Comments on: Walking Away…From The Perfect Job

By: akeorlando

akeorlando — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:16:33 +0000

Two of my closest friends currently live in Boulder. They love it. From what I know about it I think you would fit in perfectly.

By: cbenefiel

cbenefiel — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:32:54 +0000

Melinda,

This is funny actually, to me. Me visiting Denver was what made me not take the perfect job. The perfect job was actually in FL.

I’m actually considering a move to Boulder. I really enjoyed my bike ride in Longmont last year, and Boulder is a cycling city, I’d fit into that city as though I was a missing piece of the puzzle and that’s what made me not take the job in FL.

By: cbenefiel

cbenefiel — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:28:27 +0000

Yeah Jules, I looked at everything, and I spoke to some people who’s opinion is highly valued and they helped me see things in a different light. My cycling is important to me, and FL wasn’t going to give me much in the way of helping me grow into a fine cyclist.

By: cbenefiel

cbenefiel — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:27:07 +0000

Hey Drew, yes, it would’ve been the perfect job, and all things considered, living in the outskirts of Orlando wouldn’t have been too different from the cost of living in Albuquerque (of course, the outskirts of Orlando could’ve very much been the lesser income, scarier to live in area).

I’m kindof like in you the since that I’d rather be out herding cattle (my words) than being around people so it’s very possible that the big city would’ve been very bad for me. But in the end, it came down to how well I would’ve been able to train for rides in the FL area and the result would’ve been “not well” and in the end, I need to be able to train and feel good about my training for my rides. That right there is what my entire decision hinged on once my dad talked to me.

By: Melinda

Melinda — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 22:14:12 +0000

I hate to say it, but based on what little I know, I think you made the right decision.

My parents are both from Colorado, and my grandpa still lives there (as well as several aunts and uncles) so I know a bit about Denver. I think Denver (and the general Denver-area) is in a crisis right now. There are so many people moving there, for the mountains and the view, etc., and they can’t handle it. Denver’s been in a drought for MANY years due to a lack of melted snow filling the reservoirs, and my grandpa is only allowed to water his lawn (I think) once every three days, and is limited in the amount of water he can use every week (5-minute showers!!).

I have an aunt and uncle who live in Morrison (a suburb of Denver). They bought their house in 1995 for about $100k. By 2000 it was worth over $250k. Now, even with the housing market collapse, it is still worth around $190k. The cost of living is outrageous, and the market in Denver is so swollen that it has been insulated from some of the economic crises elsewhere in the nation.

Assuming your lungs are healthy (no asthma, allergies, etc.) it would not be a bad place to train for your bike rides. But I think that’s still a steep price to pay.

By: Jules

Jules — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:46:14 +0000

It looks like you have really looked at this at all angles, and that’s good. I think you’d make a perfect fit at that job, but your biking is important, and you need to be where that can be done the best.

By: Drew

Drew — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:16:00 +0000

Yeah it would have been the perfect job. But living there would have been very tough indeed. I stayed in that area and further south for the next 2 weeks after meeting up with you and it is a crazy land. My father in law and mother in law moved for the perfect job. My FIL is thriving my my MIL is not. They had a great life up north and things are so much worse as far as a living situation down south. It was nice to visit but not to live. Me, I’d have lost my mind living there. I need a farm or something. But then again I’m not the biggest people person anyway.

Bringing a newspaper home from the places I visit often makes me depressed at how high my cost of living is compared to around the country too. And it is nucking futs in FLA.