PART ONE: THE GREAT EXPERIMENT BEGINS!!!!

Relocating to a new home - or any new place - is sometimes a harrowing experience. You never know what you'll find at your destination....or even if you'll survive in the new climate! I promised myself - and a few of my friends - that someday I'd put down how the trip went from Denver to California, so here it is for all to see and enjoy.

One of the things you will find, no matter what kind of person you are, is that you feel a bit apprehensive about the whole process at first.....and I don't care how ready you think you are for it, there is always that little niggling feeling in the pit of your stomach about the whole thing. I was this way myself, so don't feel bad if you feel the same way when you relocate. After all, I'd lived in Denver for just about five years, and had made a lot of close friends there. I guess I not only wanted to see the coast for myself again, but there were places in Denver that I either felt anger towards, or just did not feel welcome around anymore - so I felt it best that this was the time to just pick up and scoot. Granted, we didn't plan very well, and relied a lot to luck, but sometimes that is the best way to proceed.....we just got our tax refund and split!

If you don't plan your move well in advance, you will most likely damage your credit report in some fashion or another.....this was another pitfall that stood in our way.....but only in thought. It was a risk for us to move from Montana to Colorado, and another one to go from Colorado to California....but risk it we did! Some of you are thinking it was a hare-brained idea, since leaving our apartment we shot our credit to heck, and although our van got us here OK, it's having problems - that, along with the payments being so high, that's going away too......at least it got us here though! That's gonna prove interesting if they don't have a branch down here, since I for one won't be driving 1000 miles just to turn something in, and not have a way of getting back!

Day One

We left Denver way later than we probably should have.....sometime around 4:00pm - yeah...real brilliant there, kids! So here we went, down I-25, towing a 6x12 U-Haul behind us which our van was probably never meant to pull, and will probably hate us the rest of our lives for, but it was better than throwing a lot of it away. Besides.....we had some war trophies to take with us (see HERE to see what I mean by this).

We made it as far as Santa Fe, New Mexico before we settled down for the night - and it was pretty darn late by the time we called it a night.....guess I should've trusted Sue to keep us going for a while longer - darn stubborn streak in me anyways, wanting to do the driving......*sigh*

At least the motel room was comfy.............

Day Two

We finished our trek down I-25 to Albuquerque, NM and then switched over to I-40 - and I'll say this much about that road......not only is there not much to see, but you never did see so many convoys of big rigs IN YOUR LIFE! Man....it was incredible! This is one of those times I was SO glad we had our van, which was MUCH roomier than the car we took on vacation, what with pit stops and eat breaks and all. Got through New Mexico, and then into Arizona.....the oven state.

We made it as far as Williams, which is just the other side of Flagstaff before settling down there.....the Motel 6 was only $35 per night....for all four of us! Not a bad break if you ask me! At this point, the kids were getting just a *tad* restless, but all in all they weathered the trip pretty well going across all that desert land. The next stretch would take us to our final destination....woo-hoo!

Day Three

When we saw the "Welcome to California" sign, I never sighed such a big sigh of relief! I was so glad that the last leg was upon us. We saw some familiar road after we crossed Barstow - and fortunately, there were no big huge traffic tie-ups on the 91 Highway like there was LAST time. Once we were in familiar territory, things got a lot easier. We settled in at our friend's house for the first night, and then we needed to find a place for us so we could get things going. I got down to my appointment at the temp agency that I applied at online, which landed me an assignment working for bank that to this day is working our REALLY well! I couldn't have asked for a better place to work!

One thing about many California hotels that they don't tell you in the travel brochures is that you can only reside in a motel for 28 days, and then you must move out for 24 hours....and then you can check in again! What kind of PITA move was that about? Well.....not ALL of the cities have this little *issue*, like Brea, which is where we ended up at. Heck....who could ask for better? It's right off the bus lines, close to downtown, and less than 30 minutes from work by bus or any other mode of transport (other than walking anyways). So far we've been here a month, and things seem pretty stable, so at this point, I'm calling our relocation a HUGE success. Work is good, our residence rocks (no utility costs, too!), and the weather is MUCH warmer than where we left (last I heard, they got 7 FEET of snow!).

