[Stylo]

Jeez, let the OP respond before tearing their post apart in detail.

[oc2nyc]

Stylo I agree. The OP is trying to say how much he likes CT and everyone is jumping in to negate his opinion. No one knows his true circumstances as far as work and money so who are we to judge. Take the compliments CT residents!

[chris410]

Originally Posted by oc2nyc

Stylo I agree. The OP is trying to say how much he likes CT and everyone is jumping in to negate his opinion. No one knows his true circumstances as far as work and money so who are we to judge. Take the compliments CT residents!

Seriously, maybe his comment about people of CT being friendly will change after this thread...

[KeninWA]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

I just thought of something... You've been here one week and one day, you are both already working, and so far you have already traveled to " NYC, Vermont, Salem Mass, Boston, Springfield, Litchfield, Providence, and Mystic. This coming Monday we are driving to Washington DC to watch the USA Mens basketball team." How have you had time to do all that, as well as shop at Farmer's markets, etc.? What kind of jobs do you have that allow you so much time off?

I don’t think it is rude to second guess someone’s post, I think it is fine. However, I do not think there is any reason to view my post at an attempt at trolling. All of these trips are relatively quick.

The first day we got here, we dropped our pets off at the hotel we were staying at in Hartford and drove out to Mystic because we had heard so many good things about it. That night we came back to the hotel. The following morning, very very early we drove off to Litchfield county and did a kind of loop around it through Washington and Watertown, it was amazing. Lots of farm stands and everything so we grabbed veggies as we went along. That was Friday.

Saturday my wife had orientation, got her tax forms filled out and all of that, it took just a few hours (BTW never paid a state income tax, that seems a bit scary). When she was done, we drove up to Boston/Salem area, it was absolutely amazing! We came back very late that night (to the hotel). Oh and we drove through Providence on the way back to check it out, it seems pretty and we have plans on returning soon.

The next day, SUNDAY, we went to the Cheshire farmers market, I think it was Cheshire’s, it was on Nathan Hale’s old property I believe? It was really cool, best onions I have ever bought and some fantastic peppers and broccoli. The people in pioneer outfits were pretty funny.

We also moved into our place on Sunday from the Hotel. Busy Day, but well worth it. On Monday, my wife’s shift is Tuesday-Saturday, so we had Monday off. It would have been idiotic to have her work on that Monday so we pushed for that schedule. Knowing that we were moving in Sunday meant unpacking and such for Monday. However, since we only drove a Car across the country, all we had was our kitchen gear and bedroom stuff. So about 10 or 11 we drove north and after touching base in Springfield, drove straight to Vermont, we then turned around and came back and she started her regular schedule the next day.

As far as NYC, we stopped there for July fourth on our way in from Seattle .
Monday is going to be pretty awesome though.

And yes, I am not starting work until the middle of this coming week. I wanted some time to get our affairs in order and we had saved enough money to move. We are around middle class with a combined income of around… 75K annually. So we’re not wealthy, but we live very far below our means so we can travel and enjoy ourselves when we aren’t slaving away in the office.

Anyway, hopefully this proves I am not trolling. I think it is a bit absurd to instantly guess someone to be dishonest just because your brain cannot wrap around how someone can travel anywhere within a week. All the places I listed are within about 2 hours of the center of Connecticut. Not exactly space travel.

[KeninWA]

Originally Posted by 7 Wishes

Also, if the OP is not a troll, would be nice for him to reply to all this...... I'm not buying the employment or housing costs bit at all.....

Your not buying the employment and housing costs at all? I wonder why. There are a ridiculous amount of jobs here. Whether you want to work public or private there seems to be a wide range of opportunity. Even just yesterday I received a call about a resume from a public institution here in the Hartford area.

Employers are hiring, you just have to look and look hard.

My wife and I created a spread sheet of the major employers in each of the towns around Hartford, public and private. Almost ALL of them are hiring for SOME positions, some of which are entry level. We set up profiles on their websites and tailored our resumes for the industry depending on prior work experience. It was a big time investment at first but when you do not have a job and any small savings you have is slowly dwindling away, you have nothing BUT time to spend on perfecting yourself as a job candidate.

If you have trouble finding a job here, I will restate, you are being FAR too picky and not working hard enough. If you cannot get hired because of education, then get educated, it is easy. To me, being underemployed is okay because some money is more than NO money.

As far as housing costs, I suppose the difference would be because Seattle is a metropolis and a lot of the areas we looked at in CT, were not.

And yeah, I dont know about utilities yet, we have not got a bill yet. But I imagine that buying oil and pellets will help us with that quite a bit come winter.

