Yep - I've moved back to PA. I gather you may be wondering why it was such a short visit.
Mass was a bit of a failure to launch on my part. My fiancee and I had little time to prepare: we flew off to MA because we had few other options. Once we got there, we realized that the amount of money we had saved was worth a lot less in that state.
Until moving up to Mass, I had no idea that different states had such overall price differences. Everything that we would buy at a store was twice the price that it would have been in PA. Which meant that, while we thought we weren't exactly prepared when we left, we found ourselves vastly under-prepared when we arrived.
Mass was a bit of a failure to launch on my part. My fiancee and I had little time to prepare: we flew off to MA because we had few other options. Once we got there, we realized that the amount of money we had saved was worth a lot less in that state.
Until moving up to Mass, I had no idea that different states had such overall price differences. Everything that we would buy at a store was twice the price that it would have been in PA. Which meant that, while we thought we weren't exactly prepared when we left, we found ourselves vastly under-prepared when we arrived.
Jobs are scarce everywhere, but not until MA did I see "Help Wanted" signs in almost every window. I was so excited about scoring a brick-and-mortar job that I applied to everywhere within walking distance (which was quite a few places). I figured out slowly, painfully, that these locations weren't actually hiring... they kept the sign in their windows "just in case". I called up to follow after every single application, and I got hesitant remarks such as, "Oh, you applied? Right. Ok. Uhm. Yeah, we have that sign in our window. I guess. Let me uh... get back to you." Weeks go by. I call again, same answer. Months go by. I call again, same answer. I'm not sure why the people of that area couldn't simply give me a "Yes, we're looking for someone to fill a position, but it's not you." or "Hey, turns out we don't actually need anybody to work for us currently." Being turned down would have been better than keeping me hanging on, wondering each day if I'd get a job. Rather heartbreaking.
My fiancee was on the other side of the fence - he had a job working nights at CVS. He didn't want to work nights, and he expressed that he would only work nights if they could get him off the shift after three months. He hung in there for 5-6 months, while they stalled and gave very similar excuses as to what I received: "Oh, uh, yeah, you wanted to be switched to days. We'll uh... get on that. Soon." He started developing some serious health issues from lack of sleep and sunlight. Because I wanted to spend time with him while he was awake, I adjusted myself to the night schedule as well. Creatures of the night we were, yesssss.
Finally, enough was enough. My fiancee and I were in tears at our situation - Jake hardly got enough to pay rent, and as I dipped my toes into freelance writing online I had enough for us to eat some rice once in a while. I started suffering from vitamin deficiency, due to lack of food. We were in a bit of trouble.
Then he got a chance to leave CVS. It was unexpected, it threw us for a loop, but despite having zero hope and no plans for the future... we were so glad to see the sun again. And not be zombies. There weren't enough brains in the area to survive as a zombie.
A day or two later, we got the message from my fiancee's family that a cheap apartment had just popped up back in PA. We pounced on it, driving back in our mostly-not-legal vehicle (the plates had long expired and the insurance wasn't exactly current). We glided back on a barely functioning battery, very little has, and a hope and prayer. Not sure how we made it, but here we are.
And boy I'm I glad to be here. Our situation is finally starting to look up. Why? I'm getting to pursue my unbridled love - writing. I've wanted to be a freelance writer since I was young, and that desire hasn't dwindled. We live in the middle of nowhere, the illegal car is parked in my parent's lawn until we can make it legal, and my fiancee is out of work.
But I'm working. I'm writing. I'm eating. I'm living-and-loving-it-up with my fiancee. And I'm having the time of my life. For now, that's all that matters.
My fiancee was on the other side of the fence - he had a job working nights at CVS. He didn't want to work nights, and he expressed that he would only work nights if they could get him off the shift after three months. He hung in there for 5-6 months, while they stalled and gave very similar excuses as to what I received: "Oh, uh, yeah, you wanted to be switched to days. We'll uh... get on that. Soon." He started developing some serious health issues from lack of sleep and sunlight. Because I wanted to spend time with him while he was awake, I adjusted myself to the night schedule as well. Creatures of the night we were, yesssss.
Finally, enough was enough. My fiancee and I were in tears at our situation - Jake hardly got enough to pay rent, and as I dipped my toes into freelance writing online I had enough for us to eat some rice once in a while. I started suffering from vitamin deficiency, due to lack of food. We were in a bit of trouble.
Then he got a chance to leave CVS. It was unexpected, it threw us for a loop, but despite having zero hope and no plans for the future... we were so glad to see the sun again. And not be zombies. There weren't enough brains in the area to survive as a zombie.
A day or two later, we got the message from my fiancee's family that a cheap apartment had just popped up back in PA. We pounced on it, driving back in our mostly-not-legal vehicle (the plates had long expired and the insurance wasn't exactly current). We glided back on a barely functioning battery, very little has, and a hope and prayer. Not sure how we made it, but here we are.
And boy I'm I glad to be here. Our situation is finally starting to look up. Why? I'm getting to pursue my unbridled love - writing. I've wanted to be a freelance writer since I was young, and that desire hasn't dwindled. We live in the middle of nowhere, the illegal car is parked in my parent's lawn until we can make it legal, and my fiancee is out of work.
But I'm working. I'm writing. I'm eating. I'm living-and-loving-it-up with my fiancee. And I'm having the time of my life. For now, that's all that matters.
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