In Short: Why I'm Not Moving Back to San Marcos. A Reply to the Daily Rice.

Moving to San Marcos means (most likely) paying more for rent and either driving 35 minutes to my current job (Which is a drag when I have to do it right after school) or getting a job in San Marcos where I'm all but guarenteed to make less...while having to pay rent in the most overpriced market in Central Texas (housing cost studies have shown this).

Then in the Spring, I will be getting an internship...and the last time I checked all of the media outlets in this area are in Austin. That will mean 2 out of 3 things.

I would personally much rather live WHERE I CAN work. I say this because San Marcos also has basically the worst job market of any city in Central Texas over 25,000 (the Austin American Stateman ran a full page story about this last year, you don't get the dirt on that town unless you read the Austin paper). Living in Austin made it much easier to get a job and when I have to go to work on the weekend (like today), I have to drive 15 minutes, instead of 35. Trying to get a job in San Marcos was excruciating, and frustrating, and any job I would have gotten would have been less likely to pay the bills.

It's essentially a choice between the occasional birthday party, and financial responsibility. Plus, if I'm working my hangout time is pretty limited already. If I'm working out of town that means work actually takes away more from the time when I can hang out. You guys wouldn't see me as much anyway because the cru system isin't tailored to people who have to work in the service industry...but that's okay life isin't fair and it can't be in this case.

But yea to close moving to San Marcos would be a bad decision for me to make for a number of reasons. Number one, likelyhood of being overly stressed trying to drive home from work at 2 AM on a school night....number two, much higher likelyhood of going broke. I've survived school so far with minimal debt (aside from student loans) and I want to keep it that way.

New longest comment award eh? Feel free to ask me about this anytime because I gather that most people don't understand my situation becuase there's is very different, and, in general, much more comfortable and I would even venture to say...easy. Within CRU at least...a lot of upperclassmen students in my program are in my situation...but they aren't in CRU. CRU is made of of a majority of people a nice safe little parentally supported bubble where college students can still be kids. I don't begrudge that at all but it's frustating sometimes when people assume that things are as easy for me.

To sum up the San Marcos situation. Outside of school and good friends, San Marcos has little to offer me. A vast majority of Texas State Broadcast Journalisim seniors live in Austin. I'm not an anomaly...I just am within CRU.

It is good to know that my presence is missed when I'm not around. That means alot. Like I've said though I feel I need to make more of an effort to structure my work schedule so I can go...but of course that requires knowing about things more than two weeks in advance...but I'm good at planning ahead so we'll see.

p.s. my birthday is January 7, and Mike's is January 10...I smell a big party for that one.*wink*

- Jordan

My response was made to this comment by the astute Mr. Rice:

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Jordan,
Boy oh boy. You have won the award for longest comment. Then, after winning the award, you proceeded to outdo yourself and re-win the award. That was awesome...
On a serious note... It seems like a hard position. I've been really lucky to not have to work this semester, a trend that is soon to end. Also, the whole Austin thing compounds the problem. I guess it ultimately comes down to the choice of driving to work or school... I'd choose drive to work, because friends are better than work anyday. Of course, it's probably not as simple as that. But is there any possibility you could move to Marcos?
I'm sure if you wanted to it would work out... things have a way of doing that you know.
And we do miss you at the surprise parties!