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I have a personal struggle about whether I should stay or leave Austin. It's a tough choice because as you all know, it's a great city to live in. Here is some background to my question: I have lived in Austin for a year now and been gainfully employed the entire time which I am grateful for in this is a tough economy. I am a 30 yr old single white female from the east coast with a college degree and solid work history, especially in the nonprofit field.
My question is two fold and I am most appreciative for any help/insight/thoughts anyone may have on my situation. Essentially, I'm struggling whether or not to stay in Austin (2 main issues described below) and I was hoping for outside thoughts on this internal debate.
1-I am sincerely struggling to find a decent interracial dating community here. I enjoy dating black men (have my whole life and it's my preference) and honest to goodness, I am shocked that they're aren't more here. I do understand Austin won't ever be in the same league as NYC/DC/ATL in that dept, but I am wondering if there is something I'm missing?
2-the job market here: As I mentioned above I am grateful for my employment during a time in our history when many folks are struggling-please know that. That being said, I am part of a growing percentage that is overqualified for my job (admin at non profit), overworked and severely underpaid. My company has cut our hours and given us more responsibility... it's the perfect storm for burnout as you can appreciate. I now make $19,000 a year (11hr)- I live modestly and I tired of struggling when I do work so hard. I have applied for jobs here and only got 1 call back...I'm guessing it has much to do with the many, smart, educated UT grads around here which foster a competitive job pool. I don't mean to sound negative but I am in a tough place with myself as I am sure you all can see.
Do I stay in Austin bc it truly is a lovely place to live (sunshine, laid back, educated, outdoorsy, open minded etc) or do I pick up and move back east? I have family in DC and I am blessed with job connections there, it's clearly much more interracial diverse but it's not my desired lifestyle. If anyone has lived there they'll know what I mean-having lived there for a year I experienced how intense, work driven, type a, and congested NOVA is...I also acknowledge there are lovely cultural aspects, better paying jobs, diversity and better dating for what I want, more temperate weather, and how comforting it would be to be closer to family.
I am grateful and open to insight anyone has on this quandary. Thank you all in advance for your thoughts and take care!
You are not going to find many black men...or women...in Austin, and that is not likely going to change any time soon. The other option would be some sort of long-distance dating, most likely Houston.
As for jobs, being overqualified for what you are doing does not make you qualified for another field, necessarily. I have no idea what the non-profit pay scales are like, but our (extremely competent) admins probably make north of 40k per year (easily)after a few years, although I honestly don't know exactly what they make. I doubt they even start below 30k. We have lost one and hired two in Austin over the past two years, so it isn't like it is a huge turnover or lots of openings. I don't know what the attrition/replacement rate is on a wider scale, either.
Anyway, have you thought about Houston? More jobs, better pay/COL ratio, and definitely more AA men.....
I have little to offer on your social life. I just don't think Austin is home to a large AA community, especially an educated and professional one.
As for your job - perhaps you are too narrowly focused on non-profits. My 18 year old daughter, a freshman in college, is working this summer as an "admin" for $15/hr. Another of my kids earned $12/hr as a lifeguard last summer. I just don't see why you shouldn't be able to make MUCH more than $11/hr with your skills.
I respectfully suggest you expand your search for work. Work for the state of Texas. Or UT-Austin. Less like private sector work and the pay is sure to be better than what you are earning now. Maybe that would improve your social situation too.
If you are limited your dating pool to single AA men, then, wow! that is a small pool. Total AA population is just about 7-8% of the whole. Houston would definitely offer more in that regard, so would Dallas.
The non-profit world is a crazy one and low paid staff positions are pretty much the norm, especially for smaller and less established ones and ones run by their founder.
If you stay in Austin you need to expand both your employment and your social horizons.
I have a personal struggle about whether I should stay or leave Austin. It's a tough choice because as you all know, it's a great city to live in. Here is some background to my question: I have lived in Austin for a year now and been gainfully employed the entire time which I am grateful for in this is a tough economy. I am a 30 yr old single white female from the east coast with a college degree and solid work history, especially in the nonprofit field.
My question is two fold and I am most appreciative for any help/insight/thoughts anyone may have on my situation. Essentially, I'm struggling whether or not to stay in Austin (2 main issues described below) and I was hoping for outside thoughts on this internal debate.
1-I am sincerely struggling to find a decent interracial dating community here. I enjoy dating black men (have my whole life and it's my preference) and honest to goodness, I am shocked that they're aren't more here. I do understand Austin won't ever be in the same league as NYC/DC/ATL in that dept, but I am wondering if there is something I'm missing?
2-the job market here: As I mentioned above I am grateful for my employment during a time in our history when many folks are struggling-please know that. That being said, I am part of a growing percentage that is overqualified for my job (admin at non profit), overworked and severely underpaid. My company has cut our hours and given us more responsibility... it's the perfect storm for burnout as you can appreciate. I now make $19,000 a year (11hr)- I live modestly and I tired of struggling when I do work so hard. I have applied for jobs here and only got 1 call back...I'm guessing it has much to do with the many, smart, educated UT grads around here which foster a competitive job pool. I don't mean to sound negative but I am in a tough place with myself as I am sure you all can see.
Do I stay in Austin bc it truly is a lovely place to live (sunshine, laid back, educated, outdoorsy, open minded etc) or do I pick up and move back east? I have family in DC and I am blessed with job connections there, it's clearly much more interracial diverse but it's not my desired lifestyle. If anyone has lived there they'll know what I mean-having lived there for a year I experienced how intense, work driven, type a, and congested NOVA is...I also acknowledge there are lovely cultural aspects, better paying jobs, diversity and better dating for what I want, more temperate weather, and how comforting it would be to be closer to family.
