Settling In

When I first moved down here, I have to be honest, I wasn’t crazy about Pittsburgh. I’ve visited friends here quite often but never really felt like it was somewhere I’d want to move. I’ve actually had my heart set on Seattle and still have it in my head to move there at some point in my life.

Anyways, I’ve been thinking a lot about where I am headed. Do I want to go back to C.A. and teach English? Yes. But is that realistic? Right now, no. Not financially. Not to mention, I’ve been unemployed for a year now which leaves quite a gap in my resume. At some point I have to start being practical about getting a stable job with benefits and saving some money. I need to make sure I’ll be able to do the things I want to in the future and in order to do that, I need to be making wise decisions now.
So, where does that leave me? I’m not 100% sure but I’ve made some adjustments in my plan for the next couple years. I need to go to grad school. In order to work in this field in the capacity that I’m dreaming about, I need my Masters. Pitts right down the street so I’m leaning towards that. Also, financially speaking, attending a grad school in-state is much gentler on the purse strings.

My best friend is also looking to buy a house in the next 6 months or so. If and when she does, I can move in there. By staying in the same place for a few years I’ll allow myself the opportunity to make some connections and fluff up my resume a bit more. Then, in 3 years when I have my masters, I’ll be in a position to move wherever I want for work and I’ll be a hundred times more marketable at that time.

I have no roots anywhere but Erie…just footprints all over the world. I’ve conceded to the fact that in this economy, where I can’t just get the first job I apply for…or the 100th (or so it seems)…maybe it’s time for me to set down some roots.
But, Pittsburgh? So many people I know love Pittsburgh. I have been so busy (literally sometimes working 60-70 hours a week) that when I do get a day off, I want to just sleep all day and watch TV. The other day I went downtown and found myself FURIOUSLY driving around for no less than 25 minutes, I kid you not, trying to find a parking garage within 10 blocks of my destination that didn’t say “FULL”. I was more than annoyed and questioned what the hell I was doing living in a city.

After finally parking, I found myself walking through the streets feeling excited. It’s a big city without being too overwhelming and the mix of people here is refreshing. I felt surprisingly moved by the city vibe and started to think maybe this could work out for me?