Now, I realize that moving is not all fun and games and it's certainly not a vacation. So I just did a quick search for any useful info I could find about this topic.
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. on this site has some good tips:
Do you have fantasies of moving to a new part of the country or even the world? Quit your job or escape a layoff and start over?
Hold on tight to your chair. Force yourself to stay seated until you have an action plan, preferably in writing. Here are seven tips to get started.
1. Carefully research your target destination. Forget the myths. A small town may be not be a haven of low-cost, crime-free living. A big city may have few opportunities in your chosen field.
2. Protect your work identity. Line up a job -- even a temporary job -- before you move. Find at least one client for your freelance business.
3. Define your career flexibly. Are you willing to wait tables, paint houses or work as a temporary secretary? Do you have marketable skills: carpentry, construction, dog grooming?
4. Don't count on the old stand-bys -- teaching, social work, library science, nursing. You may need a union card or local reference to get established. And many openings exist only for beginners.
5. Identify friends and friends-of-friends in your target destination who can jump-start your social life and show you the ropes...
6. Rent or buy before you leave your job, if at all possible. If you haven't moved in twenty years, you may be surprised.
7. Much advice from well-meaning friends and relatives will be useless and even harmful. People share their stereotypes and their own buried fantasies. "I've always wanted to live there," they say wistfully. Or, "Don't they have a high crime rate?" Get the facts and seek professional consultations.
This blog is about moving to Los Angeles but also has some great tips:
...it's hard to meet people anywhere as an adult without a job, a spouse, or other friends to introduce you around. I had a lot of "acquaintances" when I moved here - people to grab drinks with, really - but only one good friend. Through her, I met some other good friends, then I met more good friends through my job, and more good friends through this blog. But it wasn't always fun - I spent a year constantly feeling "on", like I was going on interviews - and in the process, I had a lot of nights where I wished I had just stayed home.
I would start networking as much as you can, talking to people, if only online, that will meet you for a drink once you move. When you do move, stay busy. Join Meetup.com or an online dating service. Go to the beach, museum, volunteer. There's no shortage of activities here, and I've found that most people are pretty friendly.
If I were you, I would try to find temporary housing (no lease) until you get a job, and then decide where to live.
The weather is great, temperate, dry. It's heaven in the winter and a bit cool for my taste in the summer (I like it hot!) but overall, it is fabulous. Keep a winter coat for trips back east, but I gave away all but a few of my wool sweaters. Even in the coldest weather (40's in the winter) you're probably not going to feel comfortable in the preppy Apres-ski style so popular in New York.
Obviously you know that the economy is horrible right now, and I wouldn't suggest picking up and moving without some money in the bank. I had about $8000 saved when I moved here, a small stream of freelance work, and I had paid my first month and a half's rent when I was still getting a paycheck in New York. So I felt okay about my risk. That said, I was also dying to move here, and nothing could stop me. If this is your dream and you have no major debt or commitments back home, I say take the plunge! What do you have to lose? Worst case scenario is that you move back. Just start saving as much money as you can, and have a plan in mind about, at what point, do you start applying to Starbucks? How badly are you willing to work to make it?
Network. Save as much money as you can. Sell the stuff you don't need. Be prepared to work at Starbucks or waiting tables or in retail. I would also take a trip out here, just to make sure that you like it. See if you can set up some informational interviews. Get a feel for the city and the industry you want to work in. Make sure it's something you really want. If you aren't comfortable staying with friends, look for a housing swap on Craig's List. Start a blog about your experience. Get some advertisers.
SPECIAL BONUS ADVICE:
One of the easiest and most helpful things you can do - if you aren't doing this already - is reading. Start reading the LA Times online, if not every day, at least on Sunday. Subscribe to Defamer and LAist and Nikki Finke's column. Even if you don't understand or relate to the specifics right away, you'll pick up a sense of the city and the industry, get familiar with key players, and broaden your knowledge base which will help when you start going on interviews.
Also, someone once told me that it would take 18 months to feel like LA was my home. That advice was spot-on. While I loved it here since Day 1, it took almost exactly 18 months for me to really feel comfortable here - like I had my own friends, my career, and a life that moved forward without me having to nudge it a little.
Great advice, Lori! (I have already started a blog and was already subscribed to both LAist and Sandiegoish).
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