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PrincessPilotNJ

PrincessPilotNJ

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Oct 23, 2015
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WATXNJMA
I was just offered a really great job with potential to grow...400 miles away. I am so happy to get back into aviation, especially in my favorite city in America: Boston. Though it has me thinking about how it gets kind of lonely never having a place to call home for more than a few years.

When my mom first asked me when I was 14 if I wanted to move to Houston from Seattle, I said hell yeah! I've always been one for adventure. Then I moved by myself to this state at 24. Now I am moving again. I know that is what pilots do is move, but sometimes I feel jealous of those who have settled roots.
 
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North Dakota
Maine
Ohio
Illinois
Turned 2
Oregon
Mississippi
Missouri
16
West Germany (Yes, I'm old)
18
Missouri
Tennessee
Illinois
Tennessee
Florida
25
South Carolina
Washington State
South Carolina
35
Tennessee
45
Kansas
47
and now moving back to the same house in Tennessee.

It does get old.
 
I grew up in a military family. Every couple years.
 
My Dad got out of the Navy when I was ~3. We still moved a bunch, college for him, then 1st job, 2nd job, another location when they got out of what he liked, college for me, grad school,...

College was the longest I had one address until our current home.

My wife and some of my friends have friends for kindergarten. I hardly know anyone from high school. I'm happy my kids will have those lifelong friends.

It wasn't all bad. I realize more than others how similar and dissimilar people are from different areas. People also struggle with my lack of accent; they can't figure out where I'm from. :)
 
Sac Arrow said:
I grew up in a military family. Every couple years.
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Ditto. Then shortly after Dad retired from the Air Force, I went in and stayed for 20 and moved all over the world. Even after I retired from the Air Force I've already moved twice. Guess it's gets in your blood or something. :D
 
On the other hand you can be born and raised somewhere, but as an adult have no particular connection to it.
 
My son just moved from Boston to Jersey City, actually has me thinking hard about getting my medical back and getting current.
 
PrincessPilotNJ said:
I know that is what pilots do is move, but sometimes I feel jealous of those who have settled roots.
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I spent the first 18 years of my life living in one apartment in New York City. I wanted nothing more than to leave. Now, 13 years, college, 3 jobs, and 6 addresses later (granted 3 of those addresses were in college), I can say that leaving there was the best thing I ever did, and I'd never go back. That doesn't mean I don't miss my friends from there who I've known for half my life or more, but the roots I have there aren't enough to make me return.

Ultimately, I have a spirit that would never have been happy where my roots are. So I could either accept being unhappy there, or move and miss my friends. I chose option 2, and am happy with my decision.
 
I moved a lot in my younger years (unstable family, 9 times, with 9 school switches, between kindergarten and 10th grade). I moved a few times trying to find myself in this world professionally. I've been in Nebraska now for 9 years. I would need a hell of a reason to move away from Nebraska. Just to the point in life now that I have too much here that would be too much work to rebuild elsewhere. Plus it's pretty easy in my line of work for a company without actually being there. For example, I live in Lincoln, Nebraska but my employer is based in NYC.

During my last job search I made it very clear with every employer I talked to that there was no way I was going to move today or in the future. Those that didn't like that, well, we parted ways. Most of them though were entirely open to it. My current employer initially told me they weren't interested unless I'd move there within 6 months. I explained as nicely as I could that I wouldn't move. We parted ways and two weeks later they called me back with a change of heart.

I have zero desire to move back or visit the area that I grew up in. Just absolutely no connections left and the whole area is pretty depressing.
 
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Everskyward said:
On the other hand you can be born and raised somewhere, but as an adult have no particular connection to it.
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Certainly that's true, although I don't even have any memory of the place where I was born. When people ask "where are you from" I have to think about it for a while. Depending on the audience and context, it's usually either where I am now, since it's where I've lived the longest, or where I was born, with qualifications.
 
