Where the hell am I? A discussion about first jobs in far places.

Hey everyone,

I recently (as in, less than a month ago) moved to Wyoming for my first full-time journalism job. I left one of the most beautiful cities in the world, all my friends, all my family, all my familiarity to chase my dream.

It hasn't really hit me yet, probably because I fuckin love my new job. But I can feel it coming on a little bit -- the drunk dials from eight of my friends saying they wish I was there, the movies that I watch with new friends here, but know it doesn't compare to with my boys back home, the meals that I eat alone now, instead of with friends.

What was your first big move (under 25 or so) like for you?

 

Bennington to Kingston, Jamaica when I was 26.

 

Holy crap, Jamaica? Discuss!!!

 

Oklahoma City to Austin, Texas last August.

 

Don't know what you want to know about it, but just out of college (a little over a year ago) I went from Madison to Fairbanks, Ak. It's been pretty sweet so far, getting to cover crazy stuff like the Arctic Man Ski and Sno-Go Classic, the Top of the Wolrd Classic and the Midnight Sun baseball game. I did it to get a start in the biz and to have an adventure, and I'd say both have worked out pretty well so far.
The down sides?
I'm 3,000 miles from family, so I need to burn all my vacation time just to make it worth visiting them. I miss the friends from back home and at college, but we still keep in touch, and I've made new friends here.
It's an adjustment, and it's not a distance I want to permanently maintain from my family, but for a year or two isn't that bad.
Oh, and two straight weeks of -50 sucks.

 

Columbia, S.C. -- a far, far greater hellhole than anywhere mentioned so far.

 

Moved damn near a foreign country for the first job. Two thousand miles away from my best friend (who underwent major surgery the day I left the big city) and my family.

The first three months came with massive phone bills - when it came to homesickness, I was in denial and insisted the friends come visit me. A laptop computer with instant messenger and e-mail became the best investment I ever made.

 

Evansville, Ind., to Kalispell, Mont.

2,000 glorious miles with cats in carriers. Woo hoo!

 

Just curious, why did you move for money or a promotion? Makes a difference. I know people who would move for more cash, but others who would move far for a step up in responsability.

 

I moved from Podunk, Ala., to Podunk, Miss., with a wife who was an only child. We were 500 miles from home, friends, family. All that stuff. it sucked for about two months, but we made friends and made it work.

 

Omaha to BFE, Eastern Oregon. The drive was 1,600 miles or so, but it's chicken feed compared to my next one.

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Soopahfly,

Speaking as a former resident, Wyoming is what you make of it, especially if you are where I believe you to be.

 

Nagasaki, Japan for 2 fun-filled years teaching English.