The Aftermath

Now that we're settled into our new place, I can finally relax a bit. Our oldest is in school again, I'm working steadily at a great new job, and the sun is shining a LOT more in the sky! Granted we'll be bussing, biking, and hoofing it for a while during the time we're saving for a "new" vehicle, but hey.....I made it quite a while bussing to work while in Denver, so why not in California? It'll work out....I just have to have faith in what our path has in store for us.

What is weird is that things seemed to happen RIGHT AFTER we left Denver. My best friend Steve came down with an impairing disorder that he's recovering from (I'm lighting a candle EACH and EVERY night here folks!), snow hit 2 DAYS after we left (not the big one, but snow nonetheless), and snow fell a FEW HOURS after we left Flagstaff, AZ! My bud, Chuck, is moving on to greener pastures - and it sounds like she hit the jackpot from what I found out (you go girrrlllll!). Yeah....it's gonna bit tight for us for a while, but given time, faith, and effort, we'll make it work out in the end, just like I did in Denver - only this time, I'll never step into the shadow of AT&T again....the company that pretty much ruined my life in Denver (yes, I'll always be bitter towards to crack-heads that run that crudhouse). And from what I heard, they haven't changed one whit since I was exiled either.

I miss my friends in Denver a lot, and the places that I liked to hang out. The cool thing is that if we want to go there for a vacation again, we can at least get there by TRAIN! Yes.....the Amtrak goes that way! Someday, my friends, we will all meet up again and have a fun time - yessiree!

PART TWO:  AFTER THE MOVE TO CALIFORNIA

People say that California is a beautiful place...full of tropical breezes, perfectly-tanned hardbodies, and fresh air for miles. Well....it's partly true. California does have lots of friendly natives (even the ones that cut you off on the 405), and there are actually jobs to be had. It's also, as most people know, one of THE most expensive places to live (outside of Tokyo and that 7-star hotel in the United Arab Emirates).

I sat back and realized that the closer I got to the coast, the more things cost - especially rent! When I started on my journey of discovery back in '98, I was in a state (Montana) where you could rent a full-sized house for $300-400/month. No problem, right? Well...you get to Denver, and the houses go for over $800-1000/month easy! We were paying $650/month for a 2-bedroom pad...but that was up from $550 when we first moved in.

When the job market shriveled up and died in Denver, I had two choices....one - head back to Montana and take our chances there, or two - do the dream thing and head to the coast to live. Well....we took the second choice. Yes, it's very beautiful here. The ocean is quite nice and very soothing, but the price you pay to have such things close to you is quite steep. Yes, I was used to working 2 jobs when the need arose, but having to do it all the time just to make ends meet is not my idea of fun by any measure of the imagination.

If you plan to move to an expensive state - such as California....either take a metric buttload of money with you to start off with, or have someone there you can move in with until you get on your feet. We had neither, and dearly paid the price for it. I've met some wonderful people here, and I will miss them, but there are other reasons besides just the money for going back to my roots - family being the most important right now.

I've learned to be my own person, and how to express my individuality - that is something that can never be taken away from me. I've learned new skills in the years since I moved from home that will aid me more when I return - and I've learned some life lessons that will help me as well. One of the hardest things I've had to realize is that you really must learn to live within your means - something I've never been good at. *sigh*....guess I'd better learn it, huh?

This time will be my last move for quite a while....time for some stability once again, and I think this is the right thing to do. Heck...we've never quite fully unpacked from the LAST move, if that's any indication of how things have been. I can say that I've truly experience Disneyland - many times now...and you never saw so many people packed into one place at any one time. The rides are truly awesome, but the lines are equally as spectacular. Good thing they have those FastPass things! I went on a ride called "Soaring over California", which is basically a REALLY HUGE VR ride on these chairs that they suspend you in the air on in front of this HUGE screen that goes in front of and below you - really giving you that feeling of flight. I was scared a bit at first - not knowing what to expect, but after I got into it, then I was really enjoying it....went back a second time too! This is coming from a person that is scared to death of high places - and especially flying!

