It's about that time, my ties have been severed and the bridges have been burned (an exaggeration? Maybe.), and I want to start my life after what seems to be and eighteen months of a perpetual stand-still. Some interesting tidbits about me:
- I'm 20. Now CD, hold on to your disparaging remarks about how I don't know what I'm doing, and that I should just stay in my home state so my parents can coddle me in to a worry-free bliss. I'm aware that going out on your own at a relatively young age posses risks that can't easily be remediated if I were to, say, fail completely. However, my father wants me out of the house almost as much as I want to leave, so it looks as if this will be a sink-or-swim situation regardless of whether or not I left my hometown. And anyways, what young adult doesn't want to see what else is out there?
- I can pretty much handle any weather that isn't too extreme. From my Texas upbringing, I'm naturally inclined to favor warm weather, but as long as it isn't constantly in the negatives for several months of the year or in the high nineties with very high humidity for the entire summer (i.e. Houston), I think I can handle it.
- Needs to have a decent university in the city. It doesn't need to be Ivy-league material, just one that won't leave potential employers shaking their heads while they look over my resume. Looking to go this upcoming Fall or Spring, or in the extreme case, the Fall afterwards.
- Where would I not want to live? Texas, or anywhere else in the Southeast (although I've been looking at Miami and Atlanta, so I suppose anywhere in the Southeast that isn't on the eastern coast.), the wester Midwest (Dakotas, Nebraska, etc.), Arizona, or New Mexico. Of course, due to my age and financial situation, NYC and Los Angeles are probably out of the running.
- Where would I like to live? Definitely a city (lowest cut-off to be considered at, say, ~500,000), as I've about had enough with small towns. Northeast sounds fun, as well as Chicago. I'd like California, if there was a city there that wouldn't eat me alive with it's high cost of living. Colorado is the only state that's not at least somewhat bordering a body of water that I'd want to live in, but pretty much every other coastal state (unless aforementioned stated otherwise) is in consideration.
- I have about $3500 in my savings, and due to a settlement, I get about $350 each month and about $3000 (after car, car insurance, health insurance, etc.) biyearly for the next two to three years. I don't plan on leaving to wherever I'm going until I have a job lined up, even if it's just at somewhere like McDonalds. I plan on having a roommate for the next several months while I'm not in college, so that should dwindle costs down at least somewhat.
So guys, could you help? Any input would be appreciated.
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