I'm originally from NY and I took a leap and accepted a position near Savannah, GA.

Cheri Turner

September 17,2021 at 11:49PM UTC

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I'm originally from NY and I took a leap and accepted a position near Savannah, GA. I love the weather, the affordable living expenses, and the 20 minute commute. I'm just not thrilled by a lot of the "Southern attitude". I work in a scientific/health related field and the anti-science mindset gets to be a downer.

I've been offered a position back in NY but even with a 20K bump in pay I can't really afford a decent place in the area it's located in, I can extend the commute to an hour and get a reasonable place, but then I spend hours in a car. I'm pretty sure I can learn to be content either place...

So my quandary is, is it worth it moving ad changing employers for just the extra $$ or should I stick it out here and look for a transfer within the company I'm already with when I become eligible in the next couple of months? I'm afraid to choose wrong since I'm already in my 50's and want to be able to retire some day...

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Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistSeptember 18,2021 at 3:10AM UTC
Have you looked for similar positions but not in NY? Someplace up north that would be a better culture fit but cheaper than NY?
Cheri TurnerSeptember 18,2021 at 6:09PM UTC
I've been keeping an eye on the positions available within my current company. The parent company is international and pretty much anyplace that has a hospital, school, long term care facility etc. has openings that pop up. I'm eligible for transfer starting next month. One advantage of working in healthcare is there is almost always a need.
AnonymousSeptember 19,2021 at 12:52PM UTC
Come to Central Maryland! We have amazing healthcare and science is real. (Mind you we have southern and western part of the state that don't feel the same)
Cheri TurnerSeptember 19,2021 at 6:16PM UTC
I've considered Maryland... I have friends there and family in VA. The climate isn't as cold as NY either!
Brigid W.September 18,2021 at 4:36AM UTC
Living in the South is very different than NY. The mindset and cultural will never be the same. I made a similar move, and stayed in the South. I have never been really happy, as the culture is not as open-minded. On the positive side, I have surrounded myself with great friends who make me feel comfortable and are very diverse because they have lived in many different places.
Cheri TurnerSeptember 18,2021 at 6:07PM UTC
I've been hoping to find some friends and open minded people but this virus makes it hard to do much of anything. I can't wait for the end of this pandemic.
AnonymousSeptember 18,2021 at 4:39AM UTC
Wow, I don't see the real issue with where you are. It doesn't sound miserable. Southern attitude aside, what's the problem? You can't accommodate the lack of love of science? Given all the plusses I'm not sure you'll find that perfect place.
Cheri TurnerSeptember 18,2021 at 6:18PM UTC
It's not so much the lack of the love of science as the lack of belief in it. It's really come into focus with the pandemic, so many people in the area think it's nothing. But having watched so many people die or have their lives significantly impacted by it and then having people say it's just a cold and we need to get over it and there is no need for vaccines and masks. Even some healthcare professionals seem to think this a hoax or no big deal.
It also doesn't help that they seem to thinks it's their job to help me find a church to go to whether or not I want too.
AnonymousSeptember 19,2021 at 3:09AM UTC
I'm not trying to be mean but why in the world would you move somewhere like that? Did you not know what the southern US is like?
Cheri TurnerSeptember 19,2021 at 6:14PM UTC
I figured closer to the city I would find it more open minded, I had a great time in Atlanta. Jacksonville, FL has been a pretty nice place to be too. Usually you get more open minded people near cities...
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistSeptember 20,2021 at 7:01AM UTC
In August Jacksonville was the number one place in the US for new covid infections. Right now, Jacksonville city employees are suing the city so they won't have to get the required vaccines.
If you're looking for a place where people believe in science, that's not it.
AnonymousSeptember 19,2021 at 12:54PM UTC
Be global. Find friends you like on-line. A lot of people are moving around right now. Try meet.com
Star7September 19,2021 at 3:34PM UTC
I don't know where you are in NY, but I am in PA, and we have been considering selling a track of land we have that is about 1.5 hours from NYC (it's inside PA) and roughly the same to NJ. If you know of NY'ers who may be interested send me a message. It is in a community with HOA fees.
AnonymousSeptember 20,2021 at 1:56PM UTC
I’m a Southerner who has moved from the Deep South, to NYC to the Deep South and now the PNW. It’s all about the company you keep and the community you surround yourself with. Keep an open mind to the communities of love & care in your area and less so on your differences. While NY is nice, if you can’t live comfortably there or meet any of your financial goals you will find yourself staring down a barrel of other challenges.
AnonymousSeptember 20,2021 at 2:04PM UTC
No place is perfect - there are positives and negatives to both which I feel like you layout pretty clearly.
In NY with a 20k pay raise, it still may be harder to afford place and would require a longer commute but generally speaking the people have similar mindsets.
In GA you have lower pay but its easier to afford a place and a shorter commute but generally speaking you find that the people aren't those who have similar mindsets as you.
I would consider two things..... are you able to be stable with the income in whichever place you choose? Which place will make you enjoy going to work? Its hard to go to work everyday if you aren't happy.
AnonymousSeptember 20,2021 at 10:17PM UTC
You're going to find things that are not to your liking anywhere you live. You need to do some soul searching about what you want your life to look like.
AnonymousSeptember 20,2021 at 10:33PM UTC
I moved on a whim but knew 90% about how I like my life to feel. There are must haves and nice to haves and deal breakers. I jumped at a chance to move to a place I'd been traveling to fir business. I knew no one, had no family there and had to build my life there.
Because I knew what my life needed to feel, I made quick decisions on where to live (near art music and cafes), what my home needed to have (yard for my my dog, parks to run in. Farmers markets)and where my free time was going to be spent (live music, pottery class, dance studio, yoga classes). I wanted away from suburban areas, freeways and malls. I had all this figured out so my decisions were straightforward and clear.
5 years later I had a new job , new friends, engaged and bought a new home.
You need to treat you move like a new project. You track the milestones, get clear about your priorities and make swift, precise decisions based on you project plan.