[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by artistic.maze

I am so glad I found this thread. I am in NC and I have been all my life. My partner and I have been talking about trying something totally new. So I have been researching other states MN, WI, IN...then I stumbled upon Michigan. Wow...why have I never heard how beautiful your state is? Then I saw the beaches around the West side of Michigan...again WOW! Now it seems whatever I read about other states doesn't register..I keep coming back to Michigan Is there anyone that is a CNA working in a nursing home there that could give me an idea of the pay rate? Are those type of jobs easy to find? Is the cost of living in Michigan as good as it looks online? What would you say the difference in the seasons are from the Traverse City area to the Kalamazoo area? Any info would be appreciated...Im enchanted by this State

According to a poll, Asheville was voted one "most beautiful area" in the USA.
Michigan's coasts, especially Lake Michigan, have most of the great beaches June through September.

[artistic.maze]

Originally Posted by detwahDJ

According to a poll, Asheville was voted one "most beautiful area" in the USA.
Michigan's coasts, especially Lake Michigan, have most of the great beaches June through September.

Asheville is very beautiful..to get to a beach from here takes around 7 hrs though and the cost of living is killing us. We both make well above minimum wage but getting ahead in Asheville or any other part of NC is difficult. The cost of living is high when compared to what people are able to make at a job...and jobs are not plentiful. NC has alot of rich and even more poor people..there isn't alot of in between or middle class. There use to be but the state has changed alot the last 20 years. For those and other reasons I'm just ready for something totally different.

[detwahDJ]

Here is an annual average snowfall map through the year 2000. It illustrates the lake effect since winter winds are generally from the northwest. Snow also means slightly warmer temperatures given the same latitude.
http://www.weathermichigan.com/images/miavgsnowfall.jpg

Last winter I noticed the prevailing winds were carrying our weather down there.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by michmoldman

Whatever you have seen on the internet is nothing compared to seeing the beauty of our state in person. You will be floored!
Cost of living in most of Michigan is actually pretty darned good.
As far as seasons...there really won't be much of a difference from Traverse City to Kalamazoo.
The winters are a bit snowier, and cloudier on the west side though, but the rest of the year is fantastic!
We are hoping to move to the Traverse City area also...its one of the nicest areas in all the U.S.
Good luck!

So true about the cost of living in Michigan. That's one thing I keep coming across, you could live in most places in Michigan VERY affordably.

[Retroit]

Originally Posted by Nukem

The employers can eat ****! I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I'm always early, I'm usually one of the most reliable employees. But I have been out of work for the past few years. I was taking care of my mother who was legally blind & died last Dec. of multiple myeloma. Now all the employers see is a large gap in my employment history & won't even give me a chance. I waste my time putting in applications for nothing, they just get tossed to the side & ignored. They never call, I can't even get an interview. They'd rather hire the druggies, thieves & losers. I say they get what they deserve. SCREW THEM! I don't feel sorry for them at all. Am I bitter? You bet am I am. Is my life totally destroyed? Yes it is. I'm treated like a worthless criminal because I took a few years off from work to help my dying mother. I'm pretty sure murderers & rapists can hired easier than I can.

That's too bad. You worked full time as a caretaker for years without pay. You sound like a dream come true for an employer! How do you represent this on a resume or job application? It's certainly not an "employment gap".

[mandalynn252]

Traverse City is so pretty, but can be costly. Well costly is a relative term. Michigan's cost of living is pretty low, but so is our pay depending on your industry and salary, of course. The thing to remember is that Northern Michigan is pretty remote. Not saying there aren't people there and there aren't things to do, but it's not nearly as lively as say Kalamazoo or Lansing. I have a friend in Northern Michigan and that is her biggest complaint. Her biggest compliment is that people are really nice and friendly. Best of luck!