Cross-Country Move/Moving to the South Advice

[PreDrANB]

I recently read a nice thread in the pre-med forum in which people were offering some really great advice to a student who will be moving from California to the Midwest.

As an incoming first-year (PhD) who is moving from Southern California to the South I, too, am a little nervous about moving so far from home (first time even moving out of my parents' house let alone ~2800 miles away). I'm wondering if any of you who moved for grad school, internship, fellowship, jobs, etc. have any tips, tricks, advice, or encouragement for those of us making the first big move in a long career of big moves.

To be clear, I have heard plenty of "it's a whole different world down there!" and "you're going to have major culture-shock!" and "IT'S GOING TO BE SO HOT WHY ARE YOU MOVING IN AUGUST?!" so I'm not looking for any more of that. I'm looking for cross-country moving tips (with animals!!), must-see places, must-try foods and activities, fun southern culture things to look forward to, advice on how to more quickly feel connected to a completely new community, things fellow southern transplants were surprised by, etc.

Thanks in advance!!

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[MAClinician]

I recently read a nice thread in the pre-med forum in which people were offering some really great advice to a student who will be moving from California to the Midwest.

As an incoming first-year (PhD) who is moving from Southern California to the South I, too, am a little nervous about moving so far from home (first time even moving out of my parents' house let alone ~2800 miles away). I'm wondering if any of you who moved for grad school, internship, fellowship, jobs, etc. have any tips, tricks, advice, or encouragement for those of us making the first big move in a long career of big moves.

To be clear, I have heard plenty of "it's a whole different world down there!" and "you're going to have major culture-shock!" and "IT'S GOING TO BE SO HOT WHY ARE YOU MOVING IN AUGUST?!" so I'm not looking for any more of that. I'm looking for cross-country moving tips (with animals!!), must-see places, must-try foods and activities, fun southern culture things to look forward to, advice on how to more quickly feel connected to a completely new community, things fellow southern transplants were surprised by, etc.

Thanks in advance!!

If you have AAA Roadside Assistance ask them to create a trip Tik for you that maps out your route to travel. They can assist with identifying routes to avoid (traffic/tolls/construction etc), hotels to stay at, passes for local attractions etc. might even help w pet friendly hotels.

Do your due diligence on choosing moving companies if bringing furniture etc with you, or sell before you move and buy at the new destination. Plan to get there at least a day before the moving truck comes.

Enjoy the trip! It’s an opportunity to try something out for 4-5 years and then you can decide if you want to stay in the region or go somewhere else.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

1. Give yourself plenty of time if you are driving, as you don’t want to be in a rush.

2. If someone says “bless your heart” it may not mean what you think it means.

Best of luck w tour trip and training.

 

[deleted343839]

Wow! That's a big move! I moved ~2000 miles away after graduating from college and it was mostly a pretty fun adventure! Enjoy!!

If you are driving from southern California, I assume that I-10 will be one of your main routes? From a culinary standpoint this is pretty great! If you can, pick a few sights along your route that will make for relatively quick stops (at most a couple of hours). This will give you some intermediate points to look forward to and an opportunity to stretch your legs and walk. BringFido.com is kind of like TripAdvisor for people traveling with their animals and can help you plan pet-friendly activities on your route.

If you are renting a moving van: my experiences renting from Penske have been superior in every respect compared to U-Haul. Paying for the better service is really worth it.

Try to arrive at least 4-5 days before your start date, if possible. That gives you time to get settled and explore and familiarize yourself with your new city before you start your program. Make time for the mundane but necessary things like getting your driver's license, finding a bank or credit union (unless yours operates nationally), forwarding your mail, etc.