When people ask "where are you from" it's usually an insult. Whatever you said before that was either confusing or insulting to them. (mostly the former)
 
Over the course of my life, I've moved every 3-5 years. I've always liked the adventure of going somewhere new, learning about the local area, making new friends, etc. If I'm going to continue to follow the same trend, I'm actually due for a move here pretty soon. And like clockwork, I find myself daydreaming about where I'd go and what I'd do. For the time being though, I think I'm going to stay put a while longer. I like my job and have a decent house, both of which I'd be disappointed to leave.

Right now, I'm living in my hometown. Work brought me back here, I didn't come back because of any other influence. Ironically, I have no immediate family here anymore, so there is no real draw for me to stay in the area other than that I don't mind being here and it is cheap to live here.
 
Walboy said:
I bet you would have to have one heck of a salary increase living in NYC just to match your cost of living in NE plus make up for the additional tax burden.
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Indeed. In fact, to achieve the same "quality of life" I have in Nebraska would simply be impossible in NYC regardless of income.
 
jesse said:
Indeed. In fact, to achieve the same "quality of life" I have in Nebraska would simply be impossible in NYC regardless of income.
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Well, to get away from the inherent hustle of NYC would in itself involve living outside of NYC. I could never live there. Visit, yes... Live, no. That much crap would instantly kill QOL for me.
 
PrincessPilotNJ said:
I was just offered a really great job with potential to grow...400 miles away. I am so happy to get back into aviation, especially in my favorite city in America: Boston. Though it has me thinking about how it gets kind of lonely never having a place to call home for more than a few years.

When my mom first asked me when I was 14 if I wanted to move to Houston from Seattle, I said hell yeah! I've always been one for adventure. Then I moved by myself to this state at 24. Now I am moving again. I know that is what pilots do is move, but sometimes I feel jealous of those who have settled roots.
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Will you need to change your on-line name to "PrincessPilotMA" or whichever state you go to? Good luck with the new job!
 
jesse said:
Indeed. In fact, to achieve the same "quality of life" I have in Nebraska would simply be impossible in NYC regardless of income.
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They each have their charms. Some of the charms of the NYC area don't appeal to you, and that's fine, just like many people that live there wouldn't appreciate the Lincoln area either.
 
Houston, in my opinion, is dirty. I have absolutely loved living in Jersey. New Yorkers taught me so much, and have pushed me to grow in my professional life. I will have to change my username lol.
 
Sac Arrow said:
Certainly that's true, although I don't even have any memory of the place where I was born. When people ask "where are you from" I have to think about it for a while. Depending on the audience and context, it's usually either where I am now, since it's where I've lived the longest, or where I was born, with qualifications.
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I've lived where I live now far longer than any other place, including where I grew up, but for whatever reason I have always viewed it as temporary.
 
Sounds like someone's runnin from da law

Kiddo's Driver said:
North Dakota
Maine
Ohio
Illinois
Turned 2
Oregon
Mississippi
Missouri
16
West Germany (Yes, I'm old)
18
Missouri
Tennessee
Illinois
Tennessee
Florida
25
South Carolina
Washington State
South Carolina
35
Tennessee
45
Kansas
47
and now moving back to the same house in Tennessee.

It does get old.
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PrincessPilotNJ said:
Houston, in my opinion, is dirty. I have absolutely loved living in Jersey. New Yorkers taught me so much, and have pushed me to grow in my professional life. I will have to change my username lol.
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There's a lot more of Texas than Houston. :)
 
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I've found that different cities support some activities better than others. I thought the folk dancing community was excellent in Atlanta. In Memphis it's not, but it's easier to include flying in my life. Despite the fact that Memphis isn't particularly glamorous, I found I could also make regular lap swimming work here too. I was able to make regular camping and canoeing happen in Miami, not so much in Ga. Much Easier to shoot and carry in TN than in FL or GA too. In MD, it was easy to get up to DC for sightseeing and such, and rural MD living was nice quiet and slow. Different places, different strengths and weaknesses. Good to try it all. Sometimes that thing you haven't discovered yet becomes a real highlight in your life.
 
Alaska for 48 years. Same house for the past 31 years. I'm liking those Texas winters, though!
 
