Moving to Missouri in 365 days

We moved from the Cedar Rapids area a year ago June. Took us 2 trips with the "biggest" rental truck and a few with trailers. We love it here!

Welcome to Missouri in advance!
Lynda

Cali, first of all, welcome to Missouri in advance! We love it here, and wish we would have done it years ago! My advice for moving is to get packing now. I packed for 2 months straight, and we also rented a dumpster to throw out "junk" we had amassed. Plan a garage sale or two. When we moved I thought we had pared down a lot but it took many trips, ugh!

Good luck on your adventure!

Lynda

We are trying to do something every weekend towards our end goal. Last weekend it was clean out 30 years worth of accumulated stuff in the garage rafters... After 2 dump runs all that was left was 3 small boxes....

Cali, that's what we're doing on my days off from work! Today we will have at least 2 pick up loads headed to the Goodwill donation center and one big load for the dump!

I look at all of the work getting ready to move & wonder if I'm crazy but then I think about the wonderful plans I have for the future and it makes this part much more tolerable.

Good luck, maybe once we're all down in Mo, we could meet.

We live closer to Rolla now but started our life in Missouri four years ago near Vanzant and both of us worked in West Plains. We took a small stint near Licking/Houston in a portable cabin while we looked for a place closer to DH office in Rolla. We loved the West Plains/Mountain Grove/Vanzant area and made some lifelong friends in both WP and Licking areas. If it wasn't for DH job we would still be near Vanzant. They moved him this direction and it is nice as well but we miss the forest and the cabin. Perhaps someday we will head back that way. Good luck and welcome.

270 days to go

Goodness, it's getting crowded here in So. Mo. West Plains county seat here in Howell County.

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In Life, We Weep at the thought of Death'
Who Knows, Perhaps in Death,
We Weep at the though of Life.

Welcome to Missouri! From the looks of this thread we are having a minor invasion from out of state. I only hope so many people don't flock to the Ozarks region that the good things about it which attracted people in the first place are lost. I remember when Branson was a sleepy little place, there was Silver Dollar City, much smaller than it is today, and some tourist trap souvenir stores and that was about it.

I have an acquaintance who lives down in the Ozarks who sold a California upper middle class house at the peak of the market and retired here at age 50 or so. She's loving it.

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It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with the simple pleasures and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
Laura Ingalls Wilder

We have been told several times that we fit in great. That makes us feel good but I believe it is because we came to the Ozarks for the lifestyle and to live and learn from the folks that have been here their entire lives. We did not come here to tell the locals how they should be doing things. Both sides of my family came from Missouri. My maternal side from Latour, Mo. My great grandfather was a judge in the Johnson County. My paternal side from the Hollister/Branson area. Both sides told lots of stories and loved the area so when we could we headed back to MO and both love it here.

Well, guess you better move over.......Moving down there myself in about 8 months.

I mean... I mean...(with my best Arlo Guthie imitation) where else you gonna go?

Besides, you won't see much of me.... I'm comming down to hide Most everyone I know down that way are nice people. Hope to have some great neighbors... hope to be one myself. I've waited 66 years to become a hermit.... though my wife's not real fond of that idea.....she'll do great as she makes friends easily.

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Moving to that big black hole in the night satellite photo. (also the hole in cell phone coverage )

We bought our first MO property in 08 wanting to see if we were going to like the area. It was 22 zcres, mostly tilled with a 36 foot RV on it. W loved the area (NE MO) and decided we wanted slightly larger and more rugged land for our retirement. So we went hunting and found our farm, 28.5 acres, timber, pasture and home on a ridge.

We did it differently than most. We kept two homes, one in Western IL where we owned a business and the farm in MO. We spent weekends here, upgrading, remodeling, putting in electric, etc and lengthened our days here as we grew older. Became citizens 4 years ago, retired in Jan. of this year and made the move permanent.

IL property goes up for sale Dec 1 and we have folks interested in our business building. Life is great.

My best advice is to go through things NOW. Decide what you really need and want and get rid of the rest. We are donating most of our rummage to charity and set it out for the Amish to go through (the kids are great at rummaging through our offerings and making them go away).

It will make things easier for you if you move as little as possible.

BTW welcome to MO.

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I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here!

Sounds like a great plan...but my dumb question for the day...what is there for places to work out that general neck of the woods?.....my son lives in Northeast Kansas and I have driven around in the North West part of Missouri it seem rather nice too....the state actually seems to be a little "greener" (vegetation wise) than Kansas does....any insight would be great...

MikeC

Congrats on the move Cali! Very exciting.

We're making a big move soon as well. But we're moving from homesteading and it will be awhile before we have land again. In 6 months we're moving from Oregon back to Maine. Both of our parents are needing help and it's time to go back. We're probably going to do a U-pack truck move which we've done before, maybe U-Haul U-boxes.

Right now we're in the throw out the small stuff mode, making sure the can is full on garbage day. I keep saying things like, "let's only take the new brown sofa" and next thing you know DH has a reason we need all 3 sofas....I know from past big moves that no matter how much stuff you get rid of, you always should have gotten rid of more! I have never regretted anything we didn't bring on a move, just that we brought too much.

The logistics of selling this homestead, wrapping up work and getting across the country is mind boggling. We are finally doing the work we should have when we moved in to put it on the market. Luckily we have a friend who will take our chickens and we don't have other live stock. Just 3 dogs and a cat to move. We'll be living with my parents until I get work which will determine where we live. Luckily they have a good set-up for grown-up children.

We are twenty miles north of West Plains...also not far from the Houston Licking area....HECK we all should have a get together sometime!!

Makes you wonder if some are our neighbors, don't it? We are about 20 miles north of W.P too

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In Life, We Weep at the thought of Death'
Who Knows, Perhaps in Death,
We Weep at the though of Life.

I love the idea of a get together! We should be down in April 2015. It would be so much fun meeting others and also nice to know that after a big move from my current location where I have lots of friends that I won't be totally without friends & acquaintances in my new area.

It would also be a great chance to share information about people & places that are reputable when there is a need to hire a repairman.

Count us in if there is a Spring/Summer 2015 get together!

Wifie was looking at a place just north of West Plains in Pomona...
Still have several months to look though

Well you can add my family to the list, I visited my in-laws about a year ago & really enjoyed myself. After close to 20 years being bounced around by the military it will be nice to put down roots. I'm about 18 months out & have a few house hunting trips planned out next year, thankfully I'll be able to crash with the in-laws who are in the west plains area.

possibly ironic? My Nephew(by marriage) is selling property north of Pomona

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In Life, We Weep at the thought of Death'
Who Knows, Perhaps in Death,
We Weep at the though of Life.

We are about 20 miles west of West Plains. We donated a lot of stuff to Goodwill, gave some away, and brought the rest in several trips with a pickup truck and livestock trailer fully loaded. Fortunately, we didn't have so far to haul all the stuff as you do.

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Terri