Goodbye New Jermany, Hello Freedom (for now)

[Alex V]

No State is safe but we had to make our exodus.

It's rather fitting, my Father was 36 when we left the Soviet Union and I am 36 when I escape a different but still oppressive regime.

The UHaul is nearly packed, full to the brim but there are still a few more things to squeeze in there in the morning. Our friends helped up pack up ten years of stuff from our condo and I will be forever greatful for them.

I'm leaving my whole family behind but I have a feeling that in a few years many of them will make the escape South as well. They are all calling us the guinea pigs. Some have already spoke of using our temporary rental to hunt for rentals of their own.

I don't think the gravity of the situation has really hit me. Call me a mama's boy but I see my parents 4 to 5 times a week, we live in the same town and I exicuted a hostile takeover of their basement to build myself a pretty nice gym. Being so close to them and only being able to see them once every couple of months will be incredibly hard but staying in New Jersey is just not sustainable. Gun laws aside the taxation is stifling. The idea of paying $10k or $15k in property taxes for 1/3 of an acre makes me choke. We want to buy a house and I would love to have some land, we make good money but I don't want to be housepoor. If we stayed in NJ, that is what we would be.

Tomorrow we set sail for Raleigh NC. My wife and I don't have children but we do have two fur babies. We will be our own support system until we can make friends. I hope we can adjust.

I am looking forward to taking some Pat McNamara classes in Carthage. Only an hour away.

[Jsp10477]

Congrats on your exfil. Best of luck to you and the wife.

[MountainRaven]

Welcome to Free America!

[everready73]

Good luck man! We are in PA and though taxes and gun laws are better, we plan on heading south on about 5 years

We plan on relocating somewhere in NC and have Raleigh ranked pretty high

Let us know how you like it

[SomeOtherGuy]

Congrats, and enjoy.

Just don't make the mistake of voting in the same policies and politicians that sent you fleeing NJ. I doubt that you would, but so many people who have left California and NY due to their problems have done exactly that in Washington, Colorado, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and elsewhere.

[Wake27]

Good for you. I've always wondered how members here can keep their sanity in places like that. Hawaii was bad enough for me, even though it really wasn't too terrible. I've only spent a few days in NC, but I always liked it.

[buckshot1220]

Congrats on the move!

I just moved from Raleigh to Wilmington, NC a few months ago, but lived in Raleigh for 5 years as a former New York refugee. I've also lived a few other places in the South. Raleigh is easily my favorite and the only thing that got me to leave was a better job in a beach town. Even so, Raleigh is only a two hour trip for me and I'm there frequently.

Check out Fuquay Gun and Gold - easily one of the best selections and pricing on guns/accessories anywhere, you will not be disappointed. Triangle Shooting Academy is great for the range (also they have machine gun rentals) but can be pricey. PDHSC in Garner is also a good little shop/range.

Enjoy the hell out of the area man. Downtown/Glenwood South/Warehouse District are all great Fri-Sun. There are a lot of parks, lakes (even a few that rent canoes/kayaks), any hiking with legit elevation is at least a 1.5hr car ride FYI. Multiple beaches within 2hrs. Dare I say it is my ideal city.

Although Raleigh is getting more expensive by the day it is still very affordable compared to anything north of the Mason Dixon Line. If you can buy a piece of the earth do it early. I follow real estate and development closely in that area and it doesn't look to be slowing any time soon.

If you have any questions, want suggestions, places to eat, a good realtor etc. just PM me.

[JoshNC]

Congrats! Raleigh is great. Lived there for almost 4 years, 12 years in Chapel Hill before that. You will love it.

[turnburglar]

I'm in escrow right now for my place in Arizona.

The California beach cities are where I grew up, but there is NOTHING sustainable about a million dollar mortgage on 1,000 sqft, with 15K + a year in taxes. Oh ontop of that, the homeless have a RIGHT to leave fecal matter in your driveway, side walk, what ever...

Im glad to be leaving. That place (hollywood) is sodom and gamora if there ever was one.

[Zane1844]

I moved from California to Wisconsin when I was 19. It was the best decision I made, for many reasons besides being in a free state.

I hope your move goes well, you'll appreciate the freedom.