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This is going to be a long post so if you read it all, please share your opinions/suggestions because I feel lost and I'm very open to what others have to say. Maybe in typing all this out I will come to my own conclusion. Sometimes it helps to see my thoughts in front of me. Anyway..
I am a single 30 yr old woman with no kids. No degree (finished 2 yrs of college though). No real impressive job skills. I tend to be a job hopper..bad, I know. I have about 10 years of food service and customer service experience.
I also have a German Shepherd who I will NOT give up, so moving must accomodate her, too.
I'm currently living with my parents in my small hometown in Kansas. Now that I've saved enough to buy my own vehicle outright, and pay off one of my loans, I am ready to get the hell out of mom and dads again! I've done the spontaneous up-and-move a few times. Twice to California. Couldn't afford it. And I've lived in Portland, OR for about a year but moved back to KS because of a breakup with ex bf and I had nowhere else to go but back home.
I really miss Oregon and being in a city that offers some culture, things to do, more jobs, etc. I'm trying to decide if I should try to move back there again or stay in KS longer.
What I want to focus on in my life right now is pouring energy into my art, trying to making a living off of it, going back to school, developing my hobbies and general self-improvement, meet new friends, open my mind with new experinces, and save money.
Pros of staying in KS:
-I have a stable, full time job doing embroidery and screen printing but it only pays 10/hr and my max earning potential is 11.50/hr.
-It's super easy and stress-free getting around, to and from work, etc.
-I can move out right now and get my own place..like, live alone, no roommates.
-I can go back and finish my degree for cheap.
Cons of staying here in KS:
-Deadend job, no other real job opportunities for me here. -It is a pretty small town in a rural setting.
-Nothing to do besides hang out at 2 different bars.
-No arts scene.
-Hour away from nearest city
Pros of moving back to Portland area:
-More job opportunities
-Could pay less in rent by getting roommates
-Probably can make more money
-More to do in general
-Arts scene
-My best friends and sister live there (no, they are not able to provide me with place to live)
Cons of moving:
-Finding sane, responsible roommates to share a rental
-Finding a job that doesn't require a long commute
-Finding a place that allows my dog
-Higher cost of living
-Potential loss of work-life balance
-Uncertainty of how long the roommate situation will last and if I will ever be able to live alone and have my own space.
-Putting off school longer because of residency status
Where i currently live in KS is so...conservative, boring, uptight, and uninspiring. I'm getting restless living here. If i stay, i need a real goal to work toward so I can get out of here eventually. My BRAIN says stay here, continue at my job, finish my degree, hone my artistic skills, save what little money I can, and THEN move. It would take a few more years. That length of time staying here scares me.
My HEART says..move, you've done it before and had no problem finding work, be around my friends in Portland, just make it work, I already know I loved what the area had to offer. I will have about 6k to move on.
I am so torn. If you read all this, thanks for listening..I could really use some advice!
Finding a place to rent alone somewhere else is nearly impossible without having a job lined up. I'm not sure how I'd line up a job like waitress/cook/receptionist/etc....seeing as those employers can just get anyone off the street.
Well..at my parents' house, I have no privacy and no real space to do my own thing. Finishing school would take like 2 more years. I don't know if I can handle living with them that much longer.
However, I know they would let me stay if I chose to.
This is going to be a long post so if you read it all, please share your opinions/suggestions because I feel lost and I'm very open to what others have to say. Maybe in typing all this out I will come to my own conclusion. Sometimes it helps to see my thoughts in front of me. Anyway..
I am a single 30 yr old woman with no kids. No degree (finished 2 yrs of college though). No real impressive job skills. I tend to be a job hopper..bad, I know. I have about 10 years of food service and customer service experience.
I also have a German Shepherd who I will NOT give up, so moving must accomodate her, too.
I'm currently living with my parents in my small hometown in Kansas. Now that I've saved enough to buy my own vehicle outright, and pay off one of my loans, I am ready to get the hell out of mom and dads again! I've done the spontaneous up-and-move a few times. Twice to California. Couldn't afford it. And I've lived in Portland, OR for about a year but moved back to KS because of a breakup with ex bf and I had nowhere else to go but back home.
