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I'm 24 years old, I graduated college from a private university in Connecticut a year ago with a degree in Communications & Sociology.
I'm a very polite, laid back kinda gal. I'm looking into moving to NC. I visited the triangle and triad for a few days last March and really enjoyed it, and just for kicks, have been reading up on this area of the NC forum as well, and I am in LOVE. Holy cow. It's so beautiful. It reminds me of my favorite parts up here in CT, as I do live in the Northwest Corner which is known for it's beautiful scenery, hills, etc.
Thing is, Connecticut is expensive. I've been here for a month now (I had been living in PA for 10 months) and haven't found a job yet. I feel like CT just gets busier and busier and more and more expensive, and I'm really not a fan of that.
I'd love to just find a decent job that would allow me to support myself and my dogs. I know my hound mix Abigail would love to go hiking in Western NC!
I have friends in the Winston-Salem area, but holy cow, I love what I see on this portion of the forum.
Where would I go in the area? I am young, into music & most of the arts, LOVE my dogs (they are my life) and just love quiet and peace which I think is important when finding someplace to call "home". I worked at MTV *intern* for a few months and while NYC is exciting and fun, I don't think that kind of lifestyle is for me!
I'm not trying to be mean but....you've been looking for a job for a month?!!?
I'm not much older than you and probably graduated around the same time. I've been looking for two years....all over the country. Finally maybe have a bite in Yellowstone as a Park Ranger.
Read up on jobs in WNC by doing a search. You better not move here without one, and in that field in WNC, well you'd be better off waiting tables. It will be almost impossible to find any kind of communications job. Sorry.
Both the above websites include your degree interests, and while some will fit and some will not, they list a couple hundred jobs in the Asheville area that you might want to try. It IS true the job situation all over the country is all stressed out, but some of our government's efforts have begun to pay off, according to various economic measures. Now, Asheville is also somewhat expensive for the South, altho I do not think it's quite as bad as where you are, but if you'll look at a rental website like Leslie & Associates, you'll get a good idea of what kind of rental you can get for the money here.
There are many different neighborhoods to live in Asheville, and also a few smaller towns on the outskirts, as well as country type locations, so the peace and quiet you seek can be found, depending on where you think feels right to you. In the city proper, I like the north end of Asheville, but it IS city living, altho not with the "downtown" buildings all around you, rather close neighbors with little pockets here and there that are relatively quiet. It all depends. I like to suggest people check out Black Mountain, some nice homes on the east side of Lake Tomahawk, plus Montreat is just up the road, a church community, and they have some nice trails that have been discussed on this forum, just do a "Search This Forum" and look for that.
It is indeed beautiful up here, weather is nice, plus snow in winter, but less than you have up in CT, and it will feel warmer in general here, even tho we're in the mountains, because Asheville is in the South instead of the Northeast. Now, Winston-Salem, that is also a nice town, and since you have friends, I personally think you should seriously consider finding work there, you may find you need local support after such a big change, and you can always visit the mountains for long weekends, there's almost a direct-shot road to Boone out of W-S, rather further from Asheville, but really stunning and plenty of peace and quiet if you would rent a cabin or whatever.
Chapel Hill is another nice town, the college is historic and large and beautiful, city is pretty small, housing is more expensive, but that's another good spot to check out. And then there's coastal areas, which if you love the beach, you could explore Wilmington, and then travel further up the coast at smaller towns, on up into the Crystal Coast region. Some of those areas are pretty laidback, except Wilmington proper has lots of traffic.
I totally get your dog love as I share it as well. And I think you and your dogs would love WNC. Much more than Winston Salem BTW.
I say you are young and you can find a job. You should move now while you are young and unencumbered. Quality of life is very important. I am still trying to figure out a way to get to the mountains with my dog. Good luck.
If you love the mountains then cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway and there are two loops west of Asheville that makes a nice day's ride. Try the loop from Brevard to Maggie Valley (19/23) or Brevard to Asheville (This loop has the most tunnels per mile -- I think about 13 total) any number of side trips are possible from this jumping off point, or you can continue west to MM 469 -- the end of the parkway and the Gateway to the Smokies toward Cumberland Gap / Gatlinburg,
A Couple of small college towns, near the Waynesville and the Brevard exits, if that's what you're looking for, hiking, camping or photo ops galore .
Mid state Thermal belt / Piedmont area and east has more metro ops
but convenient to both regions, but nonetheless see the Parkway to get an idea of what the region has to offer.
Where would I go in the area? I am young, into music & most of the arts, LOVE my dogs (they are my life) and just love quiet and peace which I think is important when finding someplace to call "home". I worked at MTV *intern* for a few months and while NYC is exciting and fun, I don't think that kind of lifestyle is for me!
For a place to settle in Asheville is the place to be. For music and arts are big in that area and getting bigger. But we might be a little prejudiced. It rocks here in the Upstate of SC.
Go where you find a job. DO NOT move somewhere thinking, "OIH, I'm sure I'll find a job there soon.". Where your first job is may not be your ideal location, but it gets MUCH easier to get other jobs, there more experience you have, and competition for a first job is much less in less "glamorous" places.
I wish I had a dime for every brand new grad who loved NC and though "Whee, I'll move to NC, and someone will give me a job and life will be perfect forever". 2 or even 3 years later, they are living in crappy surrounding, working crappy jobs and desperately trying to move somewhere they can get a "real" job.
Repeat: DO NOT MOVE WITHOUT A JOB, especially with no experience outside school. You have the rest of your live to live in NC, or wherever. It will still be here after you gain some experience for a couple of years in somewhere that might not be your utopia.
Many will read this and still think "Oh, he couldn't possibly be talking about ME." Yes, I am. Have you checked NC's unemployment lately?
Go where you find a job. DO NOT move somewhere thinking, "OIH, I'm sure I'll find a job there soon.". Where your first job is may not be your ideal location, but it gets MUCH easier to get other jobs, there more experience you have, and competition for a first job is much less in less "glamorous" places.
I wish I had a dime for every brand new grad who loved NC and though "Whee, I'll move to NC, and someone will give me a job and life will be perfect forever". 2 or even 3 years later, they are living in crappy surrounding, working crappy jobs and desperately trying to move somewhere they can get a "real" job.
Repeat: DO NOT MOVE WITHOUT A JOB, especially with no experience outside school. You have the rest of your live to live in NC, or wherever. It will still be here after you gain some experience for a couple of years in somewhere that might not be your utopia.
Many will read this and still think "Oh, he couldn't possibly be talking about ME." Yes, I am. Have you checked NC's unemployment lately?
Finally someone with sense! Those who are telling her to "come on down" are setting her up for failure.
Finally someone with sense! Those who are telling her to "come on down" are setting her up for failure.
I agree. There are two philosophies at odds here and the conflict comes up every few months. One philosophy is "do it while you are young and before you have commitments." The other is "establish yourself while you are young so you put yourself in a position to do what you want when you get older."
Count Mrs. Mule and I in the second. The result of doing that is we can now live in a great place with a chronically bad job market, still work remotely in our established fields and not have to worry about the fact that if we had to find sustainable work here we'd probably be moving along.
Everybody makes their own choices for their own reasons. But it is much easier to tell people to throw caution to the wind when they are the ones bearing all the risk.
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