Anyone actually leave the DC Rat Race?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The assumption that people who live in small towns are stupid and unsophisticated is absolutely appalling. There are plenty of educated, sophisticated people who live far outside of NYC/DC/LA/SF/Chicago.

There may be some but you don't find high concentrations of them in small, sparsely populated towns. Of course, there are ignorant uneducated people in the big cities, too, but you have a larger population to choose your circle of friends.

And don't forget how easy it is to find folks that are both educated AND ignorant in big cities

True. True.

[Anonymous]

We are working on that right now. But our potential move is pretty much so that we can get closer to family. We both grew up spending weekends at grandparents' houses, and we are currently an 8 hour car ride (mine) and a 4 hour plane ride (his) away from the grandparents. Not to mention we will NEVER be able to have a house with a yard in this area. I want our child(ren?) to have a backyard, swing, etc.

Now all we have to do is figure out my husband's job situation. It worries me a little to move in such tough economic times to a smaller city with far less job opportunities for someone with his background (former military, clearances, engineering degree), but he hopes to keep his current job OR find another one before we go. We would NEVER move without knowing he was employed. We could never survive on my salary alone long term.

We plan to move to Austin, TX - which is an hour from his family and my parents are relocating with us.

[Anonymous]

The cultural impoverishment of people across great swathes of this country is a sad fact of life. Of course there are exceptions, but they are few are far between.

The fact is that the majority of upper-middle class people in DC have travelled abroad, have some knowledge of world events, and have read for pleasure. People read the New Yorker etc. Once you get away from the handful of similar - mostly liberal - places you are met with a wall of ignorance. People are generally very friendly, but they get their views from Fox news and their church, and tend to have a very limited world view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cultural impoverishment of people across great swathes of this country is a sad fact of life. Of course there are exceptions, but they are few are far between.

The fact is that the majority of upper-middle class people in DC have travelled abroad, have some knowledge of world events, and have read for pleasure. People read the New Yorker etc. Once you get away from the handful of similar - mostly liberal - places you are met with a wall of ignorance. People are generally very friendly, but they get their views from Fox news and their church, and tend to have a very limited world view.

You are very articulate. Thanks for expressing my views so fluidly.

BTW, the travelers in DC are not merely upper middle class. It also includes middle class and college students who traveled or studied abroad. All of this lends itself to a better/improved global awareness and away from believing all the falsehoods and fear fanned by Fox News, the Bill O'Reillys and the Glenn Becks of this country. That's not to say that there aren't still educated morons in the metro areas who believe Fox News et al.

[Anonymous]

People who read the New Yorker and listen to NPR also have a limited world view -- it's just limited in a different way.

[Anonymous]

We will be re-locating in the next 2 years as well- to be closer to family.

Those of you that did move- how did you go about looking for jobs? Did you rent for a while and then buy once you determined which area you wanted to live? How did you go about getting a sense of the community?

[Anonymous]

No, we feel job opportunities would be worse anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

Both DH and I are originally from Alabama. We've lived in DC off and on for the past 9 years. We attempted to move away in 2006 when we were relocated to Raleigh, NC (which we absolutely LOVED!!!) only to be transferred back to the DC area. We'd leave tomorrow if we could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both DH and I are originally from Alabama. We've lived in DC off and on for the past 9 years. We attempted to move away in 2006 when we were relocated to Raleigh, NC (which we absolutely LOVED!!!) only to be transferred back to the DC area. We'd leave tomorrow if we could.

If my parents hadn't decided they were moving to be closer to us when we relocate, we were planning for Raleigh. I have a lot of college friends in the area and it is still on the East Coast. It would have been halfway to where my parents are currently and we still could hop southwest to TX if needed.

And in the "never been there but it sounds pretty cool" category, I'd relocate EVERYONE to Portland, OR if we could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cultural impoverishment of people across great swathes of this country is a sad fact of life. Of course there are exceptions, but they are few are far between.

The fact is that the majority of upper-middle class people in DC have travelled abroad, have some knowledge of world events, and have read for pleasure. People read the New Yorker etc. Once you get away from the handful of similar - mostly liberal - places you are met with a wall of ignorance. People are generally very friendly, but they get their views from Fox news and their church, and tend to have a very limited world view.

