Second thoughts about moving to Las Vegas (casinos, living in)

Kitchen Witch · 07-11-2014, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sierra92

Thank you guys so much for your advice. I am SO torn, but I'll admit I am considering staying in Vegas more and more. I think around graduation time, I'm going to apply in both cities, keep an open mind, and compare job offers. It's just really really tough because I go back and forth every day trying to figure out where I'd be happier.

The job opportunities in Vegas would definitely be better, and I do like the warm climate.

But I'm super close with my family and friends, especially my parents. Especially after being away for 3 years now, I would LOVE to be able to drive nearby and spend time with them, maybe like once a week (which would be totally doable if I lived in Chicago). It's not that I don't like seeing new places, I love traveling. I studied abroad in South America last year and have been all over the US. But after a while, I always miss home. Even after summers in college when my friends were like "I'm so ready to go back to school" I always want to spend more time with my family. I just really like my hometown and the culture in Chicago, and my really close friends and family. I feel like I could be happier living near my family, even though that's obviously the "safer" and more comfortable route. So it's seriously 50/50 at this point and it's stressing me out. Haha hopefully it all works out for the best.

This is my opinion only Sierra92

Complete your internship here in Las Vegas, and do it well. Follow your heart back home and make your experience work for you there or some place close by the family.

The internship on your resume will look good, and be good experience for you.

Sometimes it's very difficult to throw your whole being into a job, a career, when that little niggle of not wanting to be where you are is getting at you.

Go back home after the internship. Do NOT, cut it short.

Once you're home put all your efforts into finding employment in the big city that Chicago is. When and if you decide whole heartedly that you want to relocate away from the nest to Las Vegas, you are already a bit ahead of the game because you already had a great opportunity of living and working in the major hub of hospitality that Las Vegas is.

Blessings and good wishes to you!

Sierra92 · 07-11-2014, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kitchen Witch

This is my opinion only Sierra92

Complete your internship here in Las Vegas, and do it well. Follow your heart back home and make your experience work for you there or some place close by the family.

The internship on your resume will look good, and be good experience for you.

Sometimes it's very difficult to throw your whole being into a job, a career, when that little niggle of not wanting to be where you are is getting at you.

Go back home after the internship. Do NOT, cut it short.

Once you're home put all your efforts into finding employment in the big city that Chicago is. When and if you decide whole heartedly that you want to relocate away from the nest to Las Vegas, you are already a bit ahead of the game because you already had a great opportunity of living and working in the major hub of hospitality that Las Vegas is.

Blessings and good wishes to you!

Thank you, I think this is exactly what I'm going to do. I'm definitely going to still make the most of the rest of my internship, it's a great experience!

localinsight · 07-11-2014, 09:13 PM

Best of luck to you. Enjoy that internship. I was lucky to have a college internship with 40 students in the program. Believe me, we were not bored. Nor were we making life decisions for the future. We were having fun.
Each time I have moved it seems to really take me 2 years to feel at home. I don't have the kids, dogs, or physical ability to join a hiking club. I am involved in two churches here. Its been 10 months and I'm beginning to feel better about the decision. But I'm from CA, which is very different than Chicago. For what its worth, even people who wouldn't go back to Chicago or Boston (where I grew up), still miss many things about it. Eastern cities have cores and centers that people only seem to find in San Francisco out here in the west. By west I actually mean southwest.
I agree with everyone's advice here. You will love whatever you choose to do. And I love hearing that a young person actually has options!!!!

winter-rabbit · 07-11-2014, 10:14 PM

I grew up in Quincy, back in Boston. How about you?

