Have you moved out of state?

I am 71 and wife is 66. We are moving to Alaska the end of June. Moving is a PITA but it is also very exciting to experience new places
 
Lived in Georgia my first 27 years of life and got real tired of the constant heat and humidity 10 months out of the year. Having to soak yourself in deet anytime you went into the woods and just general lack of outdoor activities unless you like pond fishing made me move out west. Got a job in CO and have lived here for 5 years and will be moving to WY this fall for work. Love it out west and won’t ever move back even though I do miss the food and the cheaper cost of living.

Being able to hunt elk is my life’s passion and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give it up. And I’m glad my kids will get to experience life out west with all the things there are to do out here.
 
Moved out of my home state after college for my first "real" job. Plan was to put in some time and pay my dues in the new state and then make my way back home since the corporate offices for my company was back close to home. Well, I met my wife, bought a house (paid for), we started a family and 33 years later I'm still here. Things turned out different than I planned, but I have no complaints - still have a the same great wife, all three kids are through college and and out being successful and making me grand babies. Life's pretty good.
 
Originally from West Virginia. Moved to MT about 6 years ago when I was 27. I was spending all my vacation time each year to drive across the country for one hunt so decided it would be better to live closer. Love it so far and no plans of going back. There are certain things that I miss about Appalachia and things I'll never miss. Overall, extremely happy with being here.
 
moved alone from NC "mountains" to College Station, TX for work as a single guy in my 20's. Aggie football & baseball, live music, BBQ, friends with boats & 350+ miles of coastline to fish. Great people. The scenery & opportunities around the college were outstanding!
Just too damn hot & flat for me to wanna live there more than a few years but damn that was a memorable time in my life
 
I've relocated a few times for work. One of my previous jobs had me traveling a lot so I've been in most all the western states, a handful in Midwest, and a few in the South. I've also worked out of the USA, mostly Central & South America.

I can find things I like about most places, but regardless of where you are there are going to be negatives. You have to consider what is a deal breaker.

My recommendation is to travel to where you think you want to move to, spend some time looking around, not at the touristy places. But actually looking at who your neighbors are likely to be, eat at small diners & deli type spots where you see locals, stop in the hardware store for something that might stir a conversation, then donate what you didn't need to a local charity. You don't know much about an area until you know a little about the people in it.
 
I moved to Oklahoma from Oregon. The politics in Oregon are crazy. The people in Oklahoma are great and I can get 8 deer tags.
 
I moved my family from a rural area in CA to a rural area of MT. Didn’t want to raise my kids in that state. Was a great place for me growing up but it’s irreversibly gone bad. Was a hard thing to do but very glad we did.
 
Moved to UT to go to school and moved away after finishing back to NM.

Looking back, should've looked elsewhere. NM's politics have been turned upside-down in trying to keep up with CA and take the lead against CO.

UT will be blue in 5 years at the rate it's growing. That is what happened to NM except it went from purple to deep blue.

What's "sad" is that NM has some awesome hunting and fishing avaliable as well as any and all other things outdoors related.

No point system either for those that are "new in town".
 
If you move just don't be one of those people that tries to bring everything that you came from with you.
Good example of that is a neighbor I have moved here to Wyoming from Colorado, the dumbass flies his Colorado flag on his flag pole. No American flag, no Wyoming flag, just his Colorado flag. Drives me nuts, and I hear people say well, back in so and so we did this, I'm like move back to so and so then. You left whatever state, for whatever reason, outside of cheering for a sports team and eating food from there, leave it there.
 
I've lived in most the Western States other than CA and CO/NM. Lived in 2 states back east and currently in a foreign country.

I haven't had issues with people being unwelcoming, but if you drive like an idiot with out of state plates you will draw ire. We also would refer to "Cidiots" who get their rigs stuck in the ruts/ditches at trailheads or in a couple inches of snow.

On your list I don't think any of them can go wrong. I would also look at AZ (not the best fishing) but Flagstaff/Snowflake are generally nice towns, good hunting. And during the winter only a 2-3 hour drive to Phoenix so you can get out of the cold. When my wife and I went to AZ to look for places to live she had a terrible allergic reaction, otherwise there is a chance that is where I would land up in the mountains.
We're full, but thanks for the plug. Way to many newbie's from the west coast in Phoenix.
 
Add on. If they keep building in Phoenix, might end up like Vegas with no water.
 
Your choices of Idaho, Mt, or UT are fantastic. All your goals could be met in one of those. Elk and good paying jobs abound.
 
VA > UT > VA > NC > VA > ID > WA > VA > ID > WA > VA > ID

Yes, I;ve done it.

If you want a slower pace of life, you wont find in the treasure valley anymore unless you are fully retired - and that's saying a hell of a lot having originally moved here 25 years ago. The difference is profound and it feels more like Seattle where you time your trip based on traffic. I definitely miss those leisurely days and also sympathize with those who were born here.

There are a few places I’d easily live on the east coast but their names shall never pass my lips in public.
 
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