I really miss Oregon and being in a city that offers some culture, things to do, more jobs, etc. I'm trying to decide if I should try to move back there again or stay in KS longer.
What I want to focus on in my life right now is pouring energy into my art, trying to making a living off of it, going back to school, developing my hobbies and general self-improvement, meet new friends, open my mind with new experinces, and save money.
Pros of staying in KS:
-I have a stable, full time job doing embroidery and screen printing but it only pays 10/hr and my max earning potential is 11.50/hr.
-It's super easy and stress-free getting around, to and from work, etc.
-I can move out right now and get my own place..like, live alone, no roommates.
-I can go back and finish my degree for cheap.
Cons of staying here in KS:
-Deadend job, no other real job opportunities for me here. -It is a pretty small town in a rural setting.
-Nothing to do besides hang out at 2 different bars.
-No arts scene.
-Hour away from nearest city
Pros of moving back to Portland area:
-More job opportunities
-Could pay less in rent by getting roommates
-Probably can make more money
-More to do in general
-Arts scene
-My best friends and sister live there (no, they are not able to provide me with place to live)
Cons of moving:
-Finding sane, responsible roommates to share a rental
-Finding a job that doesn't require a long commute
-Finding a place that allows my dog
-Higher cost of living
-Potential loss of work-life balance
-Uncertainty of how long the roommate situation will last and if I will ever be able to live alone and have my own space.
-Putting off school longer because of residency status
Where i currently live in KS is so...conservative, boring, uptight, and uninspiring. I'm getting restless living here. If i stay, i need a real goal to work toward so I can get out of here eventually. My BRAIN says stay here, continue at my job, finish my degree, hone my artistic skills, save what little money I can, and THEN move. It would take a few more years. That length of time staying here scares me.
My HEART says..move, you've done it before and had no problem finding work, be around my friends in Portland, just make it work, I already know I loved what the area had to offer. I will have about 6k to move on.
I am so torn. If you read all this, thanks for listening..I could really use some advice!
I would finish your schooling and pay off your debt totally and then move.Best of luck.
Bad things tend to happen when one lets the heart run the show.
I can understand being sick of being at home, but you're being given a golden opportunity (which part of you realizes) to give yourself a solid foundation for the rest of your life.
Get out of debt. Live at home. Go to school, pay as you go and don't take on new debt. Apply for any free federal money you can get before those programs dry up. Be sure you're going into something in demand that you can handle. You're already seeing that arts and crafts don't pay well, but taking some business courses and being able to manage a Michael's or Jo-Ann's might be a compromise. Even better is getting into something more technical, but carefully evaluate your skill set.
As for the no privacy - disliking being at home - find places to hang out. I've spent many hours in the college libraries, gyms, bike trails because I had crappy roommates. Two years isn't that long. Remind yourself that you have a goal: pain now for an easier life later.
That is, find ways to distract yourself so you don't notice "the suck" as much. Also, can you move to the basement and carve out a room down there? Or is there a storage room in the back of the house that would have more privacy? If you do that, make sure you're also helping out around the house. Your parents are more likely to go along with new living spaces if you're pulling your weight at home.
Usually decisions made because 'I want' turn out badly. Decisions made because 'I should' usually turn out better to my experience
Suggest you double down on everything hard at home until you are in a position to take your wonderful dog with you and start a new life wherever you can find a decent job.
Personally I would rather live in a studio apartment than ever have to deal with roommates again. Do you know anybody in Oregon anymore? Could you move to a bigger town in Kansas that has more of what you are looking for as far as culture? Would it be cheaper for you to stay with your parents a while longer and save $$$ so you can buy your own place? I don't know about Kansas but here in SW Florida it's definitely cheaper to buy your own place than it is to rent.
Keep in mind that German Shepherds ARE on the list of dogs not allowed in many apartments and condos.
Can you stay with your parents and continue saving money while going back to school?
That would be my vote.
Mine to! Finish school and get your degree! It will open more doors for you and get you higher pay! When you're done, then move!
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