NEW JOB UPDATE

[Medic_wheat]

UPDATE.

That job I was offered in Boston with the Va as a VR Counselor?  I was offer but declined.  Many reasons. Wife is in her third trimester baby due any day now and we are nearly done closing on our first house and expect to move in on the 23rd of this month.


The same week I declined that job another one opened up here in San Antonio TX. I APPLIED


well I had my interview yesterday. I was called today and offered the job as a GS 11 step 1 Va VRC Federal Employee.

I accepted (duh). So


Now we play the waiting game. My last day as a state employee is May 1st my first day with the Va May 3rd. Some time in between my wife will go into labor. I will take leave to be with her (possibly only get a week off before my new job starts). I will also need to coordinate a move into a new house and move belonging from a storage unit from our previous town 3 1/2 hours outside of San Antonio to get an extra clutch the bulk of my game toy and comic collection as well as my arcade and coke machines.

I am also in the process of packing our belongings. Which is why I have yet to finish that raffle for a loose Time Gal. It is also why along with all these changes I have not posted much of at all here.



That is all carry on fellow OBYERS.

[Arkhan]

Boston f*cking blows.  My girlfriends entire family is from that place.

The weather blows, the people are annoying (mostly), the houses are $$$$ for nothing, and the roads in some of the areas are straight mental.    They've also got roundabouts because they're descended from hillbilly Englishfolk.

The houses though.  Seriously.   We're talking retard $$$ for small houses.  the house I live in in Cleveland, OH would cost 3x the price and I wouldn't have a backyard anymore.   Nope.


Lots of Boston-people have that annoying "hurrr we're pilgrim historical huurrr" thing going on, and it's terrible.

They're rude and loud and interrupty.   

I'd say f*ck this idea right in the boy parts and stay in Texas.   The weather is nicer.   Find a good paying job in Texas.

[Necromancer]

The better paying job is the only thing that sounds like would be better for you, so why not try to get on with the VA in Texas?

[Arkhan]

Oh also, I forgot to point out, the cost of living in Boston is probably more than where you are, so the extra money will fizzle away and make you sad.

[wildfruit]

If you want to move and spend loads of money on a house where I work in London the going rate for a 3 bed house is £900000 ($1.4 million) come on over!
Seriously though based on the above I'd stay put. Climate is a big factor in human well being.

[Arkhan]

[xelement5x]

I agree with others, your cost of living in Boston is going to be a lot higher than in Texas.  Plus you have to Ma$$holes every damn day.

I'm sure there are pros to it, but I live in the Southwest and love it.

[SignOfZeta]

I would pay anything to not live in Texas.

But it would cost. You'll basically be downgrading your pay. Forget owning a house unless you want to commute an hour each way.

So, move, move for sure, but do it on your own time and go where you want to go. I'd suggest someplace like...I don't know, State College, PA, for example. Civilized but not actually metro.

[Arkhan]

Move to Cleveland!  Our suburbs kick ass and there's jobs everywhere.

and Mr. Hero.

[Medic_wheat]

Well I guess this is the first job interview where I won't worry if I am offered the job. Lol

As for getting a VA job in Texas in my field I'll just have to keep waiting. These positions are highly specific and do not pop up often.

[esteban]

Don't move...not now, anyway.

But, in defense of Boston:

Boston is a gorgeous, wonderful city. Unfortunately, like any metropolitan area, it is incredibly difficult to afford cost of living/rent/home.

I have spent significant periods of my life in NYC, Boston, Los Angeles... and Boston can hold its own.

It really comes down to this: what do you enjoy? I love film, vegetarian restaurants, and parks with fountains the kids can play in. Boston wins when it comes to parks with water fountains the kids can play in.

[toymachine78]

Boston is beautiful during the Christmas season.

[MrBroadway]

Boston is beautiful year round, but the people and roads do suck.

I'm with esteban (except the vegetarian stuff): I like living in a city with a vibrant culture. If you prefer a dried up pond to world class museums, opera houses, and more restaurants than you could possibly try in your whole life, stay put. You do get what you pay for.

[roflmao]

Boston is a great city to visit.  But it is unfortunately infested with a$$holes.  I grew up in RI and had no idea how nice people actually were in the rest of the country until I started living other places. Combine that with the absurd cost of living, the insane traffic and crummy roads, you'd probably be at a net loss when all things are considered. Childcare is probably way more expensive as well.

[bob]

I was born and raised in the boston area.  Spent 8 years working "downtown" in a few different locations.

I hate Boston.  Everything about it.

Much of what others have said is true.  The roads, the commutes, the people, the tourists, the cost of living, the home prices, the congestion/concentration...everybody is spot on.

New England is horrible because it's so inefficient due to the "historical charm" that nobody wants to disrupt.  I wish somebody would come in and level the entire city of boston and start over with competent city planners.

Anyway, a few things to enjoy is that Boston (and surrounding cities) has done a lot over the last 10 years to focus on the arts, if you like that sort of thing.  Also, being minutes from city/mountains/beaches/parks/hiking trails is a plus.  From Boston, you can get to any of those in under 2 hours.  Mountains of new Hampshire being the furthest out of that entire list at just about 2 hours.  So there are plenty of options for a weekend road trip that most of the country has to plan a vacation to get to.

If you are a sports fan...lately, this is the place to be.  Weather you like boston teams or not, it's a very vibrant culture here due to recent success over the last decade or so.

As for drinking and nights out, Boston has some good clubs and nightlife.  Problem is they close early (bars kick you out at 12:30am essentially).
One drawback is that the public transportation BLOWS.  Our subway system is a horrific mess.  Use taxis.

It is very expensive here, so $83K I hate to say it, doesn't get you very far, but I don't know your style of living, so take that with a grain of salt.  I live in a small 3 bedroom ranch in Rhode Island and I'm embarrassed by how much it cost for 1500 sq ft.  I'm lucky to have a good size (half acre) lot with a nice yard for the kids, but again, I'm in Rhode Island where land is a bit more accessible than boston and it's 'burbs.  Somebody pointed out that if you want a yard, prepare to commute an hour each way, and that's pretty true.

If you like thrifting and game hunting (which I know you do), it's a pretty good scene here.  So many colleges here and parents are always cleaning out kids rooms and donating to thrift stores.  I know that's similar around the country, but that is one way the concentration of people kind of helps.  Game "stores" are atrocious here, but the thrifts are good.

Definitely some good things about this area, but Boston "proper" very much sucks.

And for the record Ark, the actual residents are not into the "pilgrim" thing as much as you think, that is a tourist draw and most people are fed up with it.  Its like people in time square new York walking aimlessly with maps and selfie sticks.  Think actual new Yorkers like that?  HA!