So OOT, I am fed up with living in Binghamton, NY. I've recently gotten on somewhat mediocre to bad terms with the rest of my family (who live around Albany for the most part) and I am no longer enrolled in the college here, so I am going to move. I have considered moving to NYC and that is still a distinct possibility, but my ultimate goal is San Diego. I have a friend who lives there now who has been helping me apply for various jobs so I can land on my feet when I get out there. The thing is, I don't have a 4-year college degree yet so I'm not looking at anything baller. $35k/year would be probably pretty good. Question #1: is it possible to transfer all of my credits from a 4-year school to a 2-year school and convert them into an Associates Degree? This sounds way too good to be true so I imagine that this is not possible, but if it is I will do it.
Some relevant background on me: I am extremely low-maintenance. I can easily survive with TV, internet and a bed. I currently don't have a place in my name (staying with a friend and splitting his bills) but his lease is up at the end of May. I can find lease-free housing for another few weeks after that, probably if I end up staying here any longer than late June though I will have to sign a lease or stay in a hotel or something. I currently have like, no money saved. I have a car though, which is a major bonus. I also have all of my meaningful possessions ready to throw into my car so I can drive out to San Diego. Assuming I can get a job lined up, how much money do you think I need to stash up before I go out there? I am thinking about $4K, mostly to cover rent+deposit on an apartment and food, gas and various other startup costs until I get checks from work. Is this an absurdly low number, or could I get by at first with less?
Also, does anyone know off the top of his or her head what a good, easy place to get a job in San Diego is? I have work experience, type around 90WPM, am familiar with any normal computer software (Word, Excel, etc etc), some college and 3-4 years of work experience with references. Ideal working conditions for me are as follows:
Inside (AC)
Not physical labor (eg desk work, data entry, office bitch work, etc)
Having a chair (no I'm not fat, I'm 5'10" 150lbs but still, I like to sit)
I plan on driving out to San Diego as soon as I can accumulate/borrow (my rich step sister may be getting an email soon) around $4k. I am not the pussy type of person who would get bored or depressed driving for days. I love road trips and I could easily survive the drive with red bull, cigarettes and snickers bars. My car gets awesome gas mileage (around 40mpg highway). I have estimated the total travel costs (assuming it takes 3-4 days and I crash in my car for one or two of the nights) to be $350-500, mostly gas. However I completely just made that number up.
Here's a Google Earth screenshot of where my friend lives. He said he could get help me find a place nearby and has emailed me a few potential places to live.
My biggest questions aside from places to work are like, what's the cable TV situation like out there? What are the available providers? How are utilities for a 1-bedroom or studio apartment? How much is reasonable to pay for a halfway decent 1-bedroom or studio apartment, without getting fleeced?
Also, I realize San Diego is much more expensive than Binghamton. But the weather here kills me. This place is poor and rainy and miserable. The fast food in San Diego is spectacular. I have one of my best friends living there who can help me out once I actually move out there, but at the moment I am looking for preliminary advice. Obviously I will provide a trip report with pics once I leave. My timeframe for leaving is basically now to 4 weeks from now, as soon as I can save/earn/gambool what I feel is a comfortable amount of money to head out there. If I get offered a job (I've applied for a few, though suggestions and advice are much appreciated) I might make it even sooner.
Oh, just FWIW I have kinda bad credit, not awful but not great, so getting a cash-advance isn't really an option. I have enough credit to get a place to rent, but I'm not going to get a $10k CC balance or anything.
All advice is greatly appreciated, as well as comments on the overall unpreparedness of this endeavor. But honestly, life's more fun when it's spontaneous. There's absolutely nothing keeping me in Binghamton now, so I see no reason to keep living in such a hell-hole when I could go see what's out there in CA and not get snowed on in April.
Thanks in advance,
Mark