being able to survive here (financially) long term. Due to CO's TABOR law, it's pretty much impossible for the state of education funding to improve here. I would be devastated if I had to leave but I could see it coming to a point where I simply can't afford it.
I moved from Colorado to northern Nevada this past summer and just finished my first year here. 1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state (job fair, online system, etc) Each school district in NV is an entire county so I looked on the district website and followed the application process which was horribly long and ridiculous for anyone applying. 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) I had to get my NV license first and then I could finish my application. I had to fly out for the district level, multiple applicant, panel interview because I sat on a waiting list for a full month waiting for a Skype interview before giving up and scheduling one for in person. I was really annoyed to find out that 90% of the teacher's applying were from out of state and they did nothing to accommodate any of us. All of us had to fly/drive in for the interview. The school level interview let me do a phone interview and I had two job offers within 24 hours of being added to the hiring pool. 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocaters?) There is a major teacher shortage right now so I was welcomed with open arms. They were thrilled to have an experienced teacher. There is a "locals are better" vibe a bit in the town, but nothing that makes me not want to live here. I noticed the same thing in CO. 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) Pay is much better here than in CO but the cost of living, especially housing and daycare, is higher. 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) I like a lot of how CO did things better so it was an annoying transition. I'm still annoyed with how they do parent conferences, snow days, and funding here but otherwise it wasn't hard to get used to new things. 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) I love my school, my coworkers and my students. However, moving here was not my choice and although I am happy being here, I miss CO a lot. I really hope to move back to CO someday but not because I like teaching there better than here.
What county in northeastern Florida? I am in Alachua County/Gainesville. I have also worked in several other northeastern counties. If I knew the county or counties you were interested in, I could probably give you some definite answers.
I moved from the Philadelphia area to central Ohio within weeks of completing my teaching certification requirements. My biggest suggestion is making sure you have ALL the requirements completed or an immediate plan once you move. I found out the hard way that PA had one fewer Praxis test than OH, and it set me back months in being able to start the application process. 1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state (job fair, online system, etc) I used several online platforms. REAP, Ohio Department of Education Job Bank, and Teacher Platform. I also went to the individual school websites that had caught my attention. They occasionally had their own application platforms. The one job fair I went to was not useful because they neglected to post which certifications were needed and which were filled (I spent more time in the car than I did at the fair). 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) I waited until I got here so I could learn more about the schools. Also, I had already decided to sub, which I could do without my PA license being fully transferred. 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocaters?) No problems with being a non-Buckeye, although they cannot understand I simply don't like football. They seemed to enjoy teaching me the slang and the customs. 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) It is MUCH cheaper to live here than in my former neighborhood, where my rent was about to go up by almost double what I had been paying. 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) N/A since I had only student taught in PA. 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) I moved here to be with my now-husband. I miss living in a city with mass transit (I have to drive a couple of hours to catch a train), but not much else. I'm really happy here!
I moved from GA to CA in January (so add mid school year onto the stress). Method used to acquire position: Online. Applied to tons of places, basically anything and everything since I didn't want to have to wait until the 2016-2017 school year. Had lots of next day calls for interviews, but the interview for my current school was first, and I fell in love with it and didn't schedule any others. Hiring process for out of state: The bureaucratic part was surprisingly easy considering I didn't even have a CA driver's license yet when I started. My school aided in the process a lot and my colleagues have been generous with resources to study for the CSET. I started looking about 2 weeks after we moved and started my new job a week later. Feelings from local teachers: Totally welcoming. The vast majority of people in my area of the state are transplants. Lots of curiosity since I grew up in a small town in the deep south. My fifth graders were very excited to school me on the local sports teams. Cost of living: We moved here for my partner's job and knew what to expect (e.g. super high housing costs). My salary alone doesn't go as far as it did in GA, but our combined salaries go further here since he is making so much more. Handling differences in policies: Like the policies at my current school and state much better than at my previous school and state, so all is well. I have been fortunate. Quality of life: We love it here. Both SO and I are working on reaching out to new friends and coworkers to find our niche and are embracing the good weather by exploring our new home. I also have a 10 minute commute, versus the 45 minutes-hour that I was doing in GA, and I can't tell you how much that has improved my life and job satisfaction. Best of luck!
