Desperately need to move...but where? (Portland: fit in, home, find a job)

[jillymac]

Hi all! I'm likely putting myself in a position to be verbally attacked but I could really use some advice. I have lived in Omaha, NE my entire life (38 yrs.) and cannot take it anymore. The winters are awful, it's excessively conservative, not nearly as diverse as I'd like, and really just overall a boring place to live. I am a single mother and 7th grade English teacher and have two teenage daughters (who feel pretty much the same about the area as do I.) My younger daughter, who tends to be on the artsy/quirky side, is essentially miserable here and has found it very difficult to fit in and find friends who accept her (mostly due to parents who seem to think that having piercings makes her a poor influence--never mind that she's exceptionally bright, creative, and compassionate.) I need to get out of here--asap--but am in a quandary as to where I should look. We've visited Seattle and never felt more at home among the people. In other words, we LOVED it there. However, I understand the field for teachers is pretty dire and the likelihood of me finding employment as such is slim. As a single mom, I'm not in the financial position to take on too much risk (which likely makes it seem crazy that I would be looking to move to one of the most expensive areas in the U.S.) I just really need to find a place in which my girls and I can find some happiness, plenty of things to do, and the diversity we are so craving. I'm looking at Seattle, Portland, a few cities in California, and just recently starting considering Charlottesville, VA as well. Any and all advice is welcome...even that which might seem harsh...I can handle it. Thanks all!

[Kimballette]

You cut and pasted this message into several forums. You should probably narrow down your search or post a more focused inquiry in the City vs. City forum. So far, you haven't provided enough specifics to allow people to give you meaningful advice.

[Minervah]

Perhaps if you had some specific questions about Portland since this is a Portland forum, we could be of help. Your description of yourself and family really doesn't tell us what you need in Portland. Jobs? Culture? Housing? Cost of living? And so forth. What are your needs in these areas?

Just being unhappy in one city will not necessarily make you happy in another. I don't mean to sound unkind, I think you just need to be more helpful in sharing knowledge of your living requirements with those from whom you are seeking advice so they may help you.

[EnricoV]

Your largest stumbling block is going to be the job. I think that the west coast in general sounds like a great fit for you and your girls, culturally and socially. Portland isn't the most diverse city on the planet, but probably a step up from Omaha. One thing it does have going for it is, even though it's not that diverse, it's very accepting of any and everyone.

Realistically, I'd look at choosing a city wherever you can find a job.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by jillymac

Hi all! I'm likely putting myself in a position to be verbally attacked but I could really use some advice. I have lived in Omaha, NE my entire life (38 yrs.) and cannot take it anymore.

I feel for you on that one, I feel Omaha is the second worst city in the US to live in. Even more so then most of Mississippi!

Portland sounds like a good fit, but not much for teachers here right now. Do you have any other skills? How old is your daughter? What are her skills?

[laserdisque]

Omaha is a tad more diverse than Portland.

Omaha: 68% Non-Hispanic White
Portland: 72.2% Non-Hispanic White

[EnricoV]

Skin color isn't the only thing that qualifies as diversity, in my book.

[jillymac]

I agree Enrico. It's not so much the skin color as it is diversity in ideas/opinions/style, etc. When the local, week-long "carnival" is the best activity the teens here have to look forward to, it makes me realize how very small this place is. For the sake of not degrading this city too much, I will not harp on how tired I am of hearing "my daddy bought me..." from the middle/high school girls in the area...ugh!

[Beenhere4ever]

I have a Swiss friend who is a teacher who'd love to come to the U.S. I discourage coming to a bigger city where budgets are being cut. But surely, I think, there are smaller towns that need whatever she can teach. People always focus on big cities. I think smaller would be better. My mother taught inner city kids, and it was no picnic. She ended her career in a Minnesota suburb where she wasn't miles from any big city, but she wasn't teaching kids who were forced to pick up and move every few months.

[stellar]

I live in Florida and also want what your daughters are seeking, less intolerance. However, I did raise my daughter here and the solution we found was a "magnet school" for the fine arts. I am not sure if you have that system in your state, but it served the purpose for my daughter. It was set up to counter segregation. They placed specific programs in urban schools and interested kids applied and were bused into these schools from across the city. Instead of the suburban cliques of snobby rich kids, she went to a focused art program with an ecclectic crowd of tolerant artists, set within an urban city school of local kids. My daughter loved it and it taught her about all sorts of people and behaviors. I much preferred picking her up from a school entrance filled with kids of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, football studs, nerds, gangsta, spiked purple hair, piercings, gay, straight, etc. Maybe this or a charter school is an option if moving is not in the cards.