Quirky Southern culture tidbits to look forward to:
- People in the South are kind of obsessed with ice, especially in summer. The round pellet-y kind is popular, as is the flaky kind. Also, shaved ice snow cones are the cooling off treat of choice (ice cream melts too quickly in the heat). In Louisiana (especially near New Orleans) they are known as snowballs and they are worth a try.
- People in the South are also obsessed with their tea. Notice the progression of sweet tea intensity/viscosity as you travel east. In Texas it is merely sweet. In Georgia it is syrup.
- "Fixin' to" can mean a wait of minutes to hours, depending on the person and context.
- In some parts of the South, camouflage is acceptable casual wear for men and women.
- You're likely to hear more "ma'am" and "sir" in a week in the South than you'd hear in a year elsewhere in the country. This will be less true in major cities such as Atlanta, but still more than your California baseline. And most of the time "ma'am" and "sir" are used sincerely.
- Remember that "the South" is a big swath of the country and not a monolith. What is true in Biloxi may not translate to Charleston or Memphis. As in most parts of the country, within the South there are many subcultures and sub-sub-cultures, regionalism, etc.

 

[Mama Bear]

As stated above, plan ahead for hotels that allow your pets.

Talk to your veterinarian about your trip to get his/her recommendations for traveling with pets.

If traveling on interstate 10, stop in Las Cruces/El Paso for awesome New Mexican food and in San Antonio for the Riverwalk.

 

[boomshakalaka]

1. Give yourself plenty of time if you are driving, as you don’t want to be in a rush.

2. If someone says “bless your heart” it may not mean what you think it means.

Best of luck w tour trip and training.

Haha! So true. I'm also convinced that southern hospitality is actually thinly veiled passive aggression. Overall though, having been in a similar boat, I absolutely love the south and I'm sure you'll enjoy your experience.

The 40 and 10 will be your best bets.

I would try and limit your driving to 8 hours a day.

A good itinerary might be something like:

SoCal > Flagstaff (7-8 hours) There are pet friendly hotels. I liked the County Inn and Suites. It was recently remodeled and pets were no problem. In fact, there were quite a few on our floor!

Flagstaff > Amarillo (7-8 hours) Amarillo isn't the nicest place in the world, but pushing through to OKC is quite the endeavor and results in a ~12 hour drive. If you want to eat the biggest steak you've ever seen in your life stop at the Big Texan! The La Quinta Inn in Amarillo was passable, but there were limited pet-friendly options available.

Amarillo > Little Rock (8 hours) Little Rock is fantastic. Check out the Big Dam Bridge (yes, that's the name), various trails, or the Clinton Library.

Little Rock > Nashville (5 hours) Give yourself a break from driving and spend some time in Nashville. It's too cool of a city to pass up. You could also stop in Memphis which is 2 hours from Little Rock. Beale St is an experience and the Civil Rights Museum is fantastic.

I'm not sure where you'll be exactly but from Nashville you are pretty much in the home stretch. You can head to Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston, or Raleigh within a 5-8 hour timeframe.

Other tips:

Don't be surprised if you find "y'all" creeping into your vernacular. After a while it starts to make more sense than "you guys."
Make sure your auto insurance reflects the move! This is something I initially forgot about.
Activating the satellite radio in your car (if compatible) will help pass time during those long, boring stretches of the drive.
In Texas, if you see cars playing leap frog on the highway, it's because the left lane is only for passing.

 

[psych.meout]

Wow! That's a big move! I moved ~2000 miles away after graduating from college and it was mostly a pretty fun adventure! Enjoy!!

If you are driving from southern California, I assume that I-10 will be one of your main routes? From a culinary standpoint this is pretty great! If you can, pick a few sights along your route that will make for relatively quick stops (at most a couple of hours). This will give you some intermediate points to look forward to and an opportunity to stretch your legs and walk. BringFido.com is kind of like TripAdvisor for people traveling with their animals and can help you plan pet-friendly activities on your route.

If you are renting a moving van: my experiences renting from Penske have been superior in every respect compared to U-Haul. Paying for the better service is really worth it.

Try to arrive at least 4-5 days before your start date, if possible. That gives you time to get settled and explore and familiarize yourself with your new city before you start your program. Make time for the mundane but necessary things like getting your driver's license, finding a bank or credit union (unless yours operates nationally), forwarding your mail, etc.

