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Yeah, so I guess I should just move back to Detroit, Michigan, then, huh? I mean, I guess I have one of two options
1) Get knocked up by my boyfriend and have a baby and collect welfare
2) Go back to work at McDonald's or cleaning floors.
Hmm ... seem like viable options, don't they? It's very sad to say, but most other parts of the country suck hard when it comes to career and job options/stability. I came to DC 'cause I got tired of getting laid off from jobs and collecting $230 a week unemployment.
I'm not the biggest DC fan, but at least I get a check here. This man obviously can't just pack up and leave to take a job deliver pizzas, making $7 or less an hour -- with tips included!
I hardly think that EVERYONE who lives in Detroit is in the same boat as you are. The difference is that *maybe* they were born rich or *maybe* their grand daddy died and left them a bajillion dollars or, on the other hand MAYBE they went out there, worked hard, made something of themselves, invested wisely and worked their buttz off to be successful.
There are happy, successful people EVERYWHERE. Being in Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, and yes, even Washington DC does not guarantee that you will be a success or failure. It is all about what YOU want to do with your life and how hard you are willing to pursue your dream.
The OP might be able to start a business in BFE doing what HE LOVES TO DO. Chances are that he would be just as successful and happy at the same time. Maybe you think that you can only make it in DC, and maybe you are right, or maybe you are selling yourself short. It is a lot easier to give up and say "I can't" than it is to work hard and sacrifice much to be successful doing what you want to do on your own terms.
20yrsinBranson
Last edited by 20yrsinBranson; 10-24-2008 at 07:27 PM..
Reason: clarification
You and my husband are opposite. He hates his job and loves where we live. His job is affecting his health, like yours, but for the other reason. I don't know how bad your health has gotten but my husband's is spiraling downward quickly. Chest pains is just one of the heart attack signs, but he's also starting to have signs of a brain aneryesum (sp?). My advice to him is to begin looking for a different job. So, my advice to you is to begin looking into where you can go with your experience that you have. I know you said that you can't do your job anywhere else but there, but I am certain there are lots of employers in other places who will be willing to train you on something new with your experience. If you have a family, it will be best worth it to try some place new than to see you stressed and complaining constantly, and then lose you to health problems. Good luck and I know it's hard, but if you let God show you, He will lead you the right way.
The average range for a house is really $350,000??? Wow... In Springfield, MO the average price is around $150,000 to $200,000 depending.
I'm 57 years old and grew-up in D.C. I left when I was 20 and moved to NYC and then spent 16 years in California. My sister and I went to visit D.C. in 2001 and were greatly saddened in the difference since we were there as children and young adults. In some ways it had improved (thought the Metro was great!!) but it seemed to have turned into yuppie hell (which it wasn't before). People drove as though they were insane (which they hadn't before) and, to us, it had an ominous feel to it that didn't exist all those years ago.
In other words, we wouldn't move back even though it had been the place we were born and raised (along with nearby Virginia). We were happy to hear "please" and "thank you" a lot (something living in the north for many years we hadn't heard) but, beyond that, uh...uh...we wouldn't live there now. Further south, yeah; that's what we're looking to do but in D.C. and nearby burbs, NO.
I just read your message - and feel the same way about NYC! It's been a year since this last post - did you move? Or stay and if so, where you able to find a place closer to work?
I'm 33 years old and have been saying for as long as I can remember that I will leave NYC. I'm still here - but i'm determined to make the move! It is so true - life is too short to be unhappy!
I hope your situation is better than it was last year - please keep us updated!
I was born in DC but left before I was old enough to know what it is really like to live there (some 40 years ago). I did a quick search and see my childhood home is currently appraised at about $450K.
And from all the original poster's comments I really felt like I was reading about where I live now: Walnut Creek, California. Seriously, the parallels are stupefying.
So. I can not afford (financially or otherwise) to move back to the town of my birth. Sheesh.
