Im thinking of moving to Florida from CT but dont know where to start. Any suggestions?|124952

I_ve lived in Ct my whole life, went to Florida recently on a vacation and know I_m very much so wanting to move down there. I don_t know where to begin since this would be a decently big move down there. My biggest concern would be employment since I_m still paying off college loans, credit cards, and don_t have too great of a job (history major- go figure). Any and all suggestions on how to make this dream possible and an easy transition would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Employment is a big deal because unless you are trained in something that is in demand you won_t be paid anywhere near as well as in Conn. Too much cheap labor in Fl. $7 or less an hour is typical.

I_ve lived in Florida most of my life. It is expensive to live here in some respects, but for other reasons it could be affordable. As a history major, I would think you would be in teaching. There have been a lot of cutbacks this year, and they are laying off teachers in some areas. I live in Manatee County (below Tampa) on the West coast. It is beautiful. There are a lot of retired folks, but more and more young people. The housing was out of sight (and reach) a couple years ago, but it is coming into range now. This would be a good time to make a move. We are a service-type area, so anything you do in the service industry (restaurant, lawn care, etc.) you can make money. There is also a LOT of money here, so there are a lot of banking, investment type jobs.

Florida, because of it_s climate, is also a draw to low income, homeless, etc. types of people. There is a wide variety of economic classes, and good/bad areas. Anywhere you move, go to visit first. If you don_t come down here in the snowbird time of year (January-April) you can generally visit fairly cheap.

The mom in me is telling you to get out of debt as fast as you can, and to stay out of debt. Credit cards are like snakes getting ready to bite at all time.

We have what northerners call a _Sunshine Tax_, meaning that Florida is such a nice place to live, that it_s worth it not to make as much money. It_s very casual here. If you are careful, I would think that it is no different than anywhere else. If you think you are going to make money here, you will probably be disappointed. I don_t know how businesses get away with it, but they do. I make $15 an hour as an office manager, but I also make more than most of the people I know. Businesses actually start people out at $7-$8 an hour, and get away with it.

Good luck. You_re young, so give it a shot. Take a chance. You can always move back to CT if you don_t like it here.

Not to discourage you but wages are definitely lower. I am in human resources and thought by now things would catch up with the rest of the world. Living here is not cheap and many employers want to pay their people in _sunshine_ and not $$$. Think about the east coast or Tampa area as oppose to Southwest Florida where wages are even less.

Something else- if you are young and looking for single people, try to find employment with a large company, get involved in a club or church. Its hard to meet young people in some areas.

Having said all that- I moved here when I was 25- have a happy marriage and wonderful family- a great job and have enjoyed living here for 20 years! All the best to you - just do your research!!!

You can send me your resume- apply via www.floridamoves.com , Careers

Where could I purchase the Minnie the bride and Mickey the groom ears?|175402

I would prefer to buy them before we go to Florida but I haven_t been able to find them anywhere. Or do I have to buy them there, and where? Thank you so much.

I don_t think you_ll be able to buy them here unless it_s on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Japan-NWT-Wedding-Mi��

^^and thats probably not what you_re looking for because it_s just the headband

In Magic Kingdom they have a ton of little shops to go into. The Emporium, which is the first shop on the left side of Main Street, has tons of hats and I_m sure they have the wedding ones. There_s also another store at Magic Kingdom that_s kind of hidden to the right of the big candy store(that_s the first shop on the right on Main street, across from the Emporium). They only sell hats and you can even get them personalized with your name. It only takes a minute and you can watch them do it. Have fun on your trip!!

Why not try checking out a disney store or looking on eBay? Worse case - buy them as soon as you get there at one of the gift shops!

Try searching the Disney Store website online.. and if they don_t have them almost all big stores at the park sell them!

Have fun.

Get ahold of Disney Merchandising to see what they can do. They should be able to get them for you. Just make sure to describe exactly what you_re wanting! Congrats!

