Okay, lisah almost makes it sound attractive.

It is kind of a scary time but also exciting in a way hardly any other time in your life will be probably. You have so much opportunity. I do wish that I had traveled more and taken jobs that were not so safe.

After college, I stayed in Boston and had no money and started working and then had a little money. I don't think I found it all that terrifying, more like, just something that needed doing. It was just the thing I did to pay the bills, and I still had my life with my friends, and figuring out what my life was and where it was going. That took about 10 years, so don't worry if you don't have it figured out all at once.

It's less terrifying if you take it one step at a time. Like,

1. I need a place to live.

Then that leads to:

2. Where do I want to live?

Then that leads to:

3. I need a job close to where I live and that will pay for me to live there.

Those were really the crucial issues, for me. Sometimes the job follows the location, sometimes the location follows the job.

It is scary, but it's, IME, a manageable scary, especially if you break it down into bite-sized tasks and decisions.

I remember talking to you the summer before you went to LA--how did you go about putting stuff together?

You have so much opportunity. I do wish that I had traveled more and taken jobs that were not so safe.

Honestly, having this much opportunity is more than a little overwhelming. But I do know that I want to make money to travel more, and then repeat the cycle over again; there are too many places I want to go.

anyone feel like sending an email to matt ping me if you want the address

His family can drive him crazy very quickly - so any contact from people that that are not his family can help keep him on an even keel.

this email will be gone later

I'm totally in Columbia RIGHT NOW and it's...well..the job here pays the bills so...

It's both Stepford and the Chain store/restaurant ghetto. Yeah.

How are you liking the area? I kind of forgot you'd moved down here (or possibly up here). We should go to lunch sometime if you wanted.

Totally! Lunch might be problematic (we only get an hour), although I've got tomorrow and next Monday off.

It's less terrifying if you take it one step at a time.

That's true. But I don't know where I want to live. There are many places I *could* live. Choosing is really hard.

(Though I will note that Hec has been putting SF consistently in the ring for the last three years.)

Lunch might be problematic (we only get an hour), although I've got tomorrow and next Monday off.

I could do next Monday. email me at my profile address and we can set up something.

That's true. But I don't know where I want to live. There are many places I *could* live. Choosing is really hard.

SA, have you taken one of those quizzes that tells you the top 3 or 5 places you should live?

ETA - Beth, thanks for Matt's email. Hope I don't freak him out by emailing him.

SA, have you taken one of those quizzes that tells you the top 3 or 5 places you should live?

Nope. Do you have a link?

So, just how terrifying is it to go somewhere and work post-college?

You did it for a summer, in Chicago. It's like that, only longer. Seriously.

t edit Which is to say -- you got the hang of living on your own, feeding yourself, getting to and from work every day, paying bills, and having a life outside work. When I had my internship in college, it was in Cincy, so I lived at home, had no bills -- all I had to do was get to and from work, which was no big, b/c I had a car.

You'll see -- your internship in Chicago was good for way more than just evaluating what field you might want to work in.

Also, do you fly into Cincy???