1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state (job fair, online system, etc) I applied with a large district in another state after hearing the district needed teachers badly. I had never been to the city before moving there. I had one phone interview and accepted the position on the spot. 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) Easy to get hired, somewhat complicated to transfer my license. The district made it sound easy, but the state made it really complicated and expensive. Also, it took so long I almost had to start as a long term sub in my own classroom. Thankfully, my license went through the day before training started. 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocaters?) No problems! Most teachers at my school (~80%) had just moved from out of state to take the job. But everyone was so busy, no one had time to be very welcoming, either. 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) Very affordable. 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) I absolutely hated my job. Like I said, I took the job sight unseen. The district itself had a lot of issues - too much paperwork/testing, low funding and high class sizes, 60+ hour workweek. However, I would have stuck with it had it not been for a terrible, bullying principal. I ended up switching to a charter mid -year, and am still there. I'm very happy with my current job. 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) Overall, I'm glad I did it. It's been a good life experience, and I paid off my student loans within my first year. However, I'll be moving back to my home state next summer hopefully. I definitely recommend doing extensive research on the school, district, and city, and interviewing in person if possible. I do not recommend moving somewhere you've never been.
I moved from IL to NJ about 3 years ago (in August). 1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state (job fair, online system, etc) I looked online using K12jobspot and applied through applitrack which is what I was used to doing in IL. 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) It was complicated. I should have applied for certification before I applied for jobs. I knew I wanted to move to NJ, but I waited until I found a job. I applied to many jobs and only got 2 interviews and one offer (the better school made the offer though). Schools were hesitant to offer because of my out-of-state license. My current school was used to hiring out-of-staters and understood the process. They called me, I flew out there and went through a two-step interview process the same day (met the Super too) and was offered the job that evening. It was the best interview I've had and I have a feeling they wanted to hire me before I came in. Certification: It actually was really easy and that's why I should've done it much sooner. My IL license had reciprocity with NJ and I didn't have to take any tests. I submitted payment online and sent in my transcripts and other documentation. The waiting process was the hardest part (about 3 months) and I started the school year with no license and had to apply for a substitue cert (which was another $125 and I got it the same day I applied) and I got paid sub rate until my license came in (luckily I got retro payment). Eventually in late September HR called DOE and they rushed it out the next day. It was a pain and very stressful. I was sure they were going to rescind the offer in late August when I had no license! 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocates?) Very welcoming. I love my colleagues and next to the kids, it's the best part of my job. They ask me questions all the time about Chicago and the Midwest. 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) It's definitely more here in NJ, but I got a huge pay raise when I moved here (about 15k). I'm doing ok. I feel worse off, but I think it's due to other circumstances beyond COL (more in rent because I had a roommate in IL and split the rent - here I live alone). I was in the process of working on my Masters and paying for all that really set me back. I am still paying for it on top of the moving expenses and furnishing my entire apartment. I also have a car loan. Without all that, I'd be fine. The annoying thing is that I got a huge raise, but so much more is taken out of my check than when I was in IL. In IL, the district paid my pension/retirement dues (I paid a small portion). My union dues were $600 as opposed to $1500 now. Insurance was $600/year now $3000/year. I didn't pay into SS and now I do. I also set up a 403b here and see less money. I didn't take any of that into account when I moved. 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) I don't really feel like there are that many differences. The teaching climate (politically) is the same in both states. It sucks. There are better policies in my previous district but also better policies here. Overall, I like my position better. 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) Overall I'm pretty happy. I was able to build a life here and plan on staying for a while I think. It all depends on my job really and how that goes (going on year 4 soon which will be my tenure year, so hoping for the best) and also if I ever plan on getting married/having kids here. I miss my parents but many of my friends moved away also and I do keep in touch with a few and visit twice a year.