Telephone: 407-363-6200
Fax: 407-352-6369
Email: wdw.mail.order@disneyworld.com

What are some [really] fun and interesting places to go to in Chicago?|148153

Hi: We might be going to Chicago over the weekend just to get away and I was just wondering what are some really fun places under a reasonable price limit to go to.
Thanks for your help! It would help if you guys could put some links up to the places, pictures, etc. Thanks again.

Shedd Aquarium-
http://sheddaquarium.org/


Sears Tower-
http://www.searstower.com/


Navy Pier-
http://navypier.com/


Lincoln Park Zoo-
http://www.lpzoo.org/


Buckingham Fountain-
http://www.chicagotraveler.com/attractio��

Adler Planetarium-
http://adlerplanetarium.org/


Chicago Botanic Garden-

http://www.chicagotraveler.com/attractio��


Millenium Park-
http://www.millenniumpark.org/


Museum of Science and Industry-
http://www.msichicago.org/


Chicago Symphony Orchestra-
http://www.cso.org/


Chicago is a lot of fun. The weather can be unpredictable, so pack clothes for warm weather and for cold weather. There_s so much to do there it_s somewhat hard to take in. Try and make the most of this diverse, unique, and awesome city. Bring a camera and take pictures of everything you see. We_re very friendly so ask questions if you need to. There_s also beaches, restaurants, and other things I forgot to cover so do your research!

Totally depends what you_re looking for! There are a bunch of little neighborhoods full of shops in places like Wicker park or the Lakeview area (Belmont). The Shedd Aquarium is great, the Art Institute, Navy Pier (Imax theater!) it really depends on what you_re into.

What is the best way, value for money and experience to travel the USA???|158665

I am planning to tour the USA for a couple of months next year, but are having difficulty deciding on what to do. I will be travelling with 2 of my friends who are pretty much set on doing group tours for 20+ days at a time. This is rather expensive at a cost of over $3500 per trip. I am not sure if should go to the US alone and do my own thing or do the group thing. I would rather do a hop on hop off bus tour where i get to do my own thing but still have the availability of transport to get around. Any suggestions would be most helpful.

There is so much to see in the US and it is so large I hope a couple of months would be enough. maybe dividing up the US into three or four areas and choosing the highlights from each area. I would personally look into Renting a car if you go by yourself or a SUV if you get your friends to go with you. Or Amtrak or Greyhound.just remember that there is not a lot of public transportation in some cities and you will need to use taxies to get around which are expensive if you choose this idea. If you drive yourself contact AAA for travel help. You will need to become a member but they will do great maps for you with highlights of sights to see, you will get AAA discounts to hotels and restaurants, and travel advisers.
Have fun this sounds exciting

Get an Amtrak pass. While passenger train service in the USA is woefully inadequate, the size of the country is such that it won_t matter that you can_t get everywhere by train as one can in Europe. There is more than enough that you can get to by train.

I_m not sure that group travel is worthwhile anywhere but I would think it would be particularly useless in the United States which is more a place to be experienced than anything else.

My bet would be to either backpack it, (packing a good lightweight tent), or buying a VW camper van.

My favorite of all would be:- I was once reading an old National Geographic article entitled: _A Sikh discovers America_, about a guy from India who came over and towed a small silver trailer hitched behind his car. That way, every night he had a clean, secure, and comfy abode in which to sleep. (Just find a place to park, I guess.)
It saved him a whale of money, money better spent on food, gas, clothes, going out on the town and meeting people, etc. goodies we deserve, rather than just forking our hard-earned money over to strangers to catch fleas with.
The price of accommodation really sucks, no cheap motels under $50 a night, even Youth Hostels getting kind of expensive.

Train then rent a cheap car when you get to your destinations. Visit either coast, the Rocky Mountains and as many National Parks in Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona and especially Utah.

Bring more money. The best advice I got when going to Europe for the first time way: lay out all your luggage and your cash. Now, remove half the luggage and double your cash.

kayak or sail to it with a friend then cycle or hitch hike the rest never tried it just an idea