How to move to Williston: Part 2: Housing

Housing in Williston, ND          

Like I mentioned in How to Move to Williston: Part 1, don't come out here assuming you'll be gifted a place to live.  So many of the complaints I heard about coming out here is that they ended up living in their car for who knows how long before they finally either left or found really expensive housing.  

(I told myself to make this less snarky, but it may be hard.)

First of all, who moves and doesn't secure a place to live first??? There are 50,000 people in a town that was previously build for 12,000.  Do you really think housing grows on trees, especially here?  If you do, I apologize for not holding in the snarky, but you're wrong.  Ok, snarkyness over, promise.  

I'll give you a little sneak peak into the housing options here, including; 

• Campers and RV's
• Apartments
• Brick and Mortar Houses
• Mobile Homes
• and Resources for each

Happy Thanksgiving! Here's a fetch Mental Floss video

What, "Fetch" isn't a thing?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  

Here's a little educational video that may blow your mind and make you question everything you've ever been told.  Enjoy!  

Thank you Tractor Guy!

Our gravel road was regraded yesterday (regraded?)  and let me tell you, am-a-zing.  We just went from having to treat our drive into town like an obstacle course, to being able to drive in a straight line.  

I want to let tractor guy know how much I appreciate what he's done for the broken spring in my car, and for my dog who gets thrown around like a rag doll.

You have truly made my life better. 

That Time I Became a Reverend

Becoming a Reverend for The Universal Life Church

My Credentials of Ministry

This has been a big year.  I not only earned my Masters Degree, and moved to another state, but just recently, I obtained my credentials of ministry.  Heh Heh.  

That's right, I can now officiate at your wedding!  Isn't that great?  Gone are the days of paying for an ordained minister/priest/whatever.  Just provide the wine and we'll make some magic.  

Now let me just say that this in no way makes fun on those who choose to have an actual religious official officiate their nuptials, heck, I had a full catholic wedding, Eucharist and all.  I'm just saying in the legal world, I could be your girl.  

The Universal Life Church

The Universal LIfe Church has two purposes; to promote the freedom of religion, and to do which is right.  I can definitely get behind that.  

And I guess I did!

I can now perform marriages, funerals, baptisms (apparently), and ceremonial rites.  I can absolves others of their sins (seriously?), and even start my own church! 

...Some of those seem like maybe you'd want an official from your given religion, perhaps, probably, most definitely...but who am I to judge.  

Call me Reverend, Minister, Healer, Educator, or Brother (?).  I like "Reverend".  

My dad likes "Brother".  He's Brother Father, and I'm Brother Daughter.  Did I mention he did this too?  

What did you do with your Thursday night?

(Feeling inspired?  Check out the Universal Life Church )

2 Qualities of a Friendship Lifer

In my opinion, the trending Facebook memes about what makes a good friend are leaving some things out.  

As I've gotten older (I'm so old right? Almost 28, whoo!) I've realized the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people.  More precisely, the right friends.  

When I think about what makes a Lifer (A Lifer-A friend that lasts.  Someone who you can pick up right where you left off as if no time had past.  Cliche, but true.)  There are two things that come to mind when thinking about this that you don't see on the Facebook memes, especially the second one.

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?

Brrr...

um...

I was literally just talking to my mom about how nice it's been here and how we've been lucky to have some pretty nice weather for the middle of November.  That was at 7:00am.  By 7:01 the weather god said "Ha! Here's a few inches of snow with some -26 wind chill.  Your welcome." 

Best Laundromat in Town

Bubba's Bubbles in Willison, ND.  Lovely place.  

Let me tell you how much I love Bubba's Bubbles

the laundromat chain around here.  For a place that could be potentially really creepy, it isn't, and for that I love bubba, and his bubbles.  

Yes, you will get hit on by old men, and yes, they will chat your ear off without you needing to give them any indication that you're listening (which is why you chill in your car while you wait), but for every old guy, there is a good 'ol boy making sure that you're alright...which isn't creepy if you don't let it be.  

Plus it's cheap.  

Thanks for the suds, bubba.  Slainte! 

That time I kicked the ceiling (or, Long Jumping into Bed)

Story time.

So I couldn't sleep the other night and I was just laying there and laying there, tossing and turning, playing on my phone, and laying there some more.  Finally I decided that if I wasn't going to sleep, I might as well do something productive.  