I am grateful and open to insight anyone has on this quandary. Thank you all in advance for your thoughts and take care!
How about working in Houston & visiting Austin once a month? Houston has a broader (less competitive) job market (& is 4 times the size).
Austin is racially diverse, but has a higher % of Asians & Hispanics than Blacks. Houston has a similar make up, but has a higher % of blacks. Austin's % is similar to the US % of blacks (about 10%), Houston's % is closer to double the national % (so it has 8 times the total number). The same can be said of Dallas.
Good culture, great restaurants, warm weather, great economy....only thing i don't like is the humidity from May - Sept.
Edit: Looks like others have posted & have similar thoughts.
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There are several major factors that influence ones happiness, and it seems two of these are not fulfilled on your end. Job/money/making-a-living is one, being in a good relationship is another. If you have tried to work on both factors and have not made any significant progress, I would say it's time for a major change (i.e. move).
I don't know much about interracial dating, but I do know that there are very few Black people in Austin, I have lived here for 12+ years and I don't have any Black friends, simply because I never meet any Black people at work or during social events that I attend. Plenty of Caucasians, many Hispanics, some Asians and no Black people. I don't see that changing anytime soon. If you have a strong preference to date a Black man, this is probably not likely to happen here in Austin. You can see if you could be happy dating outside your racial preference, or if that's not an option for you, move to a place that has a bigger population of Black men.
The other factor is the financial aspect of your life. Being overworked and underpaid is really only acceptable for a short period of time or if there is something bigger waiting at the end of the tunnel. It doesn't sound like that's the case for you. If you can't find a better paying job here in Austin, and have prospects of a better situation somewhere else, it sounds like you need to move. Money doesn't make you happy, but struggling financially is a pretty big factor in making one unhappy.
It sounds to me like you have already decided that moving away is going to change one or both factors that will lead to more happiness. You seem to want to get that confirmed by someone else, and from your message it sounds like you just need that extra push to make a change.
Some of the factors you like about Austin (sunshine, laid back, educated, outdoorsy, open minded etc) are available in other places as well, and honestly I don't get all the hype about Austin anyway. There are many other places in the US that are livable and seem to offer better starting parameters for you, so don't feel bad about leaving here and starting fresh somewhere else.
I think you owe yourself a chance to be happy in a relationship and financially, that's more important than sunshine and outdoorsyness in my opinion.
Thank you all so much for your replies and ideas! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your opinions on this matter. Regarding the option of Houston: while it indeed is more racial diverse with a good job market, I don't known anyone there. I credit anyone who can move to a city without knowing a soul, but alas, that is not I! I very much appreciate the ideas behind the suggestion, though.
AustinTX78660-thank you especially for your reply. You accurately sensed my angst and I wholeheartedly thank you for your kind and compassionate words!
Thank you all so much for your replies and ideas! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your opinions on this matter. Regarding the option of Houston: while it indeed is more racial diverse with a good job market, I don't known anyone there. I credit anyone who can move to a city without knowing a soul, but alas, that is not I! I very much appreciate the ideas behind the suggestion, though.
AustinTX78660-thank you especially for your reply. You accurately sensed my angst and I wholeheartedly thank you for your kind and compassionate words!
AustinTX78660 did provide some great and compassionate advice. Speaking as someone who spent at least half of my life making numerous moves to places where I did not know anybody. Growing up, my dad was a journeyman electrician in a rural state. The family had to move to where his jobs were. It is easier then you might think. Most people are basically good and very similar everywhere. If you are a smart and competent person, you will do well anywhere. There really isn't much to be afraid of that would not also be a concern here where you live currently.
Take the leap, it is an investment in yourself and your future happiness. From everything you have written, odds are you will be much happier in Houston then here. Do try to get letters of recommendation here and put in lots of applications before you go. You may land a job before you even leave here.
As a college educated woman, you should be getting paid a lot more, even for a non-profit. I think you are selling yourself short, girl! Make that degree pay for itself.
As far as the dating scene goes, I have no idea what to tell you....it has been a while.
My advice for a living environment is to go or stay where you will like your lifestyle. I moved somewhere, knowing I hated the weather, thinking I would just get used to it. BIG MISTAKE! I need to be out in the sunshine and warm. Currently, I am in a beautiful Portland, OR, but don't want to go out into the weather more than 3 months out of the year. I'm an outdoor kind of girl. I am moving to Austin, in a few months.
You are not going to find many black men...or women...in Austin, and that is not likely going to change any time soon. The other option would be some sort of long-distance dating, most likely Houston.
As for jobs, being overqualified for what you are doing does not make you qualified for another field, necessarily. I have no idea what the non-profit pay scales are like, but our (extremely competent) admins probably make north of 40k per year (easily)after a few years, although I honestly don't know exactly what they make. I doubt they even start below 30k. We have lost one and hired two in Austin over the past two years, so it isn't like it is a huge turnover or lots of openings. I don't know what the attrition/replacement rate is on a wider scale, either.
Anyway, have you thought about Houston? More jobs, better pay/COL ratio, and definitely more AA men.....
Agree, austin has a very low african american population. Our admins starting pay is 20-25/hour + about 30% for benefits (health care, time off, etc). We havent been able to find remotely qualified people for under $20/hour.
I have paid as much as 55K/year for an admin and she wasnt very good.
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