How to move to Williston: Part 1: First of all...

Boomtown sign in the middle of Williston, ND.  

It isn't hard to move to this boomtown.  However, don't just drive out here expecting to get a job your first day and that that job with somehow miraculously result in you having a place to live.  Don't be dumb.

Unless you're moving in with someone who can financially support you for a week or two (because you'll probably have a job by then), than you need to plan ahead and save up.  

Also, if you are considering coming out here, be weary of the many, many YouTube videos out there trying to scare you away.  Most of them were recorded a few years ago and are hardly relevant anymore.  The videos say things to make you think that this place is absolutely horrible, that there are no decent places to eat, that fast food takes an hour, that traffic is awful even at 10:00 at night, that there are no women, and the women that are here get harassed horribly, and so on.  I watched the videos, I know.  

Let's address each rumor, shall we?

Rumor #1: There are no decent places to eat.  

While it's not exactly gourmet, Williston, ND has quite a bit.  Hibachi, Chinese Buffet, Mexican, Sushi, Steakhouses, a Pita place, and at least two fancy schmancy places that I can't afford to go to yet.  As well as multiple fast food chains.  (If you want me to get specific with the names of these joints, just let me know.) 

I'd say there's quite a bit of selection here.  

While we're on the subject of food, there are three grocery stores right in town.  I was a little nervous about not being able to find certain things, being spoiled with an awesome Co-op and all, but I've been very pleasantly surprised.  

Williston is doing a very nice job catering to there influx of people.  

Rumor #2: Fast food takes an hour.

We went out the other day at peak lunch hour and it took us 20 minutes to get our food.  While this is still a long time, 20 minutes is most definitely not an hour.  Since there are obvious times when everyone else wants food, maybe don't go then.  

Rumor #3: There's heavy traffic at 10:00pm.

Not true.  Traffic here reminds me of a typical busy suburb.  Not horrendous, nothing like a major city, or even a small city.  And honestly, if you're like me (oilfield camper wife) and need to run errands, just go mid morning, mid afternoon, even early evening, and you shouldn't have a problem.  

I think people are just surprised by the number of cars on the road in general.  

Rumor #4: There are no women.

I am happy to report that there are women here!

A lot of them came with husbands or boyfriends, so there may not be a lot of SINGLE women here... but that's a detail that I don't care about.  I'm just happy there are women :) 

A friend here told me that in the last year he's seen a lot more women.  Apparently more and more families are coming out instead of just sending the guys.  

Rumor #5: Women need to be scared 

because they'll get harassed and assaulted.  

If you are a women, you will get attention.  However, it isn't that much more that you'd get anywhere else.  

A bit a warning that I received when I moved here.  Just stay away from the creepy street with nothing but bars on it and  you'll be fine.  But honestly, I wouldn't go out by myself to a street that had nothing but gross bars on it anyway.  (I'm not saying that bars in general are gross, I'm saying that when a bar is called the "K K Korner" it's gross.)  

I'm sure there will be more rumors to debunk, but that's all I can think of for now.  

More to come on Housing and Jobs.  Stay tuned!