Utility 2nd year apprentice, looking to go to TX hall.

[Champdecapua]

Disclaimer I'm new to forums. I'm a veteran and 29 years old to add some context of my mentality. So I'm half way through my apprenticeship at a utility. I'm paying dues for a A ticket with my local. I wanted to be a contractor but this jobs door opened first. My issue is I don't want to live in this area also can't work on my utilities terrority if I left because of something my utility is pulling with recent hires. I want to move down south. San Antonio, Houston area as of now. Since I work for a utility, I don't feel I'm learning as much as I should. I only do 12kv distribution on a wye system & simple URD jobs. I'm qualified up to single phase with permit and tags rn. Will be 3 phase in the next couple months. I'm not staying with my utility after I top out. Benefits and learning doesn't seem enough. All my co-workers tell me to wait until I top out before leaving, so I'm trusting in my journeyman's opinion. So I want to be a contractor for a bit after I top out in Texas or Florida. I'm afraid though, because I don't know what to expect. Or if I would be looked down upon only knowing a 12kv wye system. So I guess my questions are, what to expect? How's is the travel for local 66 or any other local when beginning to start a family? Will I get trained on stuff I'm not familiar with or be expected to know things just because I would be a Journeyman? (I.E.- like fiber, cable, trans and delta systems, and hot sticking). Should I leave before I top out knowing I want to be a contractor anyway, and if I did would some of my past 2 years be acredited or is that time down the drain? Please help me with any insight anyone has. Thank you.