Don't have any advice for you, but I will be watching this thread as it is relevant to my situation. Seems like a lot of teachers are moving states this year.
I moved from TN to AR 11 years ago when got married. Getting a job was relatively easy once I had a letter from the state that I was eligible for an AR license. Be sure to check the reciprocity agreements for what will transfer. My license was K-8, and it all transferred, but I was required to take an AR history course within one year.
I moved from SC to NJ. A lot of people told me not to do it because it is a tough market in NJ but I did it anyway. I tried applying for jobs before I moved but couldn't get any interviews. So I took a random customer service job and moved to NJ so I could support myself while interviewing. Finally when I got here and had a local address, I started getting interviews and now I have a great job in a great district. I have been here almost 5 years now. Getting my certification was easy - I did not have to take any additional tests, it was just a matter of a bunch of paperwork.
The tricky part for me was I needed a contract before I could find an apartment. My current landlord (a company) wouldn't rent me an apartment without proving I will have income. If I didn't get a job beforehand I wouldn't have moved.
Oh I agree - I had the same issue as well. But I wasn't as lucky as you and I couldn't find a job before moving here, so I took a non-teaching job so I could get an apartment and could pay my bills while I looked for a job. It was a risky move to come here without a guarantee of a job, but I am so glad I did it in the end.
I just accepted my first teaching job in a new state, Virginia from Louisiana! Find a position was very tough, as the area I live in only hires "their own." Even with my Statement of Eligibility from the DOE, I could hardly even land an interview. My suggestion would be to move through the licensure process as quickly as you are able. I'm not sure what the procedure is in Florida, but in Virginia, you are first issued a Statement of Eligibility, then you must take the Virginia-specific Praxis II portion along with another Virginia-specific content knowledge exam. Once you pass these, you receive your full-five year renewable license. Even though Virginia gives you three years to take these assessments, districts here want to see a full license, not the SoE. Good luck to you in your search!
Good Luck on relocating! I moved from Ohio to South Carolina 8 years ago. 1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state (job fair, online system, etc) I went to a state job fair at the beginning of the year that included districts from all over. That put me in contact with the HR people from the district I ended up at. 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) It was not as easy as I was anticipating honestly. The Ohio job market was too difficult for a first year teacher to find a job when I graduated college. Many districts did phone interviews, but I think I traveled to South Carolina 3 times that summer before finding something. When I knew I was going to be in the area, I would call schools that I had talked to on the phone and would let them know I would be in town and would love to stop by. The job I finally got happened when I was on a family vacation a few hours away and would most likely have been my final trip to the state. I did not have my license when looking and I am sure that would have helped. 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocaters?) I worked with many teachers who relocated. I started in a rough district and think that the in-state teachers would have known a bit better to avoid working in that district. I will say that many locals were not fans of people from out of state. I wouldn't say they were hostile, but I think they were tired of hearing how they did things elsewhere. I didn't really do this, so I got along well with the people born and raised in the area. 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) My salary is alright for supporting myself. This was my first job just out of college, so I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't making much at first, but rent was also very low in the area so it worked out alright. 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) There was some culture shock with the move. Being new to the profession, I didn't have a great idea of how things were handled elsewhere. I started at a much rougher school than anything I was familiar with though and the attitude it took to teach there took me a while to acquire. 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) I am happy I made the move and cannot imagine moving back at this point. I have developed great friendships here. I also think moving took me out of my comfort zone a little and allowed me grow more professionally. I know several who were from out of state at my first school moved back to their home state. I stayed in my new state and ended up going to a great school. I figured I would rather do that than go back to Ohio and work at a teaching job that wasn't what I was looking for.
