Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Country Mouse and City Mouse

I am still applying for full-time teaching jobs with no luck; I've even contemplated getting my old job back at Expensive Clothing Store, where I would get paid slightly more than the minimum wage to say, "Thank you! Come again!" when I really want to say, "I bet when you sold your soul, Satan flinched and offered a refund."

One of the benefits to being single is that I can apply for jobs pretty much anywhere, since I don't have to worry about how a move to a different city or state would affect my spouse or kids. I'd like to stay in Chicago, but I'd also like to wake up looking like Sofia Vergara tomorrow. Unfortunately, the chances of either situation happening are highly unlikely. The former is especially difficult to achieve, due to the draconian budget cuts that the governor is implementing, which have severely and negatively affected the schools in Illinois.

I've applied for jobs all over the country, everywhere from New York City to tiny towns in West Virginia with only a thousand local residents. I'd prefer to live in a big city, rather than a small town that is similar to the small town that I spent eighteen years wanting to escape from. But most colleges are in smaller or medium-sized towns.

Small town life isn't all bad. I do miss the peace and quiet, and how, when I was a child, I used to lie on the grass next to my dog and hear nothing but birds chirping and my dog barking at passers-by. In the city, I lie on my bed and hear sirens blaring, horns honking, and my neighbors yelling, "Chug! Chug! Chug!" as they gulp down their umpteenth beer.

I don't miss the fact that in a small town, everyone not only knew each other, they knew everyone else's business. So if you made any big or small decision in that town, everyone would know within days (or hours), and they'd be sure to throw in their two cents. I like the anonymity of Chicago, where I can walk down the street and not run into an old acquaintance who wants to rehash one of the many times I publicly embarrassed myself at school.

I miss the sight of farmland and wide open spaces, unlike Chicago, where everyone is always bumping into each other or pushing each other to make space for themselves. I remember crossing the street in my hometown and waving to drivers I recognized, whereas in Chicago drivers are much more likely to honk and scream at me for not moving fast enough. I respond by screaming, "I'll move faster...in HELL!"

I don't miss the fact that in my hometown, it seemed like everyone was expected to be the same. If you were even a little bit different, you were a freak, and everyone treated you like a freak. And that was my life for eighteen years, because I was different. I'm not saying that all small towns are like that, because they're not; I'm sure that other towns are more accepting. But one thing I like about Chicago is that there are a lot of people who are much "freakier" than I am, and here, they're viewed as "cool". I don't have to hide who I am here, and I've always felt more comfortable here than I ever did in my hometown.

It makes me sad when I think about leaving Chicago and all the things I'll miss (which is another post in itself). But I always knew that my time here came with an expiration date. The thing about the academic job market is that you can't afford to be choosy. You have to go where the work is. So if I end up in a town even smaller than the one I grew up in, so be it, as long as I get to teach at a good school. But as my rejection letters pile up, I am starting to lose hope that I'll find anything.

Also, I really don't want to go back to working in retail, because I think that a few days at my old store just might end with several customers running out of the store, shrieking, while I chase after them with a mannequin.

What about you? Do you prefer city life or life in a small town?

17 comments:

  1. Sounds like you've lived in the two extremes! I've always lived in suburbs so it's kind of in between, but went to college in the city and I think I prefer that.

    I feel your pain on the job hunt. My fiance and I would like to move soon and trying to find a job first seems impossible. We may just take a chance and move first, then look for jobs once we settle in. I'd hate to be stuck here and have to go back to my old job.

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    1. Hi Sarah,
      I hope that you and your fiance find good jobs soon. It might be easier to look for jobs before you move, though, because you might end up with a job that's too far from home and then you'd have a long commute.
      I wouldn't mind living in the suburbs. Then I'd have more peace and quiet and could still have easy access to a bigger city.

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  2. Best of luck on your job search. I know academia is incredibly competitive!

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    1. Hi Johanna,
      Thanks! It's very competitive; for every full-time job that's available, there's typically a hundred or more people applying for it.

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  3. Sorry the job search isn't going well. But don't give up hope. I've grown up and still live in the same small town, but it's rather large, with hundreds of thousands of people, so we were never the 'everyone knows everyone' type of place. I prefer smaller towns apposed to cities, because I can't handle a lot of people around me or the hustle and bustle. Best of luck with the rest of your applications.

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    1. Hi Murees,
      Thanks! I'll be glad when I'm finally done with the applications, because they take up so much time. Your town must be fairly large; my hometown would probably fit into one small corner of your town.
      I like the hustle and bustle sometimes; I like walking down Michigan Avenue and watching all the people, cars, and buses hurry past.

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  4. Best of luck on the job search. It's a tough game, but any school would be happy to have you.

    I grew up in a large town, wasn't named a city until more recently. It's a laidback and easygoing place, nothing like the big cities like London. Now I live in a small town and people do seem to know each others' business, I'm not such a fan of that. We're actually moving 3 minutes outside to a small hamlet where there is a lot more space for the dogs, it's properly in the countryside. I can't wait!

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    1. Hi Nick,
      Sorry about my belated response! Anyway, thanks for your support! One thing I miss about living in a smaller town is having a dog; my childhood pet lived a long time and was happy to have a big yard to run around in. No one in Chicago has a big yard, unless they live in the suburbs; people usually have smaller dogs, because they live in smaller apartments. And most buildings don't even allow pets.

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  5. Both! I like the quiet and the nature in the country, but I like being in or near the city for all the events and restaurants.

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    1. Hi Deniz,
      Sorry about my late response! I like the variety of restaurants in big cities too; I remember that in my hometown, there were always really long lines in the drive-thru of the fast food restaurants, because there were few other places to eat.

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  6. The right job will turn up - I hope it will be sooner rather than later.

    I have the best of both worlds - I live in a small town (15,000 or so people), 20 minutes from a large city centre in one direction, 20 minutes from moorland and 30 mins from the beach :-)

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    1. Hi Annalisa,
      Actually, I have a possible job lead, but it's in a town that's even smaller than my hometown. If it was at least like yours, where I was near a big city or a cool place like the beach, it'd be okay, but it's not. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens.

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  7. I've lived in tiny towns and in a city, and I have to say I find there are pros and cons to both.

    Recently, I moved into a small town that's less than an hour from a big city, so I'm hoping it's the best of both worlds. ;-)

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    1. Hi Misha,
      I bet it will be the best of both worlds, because you'll still be able to enjoy the big city without having to live with the disadvantages, like the high rent, the crime, and the noise.
      I have to admit that I like Chicago better than my hometown, but who knows? Maybe I'll end up liking my new town (which will probably be small) better.

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  8. I prefer city life. I've never lived in a small town--only cities and suburbs.

    Good luck on your job search. It's a stressful time. I'm looking for a teaching job right now, and have had little response.

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    1. Hi Theresa,
      Sorry I didn't respond sooner! I haven't been online much lately. I like city life better too; I have an interview coming up with a school that's in a very small town, which is one of the reasons why I'm not sure I want the job anymore.
      Good luck on your job search too. I hope that you find a good teaching job soon.

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  9. My home town has about 2300 people in it, so I get the small town life. ;-)
    I'm hoping to visit Chicago for the first time next year! I can't wait!

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