Moving cross country
![[Post New]](/nanny-forum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I'm an east coast nanny with a dream of moving cross country to San Diego. I have a great job here and live a comfortable life but have recently been feeling unsatisfied, trapped. I've been trying to shake the feeling but each year that I push closer to 30, the more I realize that I haven't given myself the opportunity to live anywhere besides the city I grew up in. So I decided to give myself a year to financially get myself in a position to move without any debt and be able to pay a few months worth of bills if I can't find a job. I wondering if any nanny has ever made a huge move on their own? And if so what were some unexpected struggles you faced during your move, job search and creating a new social life?
I'd like to add that I would be moving and finding a position as a live out nanny since my dog and two cats will be joining me on this adventure. |
Anonymous
I'm a nanny from NJ who now lives in Nashville. Seek out agencies who are willing to interview you through Skype.  Moving to TN was the best thing I've ever done. Two celeb jobs under my belt (There are TONS here) and my current boss is due with twins on July 30th! GOOD LUCK!
|
Anonymous
Thank you, I planned on making three trips out to CA over the next year, one to interview with agencies, the second to decide where I would like to live and the third to interview with families/sign a lease. Are you currently a live in nanny? I know it would be an easier transition to move as a live in but my pets are very important to me. Another issue I might face is I don't have a BA yet, I have two AS degrees but wasn't sure which field I was going to pursue so I took a break. In Boston, my years of experience and references has helped families over look the fact that I didn't finish my degree. I don't want to leave a highly paid position here and get screwed into accepting a lower wage because of my education. |
Anonymous
I would be careful bragging about working for celebrities. It can come back and bite you. If your current job is for a celebrity, I know who you are talking about. |
Anonymous
|
San Diego is notorious for low pay. I'd do a lot of research to make sure your salary expecations line up with the job market there.
That being said I made the move from NY to California last year and love it out here! |
Anonymous
I was also considering San Fran because their pay is more on par with what I make in Boston but I really wanted to move to a location that is warm and sunny year round. Would LA be a better choice? |
Anonymous
|
I'm the previous poster who moved from NY to CA.
Completely understand about wanting to be in a sunny place I was in the LA area for about a year and hated it. The biggest reason was I was in a 24 hour job that sucked. However when I left my job and started looking for something else I discovered I just didn't like the LA scene. I registered with all of the agencies there and even had more than one job offer, but it just wasn't for me. Then I started looking in San Francisco and fell in love! I liked the agencies and families much better up here! In LA you get a lot of people in the entertainment industry, where as here in the Bay Area you tend get people who are working professionals who really value their nanny. I found the Northern California agencies to be more ethical as well. For example all of the agencies up north required that I be registered with Trustline (which is the law here in California). Several of the big name agencis in LA just brushed it off when I brought it up. I had several job offers here and just recently moved and started my new position about 2 months ago. I'm loving it so far and am already so much happier here. I would say it's really more about your personality. There are the occasional good jobs in San Diego, so don't count that completely out. You can also find the occasional good job in Orange County, which is also very nice. |
Anonymous
I was just going to post this. San Diego is a bad place to move if you want a decent wage for a nanny position. You would be better off moving up to Orange county maybe if you didn't want to be in LA, or to SF (though you might want to live outside of the city and commute to it for work with the better paying positions without the extremely high rents and little space). |
Anonymous
| PP here. I just read your other replies. If you want more sun and warmth, then you can easily live in one of the other areas outside of SF and have a much different experience with the weather aspect. It can be up to 20 degrees warmer in other areas and not deal with as much fog other than maybe in the early morning hours. If you look in these areas, you can find really great places to live that don't cost nearly as much as in the city itself, but the positions themselves drop dramatically in price as well. So if you don't mind the commute, then driving into the city for your job can get you a decent rate and find a lower cost of living elsewhere. The Peninsula also has some nice paying positions (and Marin Co) but the rents there will be higher. You could live out in the East Bay and commute to the Peninsula or the City and be happy. I prefer living in the city itself though so I deal with the higher rents. I do a PT work exchange where I can have my 2 cats with me and then other PT positions as well. |
Anonymous
| The cost of living in SF and LA is extremely high and I understand much worse than Boston. San Diego is cheaper but there is a ton of cheap labor so rates are very low. You may want to seek a live in position, save some money, make friends so you can find a roommate and get to know the area for a year or two before trying to live on your own. |
Anonymous
| Keep in mind that you will have to pay more because landlords will require a pet deposit. |
Anonymous
Many places in San Diego that allow pets also charge monthly pet rent and have breed and size restrictions. |
Anonymous
Really? I don't think she was bragging and who cares? She didn't sit here and say "Hey! I worked for Keith Urban, etc.". She just said 2 celeb families. She gave out no other information. Stop trying to stir up drama. |
Anonymous
|
2305... you are a DOUCHE CANOE. I wasn't bragging. Nashville is full of low key celebs. It's an AWESOME place to nanny. And my currently pregnant boss isn't a celeb, FYI, so take a piss
|
Anonymous
|
http://www.westsidenannies.com/
That's a great place to start. They are on Facebook, have TONS of great jobs... and they will SKYPE interview you
|