It's really interesting to read these entries, since the ones here are fairly negative regarding Omaha, yet I was sent an email by someone in New Mexico where we both live, and she men-tioned a friend who has lived in Omaha for 10 years and has loved living in the area. For myself, I'm leaving New Mexico. Some I’ve met in New Mexico have loved the area. They, for the most part, didn’t have much for ambition and didn’t care to work. They would rather dress in a care-free style and live like they are in the land of manana, which is widely said in New Mexico. (the land of no definite future or there is no tomorrow, or let’s put it off into tomorrow and the next tomorrow.) I have seen others, many others, leave in the nearly two years I’ve been here (recent transplants themselves) and decided in less time than I, that it was not for them. I lived in the Twin Cities for 13 years, and while I left due to a negative circumstance, I decided I wanted to return to the Midwest. I have heard that in Orlando, everything comes with Mickey Mouse on it. Florida would not be for me at all, and I don't even have kids. I guess if people don't like paying taxes, which amounts to a lower standard of living, then live in Orlando - you may regret your choice of location when your kids go the Florida public schools. I have lived in Virginia (mid-South), Upper Midwest, and the Southwest. I have seen the direct correlation between low taxes and a lower standard of living. Likewise, where the tax base is higher, the standard of living is higher. I have seen crime in Richmond, VA and definitely in Albuquerque. But, I can't say I ever felt unsafe around here. However, having a decent job is important to me, having a decent stan-dard of living and living amongst those who feel the same is important to me. In New Mexico, I'm sick of seeing people with a multitude of kids, driving 20-year-old vehicles, and living where the high school graduation rate is less than 50%. Then, the retention rate for freshman at the uni-versity level is 50%. I don't need a place with a lot to do. I like to study and work. And, I’ll give up any day hiking in mountains or on Albuquerque’s volcanoes (and I have enjoyed that part very much) to being able to earn a regular living and staying afloat. After many interviews in a three-month period, I’ve decided to try it elsewhere in a city with more industry, more jobs, and a more talented workforce. When I left Richmond, I was in pretty much the same situation as now in Albuquerque – not much for work and usually low paying jobs. I pretty much thrived in Minnesota, and feel I went down a notch or two here in New Mexico. And, I decided I won’t al-low myself to slide any further. Sadly, in this area, if you didn’t graduate from high school, you are more likely to get hired at many of the minimum wage jobs that one finds here. I have even seen well educated persons not make it here since the level of education and work is just not ap-preciated.
VS |
Albuquerque, NM |
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