PS Forgot to add, we don't just click 'apply' on their websites, if there is an HR number, we are sure to call it and introduce ourselves, that way our resume doesn't just hit their inbox and they say 'uhhh'..

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by KeninWA

If you have trouble finding a job here, I will restate, you are being FAR too picky and not working hard enough. If you cannot get hired because of education, then get educated, it is easy.

"Then get educated?" And...easy? Do explain...

I'm sorry, but you're sounding like a brat.

[KeninWA]

Originally Posted by JViello

Generally a great post, thanks for the update.

DMV is a friggin nightmare. Can you believe it's actually improved a LOT over the years?

You are pretty spot on regarding the neighborhoods...but the only real problems IMHO are the larger cities. (If you didn't notice it's not just a CT thing but more of a Northeast thing. Springfield is the same way etc.)

Regarding the highways, you will appreciate them once you figure them out! It's one thing that always drove me crazy about living elsewhere. They allow quick access to just about anywhere you need to go!

Public transpo in this state simply doesn't have much of a chance due to our provincial foundings back when horses followed Indian paths and each of the 169 cities and towns were independent communities unto themselves.

Tailgating is a big issue. Pay attention, a lot of it will be from cars with MA,NY,NJ plates. I just let the fools be fools and do a zen thing.

The income gap thing has been debated to no end. It's really a left right discussion. In my view, most who wish to lift themselves out of it, do. Those who choose to be a victim, are.

Anyhow, welcome to CT and stick around here you'll learn a lot about where you live...there are many layers to this state which you are just discovering. Lots of unique surprises.

P.S. If you pine for a "real" mountain, and not our highlands, take a trip to Mt Washington, you won't be disappointed.

DMV has improved? I cannot imagine what it was like before. Hundred people or so in Wethersfield (which I really thought was a pretty town).

Yeah the neighborhood thing seems to be an NE thing. It is so weird, still getting used to which ones to go to and which ones to avoid.

As far as the highways go, we finally mastered out to get... home.. to Hartford! So that is exciting. We can get to Waterbury, New Haven, Springfield, and New London, but the towns in between still require GPS. They ARE nice for stopping traffic. They are pretty well maintained compared to other places as well. That much I appreciate.

We DO plan on going to Mt. Washington, the last couple days I have been reading some of Hawthorne's short stories and he seems to have a slight affinity for Mt. Washington.

[KeninWA]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

"Then get educated?" And...easy? Do explain...

I'm sorry, but you're sounding like a brat.

Now I am getting trolled, but I will gladly indulge myself in your education.

I am definitely not a brat. I grew up in a trailer park in Rochester, WA, about, 30 minutes south of the capitol. I dropped out of High School at 17 during my senior year because I had the credits of a Sophomore because of truancy. I did not do drugs of drink or anything, I just really liked girls and skateboarding. I took the GED test within a month and received it. I then entered the US Army Reserves because, well I was bored and basic training looked like fun. Besides, sleeping on my friend's couch was not that thrilling.

I went through basic training and then AIT. This was a couple of years after September 11th so we were full into war with Afghanistan and Iraq at this point, so it was a serious time in the armed forces. I did well in my army training, it took 4 months because my MOS had a very long school.

After my return from the Army, I got a crappy minimum wage job, got married, and after a year or two I enrolled in community college. My best friend was going at the same time. He was single, working a construction job and paying for his school out of pocket while living in a completely ****ty studio.

FAFSA gave me grants for tuition and the Army GI Bill + Tuition assistance paid my way through Community college. I worked at the school for two or three different publications to help make ends meet.

I graduated with a 'transfer degree' which was like a Business Associates Degree and transferred to a University. I got FAFSA there as well along with some more army money. Got a bachelor's and here I am.

Not getting educated is on the individual. I do not believe it is impossible or circumstances won't work for some people. There ARE avenues towards it, you just have to use them. The Army is not the answer for everyone and I know that, but it is there for some people. If you don't want to join then FAFSA and a job will get you through any two year. If you do not qualify for FAFSA because you are not 24 or because you're not married, then you will probably have to work your ass off to go to school. But thats about it.

Once you get transferred to a four year university after your AA, there is ALL sorts of funding available to someone who wants to work.

[Stylo]

Ah, forums.

[KeninWA]

Agreed Stylo. That will basically be the end of my returns to KY. I don't really come here for this kind of thing. I find city data to have a majority of people just trying to help others with their curiosity. It really helped me get the move done and I am happy for all the information people continue to give.

I guess I'll ask this question:

Any suggestions on a good day trip in Connecticut?