Some Advice req.

[carlm]

This is not Rat rod (yet)related but in the long term could help me get access to much more old tin so really it is. Anyway i currently live in England and I have always wanted to make a move to the USA , somewhere where it doesnt rain all the time where its warmer and I will generally have a much better quality of life and so will my kids. I suppose the American dream .Now i have never had the opportunity to even visit but it looks like next year i will finally get the chance ,most people tend to head to Florida because of the parks etc but i want to have a look around with a view of relocation and im not sure Florida will give me a realistic idea also America is massive and diverse i dont know where to start .I am a fully qualified Plumbing and heating engineer with over 10 years experience but recently I have also been working in instrument pipe fitting so would be looking for careers in either of these .I am not even 100% sure what i am asking for here but I would like some ideas/input from people (as this is the only place I visit used by Americans from all across the country in all walks of life) on where would be a good place to visit ,any websites you use for searching for jobs where would i find Jobs in industrial or instrument pipe fitting , I would go back to plumbing even but im not sure if that is a well paid job there as it is here , I will have around 10 days and I have being looking at fly drive options so I have some transport just not really sure where to head for most UK travel sites are set up for people going to the usual ,LA,Vegas,Florida,NYC.

erm so if you can make anything of the above let me know what you think .Thanks

 

[super56]

Well, the midwest is Union based(more money for you) but we get rain and snow. I have lived in Illinois all my life and its not bad...

Im not sure about the Southwest but thats where I would go if temperature and rainfall were your largest concerns...

Quite a few guys on here from the Arizona area.

 

[carlm]

i dont mind a bit of cold,the last few years here the warmest i have seen is around 24 deg C and coldest of -10 but mainly it seems to rain and be around 12 degrees , i just fancy somewhere i can think this weekend im going to work on my car and not just have the constant disappointment of rain ,sunny while im at work rain when im off seems to be the case ,haha

 

[EnglishBob]

If I moved South for climate and generally a better way of life I'd be heading for Texas.
Can't comment on the work situation but if it's the same as here then to get back into plumbing you'd have to 'retrain' and requalify.

 

[choppinczech]

If I could do it all over, I'd go to Utah, the Dakotas, Texas, or anywhere where the Libs don't run your life. Stay out of California unless you like being controlled to an extreme.

 

[choppinczech]

Rated one of the best places to live.

Sandy, Utah

http://sandy.utah.gov/

 

[Tim...Ok]

Anywhere in the southern half of the country and at least one state away from either coast.. If I didn't live in Oklahoma and we weren't football rivals, I'd probably live in Texas..

 

[Sam_Fear]

You don't have to worry about rain like you are used to unless you move to western Washington and maybe Oregon. The northeast is probably similar to the UK except colder and snowier winters? If you do plumbing and heat or industrial, Ohio thru to Nebraska would be a good bet. Heat and AC used and a good mix of agriculture and industry. All 4 seasons are fairly balanced. Average peaks - Winter night lows -11C, 30c daytime high summers.

Study wet bulb temperatures, rain, snow, and sunshine maps to see where you can stand to live. You move to Phoenix Arizona and your never-sees-the-sun skin will cook like lobster all year round.

http://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/weather-averages-index.php

We just bought a MG a few months ago from a man from Wales. He seemed to prefer the cool autumn and spring (what we think is uncomfortably chilly) over summer heat. Just saying, what the typical American thinks is perfect weather is probably not what a Brit would prefer.

 

[donsrods]

Well, in my 67 years I have lived in a few different States, and can tell they all have pluses and minuses............how happy you are in any particular place depends solely on what you consider to be "ideal".

I am from Pennsylvania originally, grew up there. Beautiful State, people are for the most part good, friendly people, but I don't miss Winters. I hate the cold. So we moved to North Carolina and lived there a year, where the weather is much nicer, even though they still get some periodic cold spells it is not nearly as severe or as long as Pa. The people there are for the most part very friendly, once they become familiar with you. I knew I was ok when my neighbor called me a "Good Old Boy."

We then moved to Southern California, which had been my dream since I was a teenager, growing up with "California Dreaming" and the hot rod culture. We only lasted a year there mainly because we couldn't afford it. I was making good money and my Wife is a Registered Nurse, and every penny we made went into just surviving. I also found the pace there too fast and some of the people were a little cold. Not making generalizations, but even people I worked with were out for themselves and would stab you in the back to get ahead...........that was something I was not used to anywhere else.

We moved back to Pennsylvania with our financial tails between our legs, and a couple of years later I got the offer to move to Florida, where we have been since 1982. We lived in the Orlando area for a few years but it was growing too big and too fast paced for us, so we moved to this coast and have loved living here since 1985. It is not perfect, but it suits us and our lifestyle.

