Back Home (Lubbock, Amarillo, San Angelo: house, unemployment, university)

[cobolt]

Hey All!

Thought I'd give you an update. I was laid off from my technical writing job of 5 years on 01-29-2010, so I took that as my cue to leave WA and head to TX. Arranging the move was hectic, mainly because the first 3 weeks of Feb were filled with all sorts of strange storms moving across the country. I had to rechedule the Penske truck reservations at least 3 times because of severe weather and snowstorms in various areas on my route, specifically in the mountains and North Texas. Finally caught a break around mid Feb and the only hairy part of the drive was at Soldiers Summit Pass in Utah. Ran into a sudden snowstorm at about 10pm and had to stay the night in Green River, UT once I got over the summit.

So, I've been in TX since Feb 21st, staying with friends and collecting WA state unemployment while looking for jobs. Since most my support base is in the Amarillo/Lubbock (Panhandle area) and I don't dig big cities, I've been searching for work here. It hasn't been easy. The biggest employer in Lubbock is Texas Tech University and they are feeling a budget crunch, so even though I have two insider contacts and have had two face-to-face meetings, the budget means they're either hiring more part timers, splitting duties amoung current employees, or putting of hiring until the new budget comes through in Sept. ( I used to work in academia and administrative university setting as well as other things, so I can look in many different places). Medical is hiring, mostly for nurses and such. And in this area, as much as I love it and have good friends here, the pay isn't all that great. On the upside, I have a job offer with the Federal Govt in San Angelo, TX that starts the end of the month. I've been pursuing the inprocessing paperwork for that while hoping to secure something in Lubbock before my start date. But if I don't, I'll just take the job in San Angelo and try it out for a year. As I said, that isn't my preference becasue I don't want to be away from my support network, but it's a decent position, not making as much as I was in WA state, but that's the reality, and it isn't a big city, so I think I'll be okay. I'll be making as much as I did when I first moved to WA, and I survived on that fine.

I will say this: IT IS SOOOO GOOD TO BE BACK IN TEXAS!! I recall about 3 years ago, I flew from Seatac to DFW for Easter and I never realized how the lack of sunlight affected me until the plane took off and broke above the cloud layer. I felt like a new person, realized the sun was being hidden by those bad clouds the whole time, and moreso, realized that I had merely been coping with the area and not being happy. When I landed in DFW and started driving, OMG, the wide open spaces and different sort of green, wildflowers along the roadside and the SUN! I felt like anything was possible. I didn't feel smothered by the visible, geographic boundaries of W WA: mountains, water, trees, and clouds! I once had a friend who moved from N TX to Florida years ago and she came back in less than a year. I couldn't believe she could leave such a state as FL and she said "There were so many trees that I felt closterphobic. I didn't have the wide open spaces. I couldn't see the stars. I missed the sunsets." Back then, I thought she was nuts. Living in WA for 5 years gave me a new appreciation for her insight. I really love the wide open spaces.

Another thing: You cannot underestimate the attitude of people. The WA people were such a downer. During my Easter trip 3 years ago, I stopped along the roadside to take pictures of wildflowers. At least 4 different cars pulled over, asking if I was alright or was having car trouble. THis would never happen in the Puget Sound! Right now I am staying with friends in the country about 40 miles north of Lubbock. They have about 10 acres and live between two towns (pop 600 and 1400). The next biggest town, Plainview (pop 22,000) is about 30 miles away. We are within three miles of 2 dairies, 3 cotton gins, two grain processors, etc. I can look out the front window across the road and see cotton fields. When you walk down the road, your closest neighbor is a mile away, and that's about as far as you have to walk to the mail box. I can't tell you how many times I've just been walking around, enjoying the weather and the sun, and pickup trucks or tractors have slowed down or pulled over and asked if I was alright or if I left my car behind and was trying to get somewhere. Just the friendliest people and a sense of community. THe other day, I returned from my walk and my friend asked if I had a run in with 2 pit bull dogs. I said no and she answered "Well Dorothy, who is our neighbor a mile down the road, she saw you walking and was worried because earlier two pit bulls got loose from a house about a mile away and scared her dog. So she called me to warn me and offered to pick you up in her truck." Imagine that. WHen I go to Lubbock or Amarillo and shop or visit friends and we go for coffee or whatever, people start small conversations with you instead of looking at you cross-eyed like they did in WA if you dare greet them.

Yes, WA state is very pretty, but honestly, you can only hug trees and look at mountains for so long, but if you don't have great community and friendships, you'll be miserable. Not only that, 3/4 of the year I couldn't even see Rainier for the low laying cloud cover. When I could see the mountain, you would have thought I hit the lottery. WHen I turned my Penske truck in, the desk clerk looked at my contract and commented that he too, had just moved back from WA, having lived there for 12 years. He said, "I am so glad to be back. I will take, brown, dusty, and windy over green and pretty any day because there people here are nice." Precisely.

[babor72]

AAAAAAaaamen!!!

[First24]

Welcome back home.

San Angelo is a cool little city.

[Cowboybootnut]

Good luck and welcome back.

[TNKY]

Good for you, Cobolt, I know how bad you wanted it. Just as bad as I want to escape MI. Don't be a stranger now.

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by TNKY

Good for you, Cobolt, I know how bad you wanted it. Just as bad as I want to escape MI. Don't be a stranger now.

THanks. You know you can use the DM feature too! I'm still set on getting to Louisville, one day. Gotta get closer to the family without actually living in Chicago! For now, I will enjoy Texas!

[Lakewooder]

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