Moving to OKlahoma!

[angeljzmom]

This native southern Ca lady is moving to OKlahoma with my DD and DSIL. I think I am in for a world of shock. I have never lived outside of So. CA or have been or driven in the snow. My DSIL in from Oklahoma and is happy to be moving home. We will be renting a home and my DD and I have to get jobs. If anyone has any advice regarding this adventure, feel free to share.

Leeann

[227melissa]

when I was a child I lived in Ponca City OK, get ready for some really flat land lol

[mh3rdwheel]

Is your son Zackary moving with you. I know I could not live with DD and DSIL I would ending being kicked out when I would tell off my DSIL for being such as a**hole, for not helping out his wife.

By moving to another state, it makes it harder if things don't work out, put money aside just in case things don't work out.

Hope everything works out for you.

[Libby]

Sounds like a great move - change is good! You're renting so if things don't work out you can always move back right? It may cost more upfront but things seem to find a way to work themselves out.

The first thing I thought of about the change in location - your natural disasters change from earthquakes to tornadoes!

[wunsagin]

I was born and raised in So Cal, moved here in the 70's. Oklahoma is 'home' and I never want to live anywhere else. My best advice is attitude, come here convinced that you are going to love it and the adjustment won't be such a shock. Come here conviced you will hate it and you will be miserable.

Where in Okla are you moving?

[angeljzmom]

I don't plan on living with the kids forever, just until I can get a job. My DSIL lives with me now and we get along great. I stay out of their business unless asked. My son will not be moving with us, he is moving to CO to live near his grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. I will miss him, he is my baby(even tho he is almost 20).

[Spirit Deer]

Be sure you rent something with a basement or storm shelter. Seriously.

We haven't lived through an Oklahoma winter, but from what our OK friends have said, the ice storms are far worse than the snow we get here in northern Minnesota. You can adjust to driving on snow, but driving on ice is something else again. Very dangerous, and there's no good way to do it. Plus it can cause a lot of property damage.

It's also hot and humid. We had an RV rally here a couple of years ago and our OK friends left behind high humidity and 100+ degree temps to come up there to seventy and low humidity. They almost froze! LOL.

[Mom25]

We moved to Oklahoma from Texas 5 years ago. Not a big change for us weather or culture wise. Oklahoma folks are for the most part nice and friendly! The weather is VERY hot now...our area of southern OK is in severe drought. We love it here and I hope you will too. Like a previous poster mentioned...it's all in the attitude. There are lots of things to like about OK.

[angeljzmom]

Thanks for all the replies! I am choosing to go with a good attitude, I keep telling myself that is going to be a great adventure for all of us. I will be living in Pryor Creek, Ok. Tulsa is the closest city.

[Contrary Housewife]

OK is flat and dry, but in the Tulsa area there are some hills, and it can get quite hilly in other regions of the state. Some beautiful scenery in places, some dead dry boring in others. It is probably similar to SoCal in many respects, including hot dry summers, droughts and burn bans. Ice happens infrequently and typically does not last long and people just do not go out for the day or two that it lasts.

While a cellar is nice for tornado season, not many homes are built with them.

Tulsa is a nice, small city with cultural attractions, but you will not find the breadth and depth that California has. On the good side, the cost of living is incredibly cheap (with salaries to match, expect your paycheck to shock you). An example, a friend bought a 2 storey, 3br 2 bath, 2 car garage in a nice suburban area for ~70k a few years ago. He and his wife both work good mid level office jobs but make well under 100k combined per year.

If you like seafood, binge before you leave, because OK has no coastline and there is no such thing as "catch of the day" there. Lots of good tex-mex (it's different than what you get in Cali) and bbq around, though.

I spend several weekends a year in OK with friends. Got to get packed for my long weekend in Tulsa over the 4th.

[Debbie-cat]

Good luck! Change is good.

[Contrary Housewife]

Another thing to keep in mind, in OK when people talk about "smoke" or 'doing some smoking this weekend' they don't mean marijuana. They're talking about BBQ.

[wunsagin]

Thanks for all the replies! I am choosing to go with a good attitude, I keep telling myself that is going to be a great adventure for all of us. I will be living in Pryor Creek, Ok. Tulsa is the closest city.

I have to go through Pryor going to dd's. A busy highway goes through town, lots of truck traffic. They also have a Homeland, they double coupons up to $1.00

[Luv2BeFrugal]

I have a lot of family in Oklahoma, so visit relatively often. Also, my best friend moved to Tulsa 3 years ago...she LOVES it there! Yes, it was a culture shock for her at first... The people are very friendly. Their housing market didn't take the beating that most have, so that's a plus. It has 'downhome charm' to it, for sure.

It IS humid! Both summer and winter! You're going to want A/C for sure!! In your home and your vehicle! The taxes are high, in general...not sure you'll notice much change, as CA's taxes are pretty high, too.

I hope you really enjoy it!!

[angeljzmom]

Another thing to keep in mind, in OK when people talk about "smoke" or 'doing some smoking this weekend' they don't mean marijuana. They're talking about BBQ.

Thanks so much for telling me because I would have thought it was marijuana! That gave me a good laugh!