I don't miss Boston one bit for now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by localinsight

Best of luck to you. Enjoy that internship. I was lucky to have a college internship with 40 students in the program. Believe me, we were not bored. Nor were we making life decisions for the future. We were having fun.
Each time I have moved it seems to really take me 2 years to feel at home. I don't have the kids, dogs, or physical ability to join a hiking club. I am involved in two churches here. Its been 10 months and I'm beginning to feel better about the decision. But I'm from CA, which is very different than Chicago. For what its worth, even people who wouldn't go back to Chicago or Boston (where I grew up), still miss many things about it. Eastern cities have cores and centers that people only seem to find in San Francisco out here in the west. By west I actually mean southwest.
I agree with everyone's advice here. You will love whatever you choose to do. And I love hearing that a young person actually has options!!!!

coltoncity · 01-12-2015, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tornado Baby

Stay but MAKE GOOD CHOICES! A lot of young folks' first impression kinds of temptations on the Strip can easily mess you up for life, ie, excessive drinking and drugs, gambling, sexual adventures, etc. I have been a social worker here for 20 years and I have seen it. You seem like a mature, determined person who can self- direct. A good internship here will open doors for you here or elsewhere in future. Keep your eyes on the prize! Play it straight for the internship and go from there. Meet people and network in your profession, not the tourists and stupid people. You will be able to tell the difference. Stay out of jail. Save your money. Don't start a family yet. Eat and sleep well. You know the drill. If you don't limit yourself with costly mistakes which the industry may encourage, you will know what to do after the internship. Explore the rest of the city on your off days. You will also never shovel snow here, which will matter more as you get older! Good luck!

Oh social workers are so wise! my mom was one

Everything she says is true. I liked the hospitality field also and it is good to have your experience in diifferent cities & different types of responsibilities your resume. A city like Las Vegas is fantastic. Get connections with business people all over Las Vegas in hospitality. And in the places off the strip that people would like to go. You will be surprised how helpful that can be and your local knowledge will be invaluable when you move back to the mid west.
I envy you. I always wanted to do what you are doing and transfer every 4 or 5 years all over the world. Take this chance and run with it. The home sickness will subside and if it doesnt fill your time with things other then the strip. You will never regret this experience. Promise!
*And as a little add on, in your heart of heart you know where you belong. I personally think if your are in the hospitality business you need to get used to this type of living but I am me. I like that type of living. if your family is everything then you go home. But if there is any part of you that thinks you may like to stay for another year for experience then you should. Invite friends and family all the time and they will come. Do it that way

Danknee · 01-13-2015, 12:23 AM

Before anyone gets too excited, this thread hasn't been touched for 6 months and OP hasn't been back since then.

Too bad we can't force these posters to come back and update us. I'm slightly curious about this one and extremely curious about the 30+ female that came out here around Thanksgiving with $1,000 and a plan to make it big "doing something Vegas is known for". Some updates might dissuade the five posters a week with the same plan.

coltoncity · 01-13-2015, 01:44 AM

Wow I missed that one. Yes i wish there was an update too more often

Sierra92 · 09-16-2015, 03:31 PM

Sorry for abandoning this thread and then digging it up over a year later, but I just wanted to update anyone who was curious. When I started this thread I think I was really homesick and stuck in the "grass is always greener" mentality. So I ended up accepting a job in Chicago after graduation (which I don't regret at all, because it's been a great opportunity) but I'm actually planning to move back out West. There will always be things that I'll miss about Chicago/the Midwest but I've realized that no place is perfect and I really did grow to love Las Vegas by the end of my internship.

Without getting into too much unnecessary detail, I basically realized that it wasn't so much Las Vegas that I didn't like, but instead it was the nature of the hospitality industry. It's a long story about how I got into hospitality, but I'm actually going to grad school next year in a totally different field (which I love) in Utah (at a school that places pretty well in Las Vegas, ironically enough). So I'm really excited for the future, and I'd be happy to end up back in Vegas after grad school if it works out.

I know it sounds like a lot of moving around, but I think everything really did work out for the best. I was able to enjoy Chicago for another year but after being back I remembered all the reasons I moved away in the first place haha. But being in Chicago gave me a chance to really figure out what I want to do career-wise, so I'm excited to start a new chapter of my life out West in 2016! And thanks again to everyone for your advice!

Cold Warrior · 09-16-2015, 05:11 PM

The 'unnecessary detail' is interesting. To which field did you change?

Sierra92 · 09-16-2015, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

The 'unnecessary detail' is interesting. To which field did you change?

I'm actually going to law school to study criminal law. I know it's a total 180 from hospitality and I'm well aware of the current state of law schools/the law profession. But it's something I've always been very interested in and after working at my local State's Attorney's office, I absolutely think it's right for me.