[flyingwriter]

I'm graduating from college this year, and many people I'm graduating with plan to leave the great state of Michigan. Many are heading to Sunbelt states like Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona. It's true, there are more jobs in other states. However, unless God calls me to go somewhere else, I'm staying. As long as I can find a job that pays the bills, I will be fine. It doesn't have to be a professional job - I'll dig ditches or scrub toilets at McDonalds before I leave Michigan! To me, it's not worth leaving home to find a job - especially one that could go away next week. I'd rather make $8.50/hr in Michigan than six figures in the desert. In my opinion, you can't put a price on home and quality of life.

I'm not judging anyone who leaves - you have to do what you can to support yourselves and your families (if any). However, the economy here WILL turn around and there WILL be more jobs in this state. Things will get better.

[Rapunzll]

You are young enough to wait it out, not all of us are. That being said, not all of us are leaving because of the states economic situation.

[wagonproject]

Trying to make my mind up on staying at age 21! I know Ill miss MI. But AZ or NC look nice...

[darstar]

Originally Posted by wagonproject

Trying to make my mind up on staying at age 21! I know Ill miss MI. But AZ or NC look nice...

Go where your gut takes you. Those who do not sample whats out there , will always remain uninformed and wishing they did take a chance..... especially when they are too old to do it. Do not make that mistake.

[wanderer74]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

I'm graduating from college this year, and many people I'm graduating with plan to leave the great state of Michigan. Many are heading to Sunbelt states like Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and Arizona. It's true, there are more jobs in other states. However, unless God calls me to go somewhere else, I'm staying. As long as I can find a job that pays the bills, I will be fine. It doesn't have to be a professional job - I'll dig ditches or scrub toilets at McDonalds before I leave Michigan! To me, it's not worth leaving home to find a job - especially one that could go away next week. I'd rather make $8.50/hr in Michigan than six figures in the desert. In my opinion, you can't put a price on home and quality of life.

I'm not judging anyone who leaves - you have to do what you can to support yourselves and your families (if any). However, the economy here WILL turn around and there WILL be more jobs in this state. Things will get better.

I hope for your sake (and mine) that you are correct. However, I've been waiting since I graduated high school in 1992 for the economy here to turn around, and so far it hasn't happened yet. Perhaps the wiser route might be accepting that if you stay here, it might NOT turn around, even in 10 years. Only you can decide if the difference in wages in the meantime is worthwhile to you or not. As for myself, I'm looking at my social security statement of my wages in my adult life and it's really pathetic. I haven't earned anywhere close to enough to even start saving substantially for retirement yet and I'm in my mid 30s now, which is scary. I've finished my degree, but with only finding part-time work, I haven't even been able to start repaying my student loans yet, let alone save for retirement. Saving for retirement wasn't on my radar in my mid-20s, but in my mid-30s, it is now.

I admire your commitment to Michigan and can't say that you're wrong for deciding to stick it out. But I can say that after a number of years, you may look at the cumulative wages you lost and wonder if it was worth it. Or you may not...only time will tell.

[crayola]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

I'd rather make $8.50/hr in Michigan than six figures in the desert.

I hope that's an exaggeration. That's not even logical. Unless someone if your family has money?

[telepicker97]

well, I'm actually moving to Michigan from Missouri, and you know, even though the economy is in the crapper up there, it's not all THAT much better in other states.

It's hard as all get out to get a job here in MO...I had an interview on Wednesday, as a server at Chili's...they interviewed me even though they aren't hiring...

[RopeS]

Originally Posted by telepicker97

well, I'm actually moving to Michigan from Missouri, and you know, even though the economy is in the crapper up there, it's not all THAT much better in other states.

It's hard as all get out to get a job here in MO...I had an interview on Wednesday, as a server at Chili's...they interviewed me even though they aren't hiring...

This is true. I don't expect to have an easier time finding a job in TN, but it's where I want to be, so I'm leavin MI in a couple weeks.


**Wagonproject, does S10F mean anything to you? JW..

[telepicker97]

Originally Posted by RopeS

This is true. I don't expect to have an easier time finding a job in TN, but it's where I want to be, so I'm leavin MI in a couple weeks.

That's what people should really be using this "recession" (I like to think of it as the bottom of the cycle, or "resetting"...) for - go where you WANT to be...things are tough all over, but property values are down everywhere, and you can pick and choose...

I'm leaving Missouri because my wife is from Michigan, and that's where she wants to be. So she already took my daughter and left. And I want to be a part of their lives, so I'm leaving Missouri at the perfest time.

Things could get "worse", but all this is, really, is a natural selection...can you survive? Without medication, without spending money on a bunch of food? Without the things that lazy Americans have become accustomed to and over-reliant on? Can you survive without a car? Can your CHILDREN survive without schools, on what they learn from their parents and family? Can we become COMMUNITIES again?

It's a cleansing; if you are a survivor, you will adapt and overcome.

[darstar]

Originally Posted by telepicker97

That's what people should really be using this "recession" (I like to think of it as the bottom of the cycle, or "resetting"...) for - go where you WANT to be...things are tough all over, but property values are down everywhere, and you can pick and choose...

I'm leaving Missouri because my wife is from Michigan, and that's where she wants to be. So she already took my daughter and left. And I want to be a part of their lives, so I'm leaving Missouri at the perfest time.

Things could get "worse", but all this is, really, is a natural selection...can you survive? Without medication, without spending money on a bunch of food? Without the things that lazy Americans have become accustomed to and over-reliant on? Can you survive without a car? Can your CHILDREN survive without schools, on what they learn from their parents and family? Can we become COMMUNITIES again?

It's a cleansing; if you are a survivor, you will adapt and overcome.

You are leaving for the wrong reason.