Those are just my experiences and someone else will tell you something totally the opposite......we are all different. The job market also has to be a big consideration. Probably like the UK, things are not great all over yet, but there are still places that are better than others and careers that are stronger than others. Not sure how the pipefitting or ac/heat job markets are though, but Florida is always strong in the ac business.

Good luck with wherever you settle.

Don

 

[RattleCan]

After you've compiled a list of potential Cities/States you're interested in, plug in the city name and the words 'classifieds employment' in your favourite search engine. This should give you results listing local/state newspaper employment ads and job recruiting sites.
Most all states have main a Job Search Website service run by a group tied to it's employment/unemployment benefits office. As in Louisiana, most employers will actually require you to submit your resume thru the service. Power Plants and PetroChem Plants are always looking for pipefitter's. Also consider that if nothing else, taking a first job in one place doesn't necessarily mean you have to remain there for life, as you seem to be inclined to travel you can always keep searching while employed, but now with the benefit of having your foot in the 'U.S.' door.

 

[EnglishBob]

Just saying, what the typical American thinks is perfect weather is probably not what a Brit would prefer.

I moved from the Midlands to Western Canada where we regularly get -50C but usually have four distinct seasons which I love.
I winter in Mexico where most 'Local Americans' (Californians and Texans) don sweaters(jumpers for the OP) and coats if the temperature falls below 15C.
My brother loves Arizona,I hated it because it was way too hot in the summer.
The Brits would say 'Horses for courses' meaning basically it's what you'd want and enjoy,and unfortunately a few days touring won't be a great indicator.
Lifestyle and work first,weather second in my opinion.

 

[BigIrish]

I work with several British expats here in Texas and most love it. They are initially suprised by the brutal summer heat, but love the year-round sun, and very nice fall/spring. We really don't have a winter, just fall n spring.

I've lived in New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and Texas. Texas is my favorite. It's not nearly as pretty as Virginia and North Carolina, but there is so much big industry down here, good jobs are plentiful.

Regulation and government b.s. is generally lower in TX than other states.

The expats I work with are shocked at the freedom they have here as well. One guy put in a pool and was blown away at how easy/cheap it was. Apparently you'd have to go through about a year of certifications and huge fees, engineering drawings, etc to get approval to do anything of the sort in the UK.

 

[carlm]

Cheers for the replays chaps all very interesting and helpful ,certainly give me something to look into more ,the weather isn't the most important issue but it does factor quite high ,the main thing is better future for my kids and good work options for me and the Mrs who will be a nurse .Texas seems to be the place to be I will have a look at options there oil and gas sounds good for me work wise ,I know 10 days isn't very long but it will at least give me first hand experience of a lot of things rather than just word of mouth and tv to go from .Thanks for the help .

 

[earthman]

Having been a truck driver for many years and a dozen of those "over the road" i have been in every state except North Dakota. I would recommend that you try the Austin Texas area for several reasons. It's humid, a major drawback for me but far less rain than what you are accustomed to.

 

[21willys]

In my few travels I have been everywhere from Michigan to Texas and Louisiana. Generally speaking people are way more hospitable in the south. I have debated on moving south myself but I can't handle the extreme heat. That's because I've had two heat strokes tho.

 

[donsrods]

I've had some friends move to Texas and they love it there. Work seems available and the climate is pretty nice year round, depending on what part of Tx. Sure is a BIG State. When we moved to California we drove through Tx and it took as long getting through it as the rest of the trip !

And if Tripper lives there it can't be all bad.

Don

 

[Ezheimers]

I'm an older unit who's lived on several continets, and I've found that the Pacific Northwest is hard to beat. Few if any bugs, lots of work, Average housing and you can work your way East if you want more sunshine! Try it...! -EZ

 

[Willowbilly3]

I prefer winter over sweltering heat so take that for what it's worth. I have never visited the colonys, no opinion there. Anything south of Oklahoma is just too darn hot and or humid to enjoy the out doors in the summer. I love Cali but too may rules. New Mexico and Arizona are states I'd like to see more of. Nevada and Utah, Oregon all have nice areas. Montana and Idaho are a couple of my favorites, man's man kind of states but plenty of winter most years. I also loved the Puget Sound area, mild weather year round but some folks like to see the sun more. And then there's Alaska, my favorite of all. It's been 10 years since I moved (actually 12 now that I think of it) and I miss it every day.
I live in north western South Dakota, 10 miles from the Black Hills and like it fine. We can have hot hot in the summer and a nasty blow or two in the winter. Lots of growth and tourism plus the $$$ trickles down quite heavily from the oil fields 100 miles north. No unions, less than national average for wages but the cost of living is less and the air is good. People still wave at folks they don't know.