There are a few things I plan to do before leaving, such as catching a Mari Iijima concert here in the LA area, going to see an ocean sunset, and doing the Hollywood Walk of Fame....gotta do the highlights, ya know. Someday I may return for a visit, but I think not much more than that. The price is just TOO high for such things.

SQ - 9.30.03

UPDATE - 01.10.04

It's been a hard-ass year to say the least, but I think the worst is finally over! I landed myself a permanent job with a shipping & receiving warehouse in La Mirada, and still working my other job in Placentia (yeah, they're diametrically opposed but it's work, so I can't complain). I'm appreciated at my day job, and it pretty much feels like home. Now I just gotta find a cheaper place for us to live while we make our financial obligations a little easier to handle, and then we'll be pretty much set. I can't say it's been easy....because it's been anything BUT. What's funny is that I've made some new friends here, been in contact with a couple of musicians who live in the greater LA area, and I'm doing websites for both of them (one of which I'm gonna get PAID for! Woo-hoo!). The other is a labor of devotion, and I wouldn't have it any other way there.

Do I have any regrets? Well....yeah, but then again, who doesn't? I miss my buds in Denver and Montana....but I do keep in contact with them (bless every single ONE of them!). Plus my family is a LOT farther away than ever before, so it makes things a lot more difficult when it comes to keeping up-to-date on things. Time to whip out that cam-corder and camera and start becoming a shutterbug!

So yes, California is F**KING expensive, but in the long run......I think it was well worth the gamble! :-)

SQ - 01.10.04

PART THREE:  REFLECTIONS AND CHANGE

People say you can get a good perspective on things if you step back and look at the big picture.  Moving is the same way for a lot of reasons.......

1. You don't have the same set of people giving you opinions on things like why you should/shouldn't move, what life is about, and the price of a box of fudge bars.

2. The mindset is not the same in different parts of the country.....so choose wisely young padowan on where you would most like to be, and where your universal harmonies lie in accordance with the rest of the world.

3. The cost of living DOES vary, so don't believe any different!  As they say in real estate...it's location, location, location that makes all the difference.  Case in point.  You can get a really nice house in Montana for about $500/month....in Denver, CO, you pay $650-950 for a decent 2-bedroom apartment.  In Orange County, CA, you can pay $1000-1200 for a 1-bedroom place that's not even close to mid-range liveable!

After six years of being away, I've finally decided to move back home.  Yes, the wages are cheaper here, but then again, the cost of living is a lot less too....and NO SALES TAX!  As we have progressed into the 21st century, wages in Montana have improved, and the cost of rent doesn't seem to have been affected much....all the better!  This works in the people's favor, and it's no wonder that people are noticing this.  I moved away for what I thought was one set of reasons (getting away from family and discovering life), and found myself moving back to be close to family (although I do know places to hide...hee hee hee), and discover a bit more....in a more relaxed setting.  Besides...it's only 10 hours from Denver!  How bad it that?

The person I am has not changed in that time, so please don't expect any startling revelations about my persona, for there are no new developments, really.  One nice thing about this area (and please....no angry e-mails about racism).....99% of the people here speak ENGLISH!  OMG...it was SO frustrating having to hear half of the conversations going on right around me in something I had NO clue about.  Yes...people in my school studied Spanish, but I thought I'd do a challenge and take Japanese.  I have no regrets about this!  I guess it's just not as widespread (well....Japan IS quite far away).

I have noticed some things recently.  The downtown area has died off in chunks, and the west end is flourishing.  For a small area, we have TWO Wal-Mart Supercenters!  There is just something WRONG about this....truly!  The whole of Orange County, California didn't even have ONE!  Guess they know something we don't, huh?

The last year was truly marvelous though - being out in California.  I got to go to Disneyland several times, kept in touch with my favorite Japanese singer, Mari Iijima.  Got to meet up with another fascinating individual/singer - Laurie Chastain.  AND....I got to meet my favorite punk diva, NINA HAGEN!  OMG....I was in HEAVEN!

I know that if I don't find something I'm looking for here, there is always online ordering, which solves a lot of headaches, and if I want really good Japanese food....it's just a half-day's travel from here!

Now where is my take-out menu?  Hmmmmm........

SQ - 05.05.04