Moved from NY to VA 11 years ago 1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state (job fair, online system, etc) I started really actively looking for work out-of-state after 9/11. My husband and I discussed what states we wanted to live in then I put my application on each states' job board, as well as each district. I also signed up for the bigger clearinghouses - teachers.teachers.com is the big one. 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) NY has different tests than most other states, so I took all the possible tests I needed in Praxis II, since that is the most common one. I had a few interview over a few years, but I received a call one day from my first school in VA at the beginning of July. I went for an interview and received an offer before I got home the next morning. I had three weeks to pack up and move. My husband joined me later. I got my license after I started teaching. 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocaters?) The people I worked with were fantastic--it was the administrators and higher-ups that had problems with me. My area of VA, much like another poster said, is very much "good old boys". 80% of the people who work in my old district were born here, went to college within fifty miles, and now teach here. I didn't fit in with a lot of the higher ups, and rubbed a lot of people the wrong way until I learned the politics of it all. 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) Much better. I took almost a $10,000 pay cut to move here, but we take home so much more. We could afford child care and a house, and a life. 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) Nothing was all that much different, except for testing. I like the NY way better, but other than that--same day, different room. 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) Wouldn't change it for the world. I have been in several different schools at this point, but I love my state and my town, and I've had wonderful students over the years. Would never go back to NY for any reason.
Moving from state to state is sometimes difficult. I've moved several times teaching in Texas, Missouri, Delaware, Connecticut, and now Georgia. Each state had their own teaching requirements. Probably the hardest state to get certified in was Connecticut. They required me to take 2 additional classes even though I had been teaching for over 10 years. 1) Method you used to acquire your position in the new state (job fair, online system, etc) When we last moved, here in Georgia, I didn't think I was going to teach. But I started subbing and that is really what got me in the door. I always thought I would HATE to sub but overall it was good and it let me see which schools I liked the best. 2) Hiring process for someone from out of state (quick and easy/ moved there first, then looked?) I think the subbing helped me here as they had heard or saw how I worked. But I think it was more experience based that anything. 3) Feelings from local teachers who knew you weren't a local (hostile, welcoming, other relocaters?) They didn't seem to care. I had a lot to learn about certain specifics like standards and posting this or that. The first year was not smooth but I got there. 4) Cost of living proportion to new salary schedule (nowhere near, just barely, acceptable?) We lived in Connecticut where I was making almost $80,000 to now making about 56,000. But the cost of living is much less here. My family really lives off my husband's salary and use my salary for sports and college savings etc. 5) how you handled major differences in policy(ies) (tough to swallow... way better?) This was the hardest. It is hard starting at a new school and reestablishing yourself. But nothing is too hard right. In Connecticut it is very union heavy and it seemed like teachers had more of a say. Here in Georgia the principal can have me stay late every night (at least that is how it seems) she doesn't but there isn't that equality in power. So that is tricky. 6) Quality of life/satisfaction with decision to relocate (happy you did it? Moved back home?) I am much happier. My husband was having to work pretty much out of town all week and only was home on the weekends. It was very hard with two kids juggling all I had to do alone. So this move allows him to be home almost every night. So that was good. I miss my old school and my coworkers. But I am making this school my new nest so It is all working out.
Thanks! I am looking in a few areas right now... Sarasota, (I guess Manatee or other surrounding counties) Lee, Duval, Flagler, Palm Beach...
Thank you everyone for your replies. I was pleasantly suprised to see that almost all of you answered all of my main topics of concern.. so thank you for that, really. I have just submittted all of the documents to complete my package for the statement of eligibility-- reciprocity route. I hear it takes months for that to come :/ I had signed up for a virtual career fair with Flagler county, but I just saw the other day that participants have to have their SOE already. So dang, that's out. But, ill be looking forward to more replies as time goes on and thanks for your thoughts!
Hi there, I dont seem to know how to initiate a PM.... did you have any info on those counties I listed above?
