1. Don’t pack up and move on impulse – instead list
your reasons for wanting to move, and think it through.
Start working on a list of the negatives as well as the
positives.
2. Consider how you can make a living in a rural area.
Are you entrepreneurial enough to go into business on your own?
Inventory your experience and abilities and think about the kinds
of things you really don’t want to do. Jobs may be scarce and
pay low in rural areas – but then so are crime rates and,
usually, real estate prices.
3. Analyze your dependency on things you won’t usually find in
a rural small-town setting – can you do without a wide variety
of shopping or restaurants? Do you have some activity you
particularly love that might not be available in a small Western
town? What cultural amenities do you not want to do without?
4. Consider your whole family. Will your spouse be able to adapt?
Small town schools might not be able to offer all the bells and
whistles larger school districts have.
5. Get information on the climate! Hot in the summer? Cold in the
Winter? Very dry? Lots of snow? Windy?
6. Go visit the place. Hang around for a week. Observe. Talk to the
locals.
7. Consider Thermopolis. Get your information from us. We’ll
eliminate the hype and level with you.
