I always used to say with a chuckle, "Living in Montana is essentially poverty with a view." It used to be funny, like, "Ha ha. We're paying for the wonderful lifestyle we have here and even though we'll never be able to pay back our student loans, everything will be okay.....right?" Everything will be okay?I've always shirked the idea that money really has anything to do with happiness. So far that mantra has worked out. It'll always be true....to an extent, that is. AJ and I don't need money to be happy because we don't buy things. Ever. We don't want cars and televisions and gadgets and gold-plated toilet seats and jet skis and motorcycles and vacation houses and 90-dollar jeans. We don't want anything except to be able to pay our bills and to keep a small roof over our heads, allowing for the two indulgences we give ourselves: internet at home and the ability to travel once per year. This should, seemingly, be in reach...
...but we've recently learned that, nope, it ain't. I got a statement in the mail describing my upcoming student loan payments...and I almost crapped my pants. AJ's working situation is unraveling while mine is simply not lucrative enough, and though we always thought, "Everything will get better," that if we could just hold on a little longer things would come around, that if things a,b, and c worked out we could keep chuggin' along, eeking out a living here in the land of beauty, it's become clear that the situation will not improve or that its progress will simply be too slow.
We gotta go. It's time.
We, after mulling over a few options, decided on Minneapolis. We know the city very well and can lean on our friends and family there for support (like when we come to their doors shaking with vexation and begging for mountains to manifest themselves in the middle of 35W). It will require adaptation, of course, but that's how we learn. And ya know what? I'm really looking forward to the change. Living in a city again will be nice.
We're leaving in 2 weeks. Watching Missoula fade out in the rearview mirror will suck. Bad. But I'll just have to remember that it's for the best, and that I'm super lucky to have a partner like AJ to accompany me into this new endeavor.
I was really taken aback to hear you guys were leaving. I hope things work out well in your new situation.
ReplyDeleteCullen and I will miss you two very much.
Good luck!
Really sorry things aren't quite working out like you'd hoped Shelley. You will create a great new life for yourselves in Minneapolis though and having AJ with you will make it so good no matter what.
ReplyDeleteMiss you guys. Hugs
Pete
Thanks, guys. We will miss Montana like CRAZY, but we certainly won't miss our current situation. It looks as though we need to change with the times and hope for the best! And actually, we're really looking forward to it and have nothing but positive feelings for the journey. It'll be great! :)
ReplyDeleteI hear your pain about the current situation. I have great friends, like where I live and what I do outside of work.....but my job has a horrible commute (at least 1hr each way in heavy traffic) and the pay is quite frankly....awful. Some of the other people who have the same job as me are only half-jokingly thinking of applying for food stamps :-(
ReplyDeleteStill life otherwise is enough to keep me smiling but I'm tired of being broke all of the time. Time to make a change methinks :-)