Florida Natives

Hey guys!

So... I recently went to Miami and absolutely fell in love with the place. I currently live in Texas and I have been living here for a little over 10 years. I graduated college in 2007 and have been working at a restaurant and a law firm for the past 2 years. I guess you can say that considering the "situation" I'm in (I entered the US EWI when I was 7 years old) I'm living a rather decent life. I know there are many of "us" who can't even find a job, and I should consider myself to be very lucky for having two.

The problem is, I'm 25 years old and I have come to a point in my life where I don't want to do this anymore. I am a 25 year old, single, college grad, no kids, and no major responsibilities. I am living each day with no real purpose other than just existing... I don't know if that makes sense but I'm just not happy with my life right now. I don't think Texas is the place for me anymore. As a young, single woman I really, really, really, think I belong in Miami right now. THAT is where I want to be. I was there a little over a month ago and every single day all I can think of is going back.

My best friend feels the same way and we have decided that maybe it is time for us to embark on a new journey, lol, and just move to Miami. I am soooo ready to go BUT I also have a lot of fears.

1. Where will I work? I have two good jobs where I currently live. Will I be able to find work in Miami?
2. What will I do about car insurance when I don't have a driver's license? Currently, the car insurance is under my parent's name but when I move to Miami what can I do about car insurance?
3. Will getting an apartment be a problem?

So, my question is, for those of you living in Florida... especially near the Miami area, how is life there for "us". I know there is a huge latin community out there, and my guess is that many are undocumented, which makes me think two things about finding a job. One, employers are very lenient and many restaurants would be willing to hire an undocumented individual... or two, employers know that there are many undocumented people in the city so they are very good at checking all documents to ensure that they hire someone who is legally allowed to work in the country. So, I guess, my question is: Which of my statements describes Miami employers best? Will it be easy or hard to find a restaurant job in Miami? That is where I will be looking for a job. I make good money as a waitress where I currently work but I would think the money is even better working at a restaurant in Miami.

I know Florida does not offer in-state tuition to us but that is fine with me since I have graduated college and I don't plan on getting my Master's any time in the near future.

I guess my biggest fear is not knowing how friendly/welcoming the Miami-Dade area is to undocumented people. Where I currently live... there is a huge undocumented population so I almost feel "safe" here. I don't know if I will have that same feeling in Miami and it really scares me because I will be leaving my jobs that I have here and that is very scary thing because for us jobs just don't come and go.

Well, hopefully someone living in Florida can give me some advice!!! I am desperate )

We seriously need a Jobs thread. I don't know what to tell man, I've lived in Miami for 10 years. Finding a place to stay shouldn't be hard as for work well I'm unemployed lol.

You say your a college grad?

Go back to your country, Apply for a visa to Australia, or New Zealand much better than Florida. Australia is just like the US if not better. If you have a college degree you should have a decent chance to get your visa and you could find a better opportunity than you can here. Lets face it, the only way that you will move forward here is if you get a PhD in a Science or Math related field. In Australia you can continue your education and have a good job if you return to your country of origin and apply for a visa.

Then again this is just my opinion.

If you already have a college degree, what are you doing living under this conditions? The only reason I am still here is because I didn't go to college right after HS. Now I'm in college wishing I had that degree in my hands already so that I can board the next flight out of here.

Sooo lucky to be living in such a beautiful city!! I think about that place every single day... I have even cried in my car thinking how much I want to go back, lol. unemployed=more time to go to the beach! ) you can probably spend hours working out, biking, skating, and just working out surrounded by all the beautiful people... aaahhh I'm so jealous!!

Have you tried to find work at restaurants? That is what I will be trying. I plan to go back before the year is over and just do some interviews to see how it all pans out. I hope I'm able to find something!!

Maybe this will be something I consider in the future but I love living in the US... I have lived here most of my life and I really don't want to leave

Right now I'm just trying to find the courage to move to another state! Maybe once I do that... and if it doesn't work out then I will be planning my move out of this country, but before that I want to give Florida a try!!

Plus, my degree is in Bilingual Education... not the greatest... If I could do it all over again I would have definitely chosen a different degree. Oh well...

First. Think long and hard about your decision. If you have a good life, maybe you shouldn't make a major move just yet.

I lived in South Florida for 16 years.. Did all my schooling there and graduated form Miami Dade College last year.. Yes, there are LOTS of Spanish people out there. I did notice however there's a HUGE Cuban population, in Miami..and most of them are legal. Finding a job could be easy if you apply to family owned places..

I live and have lived in Miami for 22 years. The job market it terrible. You may get a job at a restaurant cleaning the dishes. You certainly won't get a respectable job at a restaurant. The Hispanic population is mostly Cubans. They ARE NOT friendly towards other Hispanics, especially illegal ones. They feel superior to other Hispanics and most minorities as well.

The rest of the population in Miami consists of Haitians or other West Indian people, and a decreasing amount are white people. Miami is a shit hole of the largest degree.

You won't be living a luxurious South Beach, clubbing-every-night lifestyle if that is what appealed to you so much in the first place. You can forget most late night affairs if you lack proper documentation (i.e., a driver's license). Getting a decent, non-project-like apartment will be a problem. Getting a valid Florida license or identification card is near impossible if you are illegal (they just recently added more stringent requirements over the already stringent ones). Having a car is a must! Public Transportation is horrendous.

In all, the life you live in Texas is one that most undocumented youth would die for. You risk throwing it all away for a largely unfounded whim of wanting to move to a nicer location. (You're not satisfied with the chocolate cake you're eating, and want double chocolate instead).

Truly, you risk losing everything you have, and gaining very little, if anything.

Yes what they said ^^.. Miami or South Florida does have a good night life.. but besides that, regular day to day life, a car is very important.. While I lived there I had a license and car.. My job was pretty far from my house..so at the time it was still do-able.

I'm in California now.. and having a job within walking distance is a plus.. If I went back to South Florida to live with my family I most likely wouldn't find a job I'd like to have nearby..

^^ I dont live in Florida, but I agree with the poster about hef. If I could live in any state, it would be Texas. But the OP seems to have great life despite this hurdle. I dont know if I would even want to leave and start somewhere unknown if I were him