I have only been in DC for a couple months, but I see what you mean by the snobby culture. I personally believe it stems from the hoards of young grads from prestigious schools and wealthy families that are here to pursue careers in any one of the more glamourous gov agencies (State dept, Justice, CIA, FBI, etc. among most sought after careers anywhere). Lots of these students and grads have financial backing from home (which partially explains the high rents). The culture here reminds me of college: the obsessive sports culture, the elitist mentality (my dept is more important than yours), and the self importance everyone seems to carry around being an "information worker". People make a big deal about their "academic credentials," which i wasn't used to back in the business driven economy of Minneapolis, where most people just get their degree, forget about it, and get REAL EXPERIENCE. No, people here try to trump themselves up with their PHDs and Masters. Most will tell you you have to go to this or that school and have a 4.0 blah, blah, blah to get a job. It's all a facade to justify the years they wasted getting a piece of paper that says they're smart. Luckily there are some real people in DC, I find most the snobs stay away from the nightlife. Also, as a regular, down to earth guy with a little style (which most the above mentioned tools in this town have none of), it's fairly easy to meet decent women. As far as the traffic, I blame the geography and the street layout, plus the staunch 9-5 work of government. Although, one of the less mentioned gems of DC are the parkways (g washington, clara barton, and rock creek), which are very scenic and fun to drive (during off peak hours).
Agreed. I have never seen so many over educated imbeciles as exist in D.C.
Thank you! Men need to STOP their whining! I work my butt off; I deserve a man who's willing to make the same sort of sacrifices. All hard-working women deserve an equal. Who wants to start a family with someone who can barely take care of themselves? The bills don't get paid off of love alone.
Another example of why American women are utterly worthless.
Thank you for insulting your gender in ways that I would not have been able to do. Rant about what you think you "deserve." Be prepared to settle for less. The sooner the better. You don't really want to be the 50 year old women trying to raise teenagers do you?
Agreed. I have never seen so many over educated imbeciles as exist in D.C.
Well, you can rant all you want about useless degrees and such. But, if you've ever been in the job market looking for a decent job in DC, the first qualification is usually "masters degree or higher".
Okay, so everybody who applies has that masters degree. All the college dropouts like Bill Gates and Kurt Vonnegut and all the others can't apply. Stupid, but that's the rules set by those with the money.
Then what is going to set you apart? What's going to make the employer slow down and read your resume? It could be some extraordinary work experience (like working in the White House or something), but more often than not the name of the school you went to (or a well regarded program within a mediocre school associated with the field) establishes a level of credibility and comfort within the employer that tells them you have already been "vetted" in a far more reliable way than your own personal resume spin designed to make you look great could.
There's no doubt that when I graduated from college and landed my first job, that those people who all had advanced degrees from top ranked Ivies gave me a chance to get in the door and prove myself because I went to a comparable school. They didn't hire me because I went there, but it got me in the door.
It's sad. It's stupid. But it's reality in DC. So this ranting about why people brag about their education in DC is the same as why lumberjacks or fishermen enjoy contests to see who is stronger. It's a way of demonstrating you excel within the parameters of the rules of your playing field.
(No, I don't have a masters degree. I struggle to justify paying for an interim degree instead of PhD-style research experience).
You people think that this sort of bragging about where people went to school or what degree they hold is unique to DC? Nearly every new college grad thinks that they are god's gift to their field. It doesn't matter what city you're in. There are people that move to NYC in search of work that think they are the best thing to ever come down the pike.
I'd also like to add that in 20 pages (many of which i simply skimmed because they are so repetitive), you have a very 50/50 view of DC. Some love it, some hate it. Guess what...it's like that everywhere. Just like some people couldn't stand to live in NYC doesn't mean that nobody should ever move there. Its stupid to even debate about this because it is all about personal taste. I happen to love DC, the cultural opportunities, the international flavor that exists only in DC. However, I am also a bit of a loner that doesn't mind not having a gaggle of friends that hang on my every word. I think its much more important to have a few good friends, which is quite easy to find in DC. You just have to put in some effort to make the city your home. While studying abroad in France, a professor gave me a very important piece of advice: when you have a bad day, don't blame the country - blame the situation. The same holds true for any city. If you have a run in with a truly mean and unfriendly person, don't blame the city - blame the person.
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In Springfield, MO the average price is around $150,000 to $200,000 depending.
Say it isn't so!