I do not have any info on the counties you listed. I know with Duval you have to do a county level interview before any type of school level one is done. My suggestion would be to get your certification in order and start applying. People are interviewing as we speak. By the way, most of the counties you listed are mid or south Florida counties not north east Florida counties.
Figured the counties I give you have nothing on hahaha thanks anyway. And yes, I know they aren't all northeast-- I realized as I was typing them that you would probably pick up on that! I am leaning towards northeast but haven't pigeonholed myself there so that's why I am giving myself other options. I don't mind multiple interviews; here on LI we can have up to 5 of them-- so anything less than 5 will be considered a break. Also I am not looking to work there until next next school year. I have sent in my reciprocity documents but know I will have to wait a good while before they get around to issuing my SOE. I have the year get myself situated. Thanks
I cant even begin to explain how helpful and comforting everyone's posts here have been the last almost-year. I am now pretty much elbow deep in the process. I remember three years ago really shifting my life plan to involve FL somehow. At the time, it was sort of relegated to "I think I'm just gonna...." conversations with my freinds as they nodded and said things like, "Whatever works for you ..". B/c nobody ever leaves here and think youre abadonding them or insulting them when you do, so they give you that half-ass stamp of fake approval. Then it became really looking into certification options. Then it became actually applying for my SOEs through reciprocity. Then it became shifting my desired student audience. Then it became actually reaching out to school admins and applying on district sites. Then it became (noticing a pattern?) actually getting RESPONSES-- a pipedream that's basically all but comical on Long Island for me the last 4 years. Then it became me writing back to them, and like... setting up interviews while I was down there visiting. Who the hell am I?! Cut to today and I have basically narrowed my scope to one school. They are interested in me and a pleasure to deal with. I will basically need to know WTF I am doing with myself by the time I go back again in April to really have a final sitdown with the director of the school I want (I think?!) to be a part of. My path to where I am now has been neither easy nor empty of gut wrenching stress. Do I leave the gig I have now? Do I go from making $70,000 to $40,000? Do I listen to the apparently countless people who think moving to FL and teaching there is flushing every chance at happiness down the drain? Do I take a risk making a huge move, only to be let go for undisclosed reasons a year or two later? Do I move somwhere that may only make my life harder? Do I risk regretting it? Do I uproot my partner, my mother.... all for what IIIIII am thinking of for myself? I wish I could say that I had a new "then it became...", but I don't. I'm still waiting til April for that I guess. I struggle with anxiety issues and lack of confidence in my own decisions. I doubt just about every thing I do. I worry, and wonder, and worry some more. I can't believe how much I've progressed in this process, which in itself must say something, really. I wouldn't have ever gotten this far with it all if it wasn't something really tugging at my heartstrings. It's almost like I let my subconscious do all this on its own. Just to see, I looked up general variations of "I'm moving to ____ to teach". I was curious, and basically my hypothesis was that no matter where you said you want to move to, a barrage of haters was going to try their very best to convince you otherwise. I was right. I tried NJ, NY, TX, CO, CA, NC, SC, and PA. CO, TX and NC got particularly bad, right up there with FL. But it was obvious to me that in my narrowed down scope of "FL", it seemed like ONLY FL was voted the worst place ever to live. It isn't true. No matter where you say you're going to move, someone's got something to warn about it. "10 REASONS YOU WILL REGRET EVER STEPPING FOOT IN ______!" It literally was like that for everywhere I looked into. Some worse than others, of course. I put myself in the perspective of some poor soul actually thinking of moving to downstate NY to teach. "And then he said.... I want to move to Long Island and teach!" BAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA. So I get it. But my point is that for all you who moved out of state, took risks, and hey-- maybe it didnt workout, you took the risk. Who gives a sh*t how it turned out? I thank all of you for taking the time to reply to my post and make me feel more comfortable. You all did it, why can't I? I am visiting my school of choice (PBC area) again in a month. I will probably know when I leave that week what I am doing. How things progress in a few years, eh? I will update here. Thanks again, everyone.