PrincessPilotNJ said:
Houston, in my opinion, is dirty. I have absolutely loved living in Jersey. New Yorkers taught me so much, and have pushed me to grow in my professional life. I will have to change my username lol.
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How is Houston dirty? When did you last live here? And where in Houston did you live?
 
mkosmo said:
How is Houston dirty? When did you last live here? And where in Houston did you live?
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It is just my least favorite place in America. I don't want to go into detail, but I was glad to finally leave. There were some good things about it. I miss the food and country dancing. I went to spring high school. Lived on Cypresswood. Then moved by Willowbrook mall, and then by the Galleria.
 
PrincessPilotNJ said:
It is just my least favorite place in America. I don't want to go into detail, but I was glad to finally leave. There were some good things about it. I miss the food and country dancing. I went to spring high school. Lived on Cypresswood. Then moved by Willowbrook mall, and then by the Galleria.
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Those locations may have something to do with it... I've spent my life on the West side of town (Memorial Villages, Westchase) and loved it. 15 minutes from everything, but not stuck in the inner-loop urban hell. I'd love to move further out, but until recently, had a commute I couldn't beat. Now I work from home and have some flexibility!
 
I've lived in Nola now for 4 years, 8 months. That's over a year longer than anywhere else I've lived since college and longer than I was in college all together. I'm getting a little antsy to move again. Probably have a little over 4 years till I retire from the USAF and can move again. I will be beyond ready!
 
PrincessPilotNJ said:
I was just offered a really great job with potential to grow...400 miles away. I am so happy to get back into aviation, especially in my favorite city in America: Boston. Though it has me thinking about how it gets kind of lonely never having a place to call home for more than a few years.

When my mom first asked me when I was 14 if I wanted to move to Houston from Seattle, I said hell yeah! I've always been one for adventure. Then I moved by myself to this state at 24. Now I am moving again. I know that is what pilots do is move, but sometimes I feel jealous of those who have settled roots.
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Welcome to Boston! Good luck in your new job.
 
One of the main motivations to get my PPL as a teenager was because it expanded the range of horizons I could explore (first it was a bike then a car then a plane). I grew up in one place, but ever since leaving home I haven't stopped being curious about what is over the next horizon, and heading in that direction to find out. Have lived and worked across a large swath of North America, including The Swamp (Houston), Middle East, United Kingdom, continental Europe, Central Asia and west Africa (looks like I can't hold on to a job to save my life). Never deliberately looked for adventure or excitement, just wanted to live an interesting life, but got my share of the former along the way. Slowing down now at an advancing-too-fast age.

I tell the younger folks on my staff that they should try to think of themselves as citizens of the world - we are so globally interconnected in so many ways now they should not limit themselves by thinking where they are at the moment is necessarily the centre of the universe. A peripatetic life won't satisfy the emotional, security and other needs of everyone, but if one is so inclined it can have its rewards.

Boston will be a great place to live and work. Congrats!
 
You will know where home is when you get there. I live in NY, lived a few other places. Traveled to many other places. But even with the high cost of living. There is no where else I want to live.

But Boston is a great city. I was told I had to move there, I would not mind too much. It is like a mini NYC.
 
rolivi said:
When people ask "where are you from" it's usually an insult. Whatever you said before that was either confusing or insulting to them. (mostly the former)
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I wouldn't say that.

Sometimes just saying "pop" vs "soda" will bring on the where are you from line, I've been asked quite a few times, mainly from living all over the place as a pilot who was building hours, I've become somewhat of vocaular gypsy.
 
James331 said:
I wouldn't say that.

Sometimes just saying "pop" vs "soda" will bring on the where are you from line, I've been asked quite a few times, mainly from living all over the place as a pilot who was building hours, I've become somewhat of vocaular gypsy.
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I grew up in Ohio and heard pop and soda all the time, I started calling it soda-pop back in elementary school.
 
PrincessPilotNJ said:
... I know that is what pilots do is move, but sometimes I feel jealous of those who have settled roots.
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Really?? Been flying all my life and have moved twice for a job. Once by choice, once by necessaty. I can't imagine a non professional pilot would ever move due to being a pilot.
 
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