I can see that New York is not going to give me the life I want and I don't have time to force the issue. Before it turns into another London, I have decided to look at places with a lower cost of living and a different lifestyle.
All the jobs that suit my mind are concentrated there. Some of you may know that I've been wanting to go since college, and others may remember that before I left London, it was very high on my list. I wish I'd gone waaaay before the elections though.
DC is not New York and it doesn't want to be, which really annoys the expat New Yorkers. It's more conservative in style and habit. I have never needed hipness or a vibe, whatever they mean.
It has the feel of a smaller town and is in fact more compact, less populous, a bit slower. A happy medium between Northeastern grit and Southern gentility, with the added bonus of colonial charm. There is a different energy, too. The energy of a population on a mission: highly educated people from every state in the union and every country in the world with national and international interests.
....New blog titles?
14 comments:
good luck with the job hunt! a couple of my friends who are UST alums live there, and they like it.
Ooh, DC sounds fun. Is 'Ms. Olivia goes to Washington' too obvious? I loved that film.
All the best with the job hunting. x
oh DC sounds cool!
Oh go with Pete's title!!! I love it. really I do! Its super cute
Could a certain captain have anything to do with it? I mean, I knew you had prior interests and your reasons sound perfectly valid... I hope you do find something suited to your skill level, Liv. You've got heaps of talent. As for your blog title, perhaps something less location-specific until you find your nook?
Good luck with the job hunt. Make sure you find accommodation in a safe part of town - I understand the dangerous parts are definitely to be avoided. As for your blog title, what about "Obama is now my neighbour"? Lol.
Burning out on them Big Apples already, m'lady? Still, it sounds like an interesting switch. Just make sure you take CafeMark's advice. Crime in New York is waaaay down from what it used to be. DC, on the other hand, still ranks high in all the wrong statistics, but it all comes from certain neighborhoods.
Just keep me posted, okay?
I keep thinking that Massachusetts is the place for you. In or near Boston. (Have you ever been there?). Otherwise somewhere else in New England (e.g. Connecticut or New Hampshire).
Lots of jobs associated with Yale, Harvard, MIT, etc. and medical research establishments.
Washington has too many negative factors.
Forget about the winter weather. It is not really significantly worse than Washington or New York and you would soon get used to it (no different from Kitchener, Ont.). Unlike the UK, they are geared to severe winter conditions and take it in their stride.
Carol - what part do they live in?
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Pete - let's hope.
The new title will be put on my list for consideration.
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Mich - ok, hold your horses.
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Nikki - I know I saw him twice this week, but no no no, absolutely not, in fact I hope not to see much of him when I am there, which will be easy as he's usually everywhere but there.
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Mark - don't worry, I know which parts are to be avoided, and the lines are usually very clear.
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Minstrel - thanks for your concern, and again not to worry, I already know the areas to consider.
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Mark2 - oh dear, I have been to Boston and didn't like it very much.
But of course as you suggest I will have a look at their job listings.
Where do you live, by the way?
Pity you didn't like Boston. There is a lot going on there.
I live back in the UK now but I used to work in Montreal and Toronto and visited the New England states many times.
I, too, wanted to move to D.C. a few years ago. I thought that if I didn't get a job editing that I'd give working as a congressional aide a shot.
Just FYI: From what I understand there are a lot of amazing, resonably priced restaurants in D.C. :D
Probably every city has its challenges but D.C. does have many interesting things and I like it very well. It might be expensive to live in D.C. proper but I haven't looked at any prices so have no idea. I suppose the main thing for you is finding work that you enjoy and I hope this will materialize for you soon.
Oh my gosh Olivia, wow that was quick! BTW- I am in NY right now. want to meet tues or wed am??
My daughter and her husband are living in DC right now--she's getting an MFA at Maryland, and he works for Freddie Mac. It's pretty expensive to live there, but it's got to be less expensive than New York. You might consider Philadelphia--I lived there for over a year. ("I once spent a year in Philadelphia. I think it was on a Sunday." -Attributed to W.C. Fields) The rents are more reasonable thn NYC or DC, at least in Northeast Philly. But the city doesn't seem to handle the winter well--a few inches of snow and the city shuts down.
DC should be pretty exciting, though, with the new administration coming in.
"..... few inches of snow and the city shuts down"
you just described the entire southeast of England - any threat of any kind of weather whatsoever and the entire place shuts down :p
I whole heartedly support your choice, living in NY is such a Cliché anyway!
How about "Miss Smith goes to Washington"?
It will require a name change but it would be worth it to reference one of the finest films ever made.
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