Arizona

As some of you may know, my husband lost his job 5 weeks ago. We've sent out countless resumes, made hundreds of calls, and he even just walked into some places just to see if they were hiring. Sure, there seems to be plenty of places hiring, but none of them are willing to pay wages that a family of four needs to survive on in California.

The great windfall we had in December has dwindled down to nothing. We foolishly paid off debt, started a business, and took our first vacation together as a married couple. We even lived off some of it in the slow winter months when there was little work. Yes, it went quickly, but we figured we had spent wisely and splurged only a little. How were we to know that my husband would abruptly lose his job, and we'd be thrown into poverty? We had no clue that it would be such a terrible time to invest in a business.

Because we have two little girls, we had to find some way to provide for them. After a couple of weeks with no positive job leads, we had no choice but to apply for assistance at Social Services. It took everything I had to not burst into tears when we walked through those doors. I just kept telling myself that our little girls will never remember mommy and daddy not having any money.

Surprisingly, the ladies that work at the Social Services office were pleasant and non-judgemental. They helped to put as at ease, and made us feel that everything would be okay. We thought for sure that within the 24 hours that followed our visit we would be able to buy food for our family, and have a little cash in our pockets while we continued the job search.

Well, so much for getting help from social services. Some little piece of paper we forgot to get last year when my husband purchased his vehicle is preventing us from qualifying. Surely, he'll be receiving an unemployment check soon. Ha! His former boss is contesting it and refusing to pay. So, now we await mediation from the unemployment office. Our phone isn't ringing.

Our overall plan was to exhaust job opportunities in California, then Nevada, Oregon, and then Arizona as our very last resort. Well, guess what? We seem to be fated for Arizona. The wages for the type of work my husband does are actually where they should be, and the cost of living compared to California is almost embarrassing.

We have mixed emotions about moving so far from our families. I have ailing grandparents that I do not want to leave behind. I had hoped that I could be near them for as long as they remain on this earth. Once again, I'm leaving behind everything I know to go somewhere foreign and unfamiliar. However, this time there more lives than my own to consider. This is a huge change for our children and my husband. I have my own family to consider now, and it's terrifying.