The Train and Other First Impressions

After nearly 27 hours on the train I arrived in Williston, ND-120 miles West of Minot and two stops before mine.  The train was stopped for 90 minutes right outside of North Dakota.  We were told it had something to do with a broken wheel, but after seeing two guys with badges around their neck (Law & Order style) rush down the aisle, I thought otherwise.  According to the other veteran train riders, delays are a very normal part of the train ride.  With that knowledge and seeing the two gentlemen scurry down the train I decided to ask Josh to pick me up in Williston.  
Ah yes the train.  Parts of the train are luxurious-outlets at every seat, wide seats, enough leg room for an NBA player sleeper cars with showers, enough pillows for everyone, and a women's lounge.  Other parts...seems more like a glorified grey hound bus.  I mean sure a plane is cramped but in 27 hours I should be in South Africa not Eastern Montana.  Overall, it was long, but I might be forced to do it again.

So some first impressions on Minot (I can't generalize to all of North Dakota)

• Trucks, trucks, trucks.  Not just small pick up trucks, but Ford 450s-large trucks!
• Snow makes your car REALLY dirty. Uck!
• Everything is very brown (I guess it would be hard for me to not think that since I did just move from the Evergreen State)
• I know I've said this before, but it's hard to not miss all the "Hiring" or "Help Wanted" signs-EVERYWHERE!
• There are also a lot of new hotels.  This goes along with the previous observation.  As Josh and I have been saying there is a housing sortage here.  People are moving here daily for all the jobs and they cannot keep up with the housing demands.  Most of these hotels are booked and I just looked, you cannot find a hotel for less than $100/night.  Go look at how much hotels are in downtown Seattle-you can find better deals...
• TV shows are on an hour earlier.  This will take some getting used to, but I love that it's not even 10:30 and I'm watching the Daily Show.  

These are just my observations over the last three days.  Stay tuned for more.

Oh yeah, I got a job today-hired on the spot :)

Preparing

For those of you who don't know, Minot is known as the "Magic City".  Josh and I are not only counting on it being magical, but advantageous.  I find it ironic that I must leave the "City of Destiny" (Tacoma, WA) to build our future.

So how does one prepare for moving to North Dakota?  Most people like to remind me that it's cold there.  Yep it's the Midwest, it gets cold  However unlike Western Washington it's sunny in the winter (and fall and spring).  So it's literally freezing there, contrary to Washington it is not acceptable to keep your heat at only 68 degrees, they know how to heat homes and buildings (maybe I won't have to wear a coat all day at work like in WA).  I did buy a down coat knowing I would be moving in the dead of winter to the Midwest, but I have to admit I really don't know how cold -40 feels, even 10 for that matter. 

The other comment (or I guess question) is, "Why North Dakota?"  It's pretty simple-OPPORTUNITY!  Yes people we currently live in one of the worst economies since The Depression, but North Dakota didn't get the memo.  The economy and housing market is boom-ing!  Where else can you find fast food jobs paying $10-$15/hr?  Ok, there is a little more to it than that, there are actually a few factors that make Minot specifically unique and what drew us to that city in particular.

Although the economy is growing (due to the oil), Minot was also hit with a huge flood this last summer.  About 1/3 of the city was flooded, but the whole city was affected.  It's one thing to see the pictures of houses completely under water and another to walk into a flooded house with the buckled floors, clothes still hanging in the closet, and dishes in the drying rack waiting to be put in the now molded cupboards.  Neighborhoods are lined with FEMA trailers, trailers that were recently in Louisiana (you know, from Katrina...), signs in yards that say "We're coming back!" letting people know that they haven't given up or abandoned their home.  Still there are many houses that are abandoned for one reason or another.  This is only a small glimpse of what Josh saw this summer on his bicycle trip and what I saw during our brief visit in November.  Experiencing this, it's hard to not want to move there and do.

The whole thing is still not totally real to me yet.  Yes, I watched Josh pull away in the moving truck with all of our earthly belongings and car towed behind (ok except for the boxes that we're storing in my parents garage-thanks guys!).  Yes, I had to say good bye to my sweet 2 year old niece who thinks "Auntie Em" is the best because she has a key to an indoor bounce house facility and I'm afraid I'll loose my ranking when I move.  (nothing breaks your heart more than hearing "No leave Auntie Em")  Yes, I'm presently living out of a suitcase at my parent's house, and yes I have forwarded my mail to a North Dakota address- but as I listen to the rain drip out of the gutters and wash through the streets, it's hard to imagine our new place over 1200 miles away.  I really don't think it will hit me until I've been there for a few months and realize that I'm not leaving.