Quirky Southern culture tidbits to look forward to:
- People in the South are kind of obsessed with ice, especially in summer. The round pellet-y kind is popular, as is the flaky kind. Also, shaved ice snow cones are the cooling off treat of choice (ice cream melts too quickly in the heat). In Louisiana (especially near New Orleans) they are known as snowballs and they are worth a try.
- People in the South are also obsessed with their tea. Notice the progression of sweet tea intensity/viscosity as you travel east. In Texas it is merely sweet. In Georgia it is syrup.
- "Fixin' to" can mean a wait of minutes to hours, depending on the person and context.
- In some parts of the South, camouflage is acceptable casual wear for men and women.
- You're likely to hear more "ma'am" and "sir" in a week in the South than you'd hear in a year elsewhere in the country. This will be less true in major cities such as Atlanta, but still more than your California baseline. And most of the time "ma'am" and "sir" are used sincerely.
- Remember that "the South" is a big swath of the country and not a monolith. What is true in Biloxi may not translate to Charleston or Memphis. As in most parts of the country, within the South there are many subcultures and sub-sub-cultures, regionalism, etc.

 

[EmotRegulation]

Haha! So true. I'm also convinced that southern hospitality is actually thinly veiled passive aggression. Overall though, having been in a similar boat, I absolutely love the south and I'm sure you'll enjoy your experience.

The 40 and 10 will be your best bets.

I would try and limit your driving to 8 hours a day.

A good itinerary might be something like:

SoCal > Flagstaff (7-8 hours) There are pet friendly hotels. I liked the County Inn and Suites. It was recently remodeled and pets were no problem. In fact, there were quite a few on our floor!

Flagstaff > Amarillo (7-8 hours) Amarillo isn't the nicest place in the world, but pushing through to OKC is quite the endeavor and results in a ~12 hour drive. If you want to eat the biggest steak you've ever seen in your life stop at the Big Texan! The La Quinta Inn in Amarillo was passable, but there were limited pet-friendly options available.

Amarillo > Little Rock (8 hours) Little Rock is fantastic. Check out the Big Dam Bridge (yes, that's the name), various trails, or the Clinton Library.

Little Rock > Nashville (5 hours) Give yourself a break from driving and spend some time in Nashville. It's too cool of a city to pass up. You could also stop in Memphis which is 2 hours from Little Rock. Beale St is an experience and the Civil Rights Museum is fantastic.

I'm not sure where you'll be exactly but from Nashville you are pretty much in the home stretch. You can head to Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston, or Raleigh within a 5-8 hour timeframe.

Other tips:

Don't be surprised if you find "y'all" creeping into your vernacular. After a while it starts to make more sense than "you guys."
Make sure your auto insurance reflects the move! This is something I initially forgot about.
Activating the satellite radio in your car (if compatible) will help pass time during those long, boring stretches of the drive.
In Texas, if you see cars playing leap frog on the highway, it's because the left lane is only for passing.

You must drive fast!!! I couldn't get from Flagstaff to Amarillo in 8 hours, nor could I get to Amarillo to Little Rock in 5 hours. (My parents live in Flag, so we do that drive on occasion.)

 

[boomshakalaka]

You must drive fast!!! I couldn't get from Flagstaff to Amarillo in 8 hours, nor could I get to Amarillo to Little Rock in 5 hours. (My parents live in Flag, so we do that drive on occasion.)

Well then, move over granny! Just kidding Amarillo to Little Rock is definitely an 8 hour drive.

 

[EmotRegulation]

Well then, move over granny! Just kidding Amarillo to Little Rock is definitely an 8 hour drive.

Google Maps says it's almost 9 hours! (Note: I've been pulled over in the TX panhandle for going 81 in a 75, and I also now have two kids which means the last 4 years I've traveled either with little ones or while pregnant, which means I have had to stop every 2 hours. I used to be pretty consistent with Google Maps times and now it's longer because of the stops.)

 

[PreDrANB]

Thank you all SO much this is such great information!!