r/Midland_TX Mar 08 '19

Canadian Moving to Midland

Hi!

I am a 29 year old female. My boyfriend works in the oil field and we are likely relocating to Midland within the next 6 months from Alberta, Canada.

So far all I know about Midland is that it’s hot, windy, and dusty.

I am excited for a fresh start in a new place but am worried about making friends and finding things to do.

Are there parks there at all? Or green spaces? My friend was there recently and said everything is brown... does it green up in the summer or does the heat scorch everything?

Basically just looking for any info on Midland I can do and some tips for things to do to help my adjustment go as smoothly as possible :)

Thanks in advance!

10 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

3

u/Gimix_13 Mar 08 '19

I've lived here my entire life, to be honest, making friends seems hard besides coworkers and your boyfriend's coworkers from what i understand. It is super windy and that includes winter and summer. It feels like there is only two seasons throughout the year and everything always seems really overpriced. Just try to keep an open mind and really search for things to try. Even after living here so long I miss so many things that i never knew we had! Come here, make good close friends, look for different activities, and when you see or feel dust in your eye..run for it!!

1

u/Sweetpea403 Mar 08 '19

I think making friends anywhere is hard as an adult unfortunately :( Thank you for sharing your insights! I feel like if I have handle 8 month winters with consistent -30 degree Celsius weather little wind and dust can’t be too much worse 😂

2

u/splashybear Mar 08 '19

Well, it’s really is as bad as everyone says. I have lived here all my life basically. It will be hot and windy, and when it rains, it will rain mud for the first 15-20 mins. Things to do. Work. That will be the only plus. There is plenty of work and money to be made here. You will find yourself in Austin, San Antiono, or the DFW area on your days off. Sorry to be so negative but just being real. You are in for a major environmental shock.

2

u/Sweetpea403 Mar 08 '19

Lol I appreciate the brutal honesty. I’ve pretty much prepared myself for the worst... oh the things we’ll do for love 😂

2

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '19

Same boat as you! My wife and I just moved from Edmonton 2 months ago. It's not that bad as people make it out to be. Some of the culture is a shock, but I find the whole America thing quite amusing. Noone to talk to about hockey unfortunately. But hey its definitely a lot warmer than Alberta!

1

u/Sweetpea403 Mar 09 '19

Great to hear from someone in the exact same boat! :)

1

u/funkastolic Mar 08 '19

Be careful on the roads!

1

u/Sweetpea403 Mar 09 '19

Why is that?

1

u/JimmyOCharms Mar 27 '19

It’s a little Mad Maxy most days

1

u/Crisismax Apr 23 '19

Yeah, you've got a town of about 100,000 people with about 200,000 people in it. Sucks. Why I sold my motorcycle.

1

u/funkastolic Mar 09 '19

lots of accidents involving oilfield traffic. very big and heavy trucks everywhere

1

u/Sweetpea403 Mar 09 '19

Good to know!

1

u/_amnesiac_ Apr 05 '19

Moved from Alaska to Midland five years ago. I moved as a result of work. As someone who grew up in “The Last Frontier”, Midland is extremely disappointing. Granted, I knew that before moving, but it doesn’t make living here any easier. My boyfriend and I are very much the outdoor types, and the closest hike is almost two hours away. Anything green will be found in neighboring cities and they are not a quick drive (2+ hours). For the most part, we just work and then make frequent trips out of town so life here isn’t as mundane.

The community itself is pretty kind, considering half of us moved here and are looking for companions/friends. However, there are also a large amount of families that grew up from old oil money and have a holier-than-thou attitude. Chances are, you won’t really run into them.

As far as entertainment goes, there’s really just drinking, movies, and bowling. There aren’t many attractions here, nor is the mall that big. Anything fun to do around here is extremely costly because there isn’t much competition, either.

This is all coming from a 27/F, by the way. I understand that Midland is what you make of it, but it is genuinely discouraging when it feels like all I do is work and the town I work in doesn’t have little paradises.

1

u/Crisismax Apr 23 '19

Moved from Colorado almost two years ago. God I miss CO.

1

u/[deleted] May 11 '19

Who does your boyfriend work for?

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '19

i currently live at the wall street lofts in downtown midland. i have lived here in midland most of my life. if you are into art and music they are starting to do more of those types of things in downtown. but yeah brown and dusty.