Monday Morning Dog Poo

This is how my day is going so far.  

Woke up this morning to make Chris coffee, breakfast, and pack him a lunch, as I do every morning that he works.  Now before you start thinking that I'm some domestic goddess, his breakfast this morning was a bagel with cream cheese, and his lunch was a turkey sandwich.   Actually go ahead, think it, I am a domestic goddess.  

I groggily walk into the kitchen, in front of the coffee maker, and wonder why I'm not standing on the kitchen mat.  I turn on the light, look down, and see dog poo, that has been smeared by my foot, among other large turds.  In case you're wondering why I didn't feel the poo, it was because I was wearing slippers.  So now I need to wash my slippers, and my feet are cold.  And I need to run to the store to pick up some cleaner.  

Next, I say bye to the hubby and decide that instead of coffee this morning, I could really go for some green tea.  I basically start craving it.   Let me back up and say that we brought a bin of tea with us, a small bin, but a white plastic bin nonetheless.  What can I say, we're both tea drinkers.  You'd think that there would be green tea in there, at least I did, but there wasn't!  Sad day.  I had earl grey instead.  Good, but not green.  

No green tea for this poop picker upper.

AAAhahaha! 

Pretty good punch line, eh?  Made it up myself.  

Being an Oilfield Camper Wife

With hiring signs everywhere, you may be surprised to hear that I don't have a job yet.  However, there is a very good reason why, and here it is.   I haven't applied for anything.  

I will soon, I swear, but I am really enjoying being a camper wife!  I could totally see myself being a stay at home mom, maybe even doing a little home schooling.  ( I say that now.)  I honestly don't think I've ever been this domestic.  I'm making breakfast, packing lunch, and making dinner.  Throw in some cleaning, laundry, taking care of the finances, and a little relaxation, and I'd say I'm pretty good at this.  

However, making money is the whole reason we're out here, so, I will have to start working.  Soon.  I promise.  

Why We Moved to Boomtown, USA (Williston, ND)

I love beards.  I admit it.  But the "nice and tidy ones that don't make you wonder what might be living in it" kind.  My husband had a great beard, but then had to shave it down to a goatee for work.  (I may have shed a tear or two.)  

This is an example of one of the many sacrifices we're making by moving to ND.  Not that ND isn't a great place, but we definitely liked where we were.  ::cough, Duluth, MN cough:: 

For those of you who don't know why we moved, here you go... 

Bella's Big Adventure

Part of my entertainment on the drive to Williston, ND was our dog, Bella.  Chris and I drove two cars out here, so Bella got to hang out in the passenger seat of my car the whole time.  She had been used to 3 hour car rides to see our families, so 12 hours (even broken up between two days) was a lot.  I wasn't sure how she'd do, but she was a trooper and did great!  Take a look for yourself.  

Helping load the Uhaul in Duluth, MN.  

Whew!  Packing is exhausting.  

Visited my family before we left.  Here I am wearing a Turkey hat.  

Here I am helping sort through things in the storage unit.  Again, absolutely exhausting!

On the road!

My first hotel room!  I did so well, didn't make one peep.
  

Even got my own bed.  Yea, I'm that cool.  

How I spent most of the 12 hour drive.

We're seriously not there yet?

Here!  Found my new nook.  

This bedroom's kinda small guys.  

Ok, I guess I could chill here for a while.

The end.  

The Adventure Begins

Day 4 in Williston. 

          We're alive and well! And Williston is actually a pretty cute little town.  (Click here to check out the city web page.)  It's decently small, about 18,000 people, which is small compared to what we're used to.  So far we've stocked our trailer and unpacked (not exactly organized, but unpacked).  

          Chris started work and loves it so far, and I think I'll try to find a job Monday.  

         Interesting experience... Our first day here, we had a knock on our door with a freelance photographer (with companion) asking if there was a woman living here.  Apparently our two hatchbacks, one with NPR stickers, made her think that there was maybe a woman here.  She was right.  She was doing a freelance project called "Women of Williston" or something and asked if I would answer a few questions about living in Williston.  I laughed and explained that it was literally my first day in Williston and that we had just gotten in the night before.  She ended up getting our story; about why we came out there and what we thought about it all since we seemed to be liberal minded.  She took some photos of me in front of unpacked boxes, and some with me, Chris, and Bella (the pooch).  She took my name and email address.  I guess we'll see what happens with it.