Oh my goodness. I (a big reader, frequent traveler, passionate liberal) landed in DC through circumstance, not ambition, and I don't read more or travel more or find myself any more liberal now that I live here than I did when I lived in a small city in a place that you would probably label as suffering from "cultural impoverishment." And, when I lived there, I was surrounded by just as many smart, cool friends and like-minded people as I am now. What an incredibly myopic, inaccurate, and offensive statement.

[Anonymous]

For those of you who moved away from this area (physically and psychologically) and are glad you did, why are you still reading DCUM? If I was outta here (and don't get me wrong, I actually like it here) I'd just LET IT GO and move on. DCUM would be the last thing on my mind.

[Anonymous]

Um... I left the rat race, but stayed in DC.

This is an option. I took a 50% pay cut and moved from a job I hated working long hours (BigLaw) and became a government lawyer. I will never be the general counsel of a fortune 500 company, but I now realize I wouldn't want to be. I live in Vienna, work flexible hours so my commute really isn't that bad, have nice colleagues, my kids go to public school. I shop at Target, Old Navy, and only occasionally Ann Taylor. My nails haven't seen a manicure in 5 years. I get $40 haircuts and skip the highlights (even though I really like them). I have time (since I'm not working or commuting all the time) to participate in two sports that I love (both just on a recreational 2-3 time a week schedule). My neighborhood has lots of nice people, and I avoid the "Joneses". I'm very good at a few things, and I've embraced my mediocrity in everything else. And I'm happy.

Just another perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um... I left the rat race, but stayed in DC.

This is an option. I took a 50% pay cut and moved from a job I hated working long hours (BigLaw) and became a government lawyer. I will never be the general counsel of a fortune 500 company, but I now realize I wouldn't want to be. I live in Vienna, work flexible hours so my commute really isn't that bad, have nice colleagues, my kids go to public school. I shop at Target, Old Navy, and only occasionally Ann Taylor. My nails haven't seen a manicure in 5 years. I get $40 haircuts and skip the highlights (even though I really like them). I have time (since I'm not working or commuting all the time) to participate in two sports that I love (both just on a recreational 2-3 time a week schedule). My neighborhood has lots of nice people, and I avoid the "Joneses". I'm very good at a few things, and I've embraced my mediocrity in everything else. And I'm happy.

Just another perspective.

Where did you shop before and how much did you pay for your haircuts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cultural impoverishment of people across great swathes of this country is a sad fact of life. Of course there are exceptions, but they are few are far between.

The fact is that the majority of upper-middle class people in DC have travelled abroad, have some knowledge of world events, and have read for pleasure. People read the New Yorker etc. Once you get away from the handful of similar - mostly liberal - places you are met with a wall of ignorance. People are generally very friendly, but they get their views from Fox news and their church, and tend to have a very limited world view.

You are calling other people ignorant? Oh the irony is killing me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um... I left the rat race, but stayed in DC.

This is an option. I took a 50% pay cut and moved from a job I hated working long hours (BigLaw) and became a government lawyer. I will never be the general counsel of a fortune 500 company, but I now realize I wouldn't want to be. I live in Vienna, work flexible hours so my commute really isn't that bad, have nice colleagues, my kids go to public school. I shop at Target, Old Navy, and only occasionally Ann Taylor. My nails haven't seen a manicure in 5 years. I get $40 haircuts and skip the highlights (even though I really like them). I have time (since I'm not working or commuting all the time) to participate in two sports that I love (both just on a recreational 2-3 time a week schedule). My neighborhood has lots of nice people, and I avoid the "Joneses". I'm very good at a few things, and I've embraced my mediocrity in everything else. And I'm happy.

Just another perspective.

I feel the same way! Well put. I work in a nonprofit and it's pretty standard 40 hours a week. I do commute to DC but we live in a small house close in. We love our neighborhood, it's full of young families and I haven't met anyone who is pretentious or competitive (to be fair though I have mostly a casual relationship with most neighbors since we both work and spend free time with family in the area ,but we are pretty close to a few of our immediate neighbor and they are great). DH has a ten minute commute and has been with his company for 15 years, and they are like family. He also has a lot of flexibility. We really don't have to worry about things like private school applications, the right preschool, etc., simply because we can't afford it!

Of course, there are things about the area we can't escape from: it is crowded, it is expensive, you ride the metro and hear the peridoic obligatory "is that your bag" terrorist warnings. but for every downside there is a plus. I do feel for people who hate it here and have long commutes, and people without family nearby. But would encourage anyone who feels they can't leave but wants to, to try to make any changes you can to be happy here. Even if it means making less money.