What would you do? (long)

[cajunmommy]

Skuttle & LSURyan -

Tough choice, but I think I'd have to seriously look at moving out of state. I never thought I could resist the pull of family ties, but my dad always stressed - if you have the opportunity, LEAVE! You can always come home to visit. Get out and see what the world has to offer.

We left the bayou for the exact same reasons - small town mind set (SIL has NEVER been more than 100 mi from home and has no desire to experience any more!), poor schools, limited job availability.

Moving back home, your career choice affords you some options (as long as you have the connections), but with DH I know he'll have problems unless he explores options other than the local school districts. I graduated with a couple of people who are currently teaching band, and you've got to absolutely love what you do. It can't be about the $$$.

Yes, we lament the loss of "free" childcare, but it makes the visits all that more special.

I know Dallas seems a world away, but with the internet and really decent flights between BTR or NO and DFW, it'll be a lot closer than you think.

Not to confuse the issue (I've really gone back & forth on this myself), but if you do decide to go back home, just remember, your son's experiences will greatly depend on you! The bayou is a wonderful place to grow up, but you can do so much more to expand his horizons.

I feel like I'm rambling, but it's an issue DH and I have discussed at length. PM me if you want to talk a bit more, since I really know the "home" side of your situation.

cm

 

[Raysplus1]

I voted for Texas it sounds like it would better for theboth of you in the long run. It would be nice to be near your family but for your career and DS schooling Texas may be the choice.

 

[Sandy V.]

It sounds like Texas provides the best opportunities for your family. You may always be filled with "what if's" if you don't give it a try. Louisiana will always be there for you if you change your mind.

I can relate to your feelings about taking the bar exam again, though. We moved to Colorado right after law school (600 miles from where we grew up) and have lived here since, so luckily my husband and I only had to take it once. But I know you can do it - at least the material should still be fairly fresh in your mind. Best of luck in whatever you and your husband decide to do!

 

[Laurabearz]

Retaking the Bar...... wow..... That would be a huge factor for me.... I lived with a person who failed it 3 times... life with him was fun...

You need to go where the jobs are.... and as others have said, 8 hours isnt that far away, for now....

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

I didn't vote, but I live in New Orleans with my parents in Dallas. I have the only grandkids. My sister who lives 5 minutes away from my parents does not have children. 8 hours is not that far (especially considering it took 12 to get from New Orleans to Alexandria during Ivan evac! ). I haven't lived near my folks since I went to college at 17 (another military member here). There are times when I wish I was closer, but considering we are moving to AZ this year, I don't see that happening.

I know you said you visited Dallas and really liked it, and that you like living in the city. Dallas is HUGE. BR would probably be considered a medium suburb of Dallas. And no matter where you live, you will probably have a fairly long commute in miserable traffic. I loved growing up in Dallas, but having seen many other locations, I will probably not go back there to settle. It is just too big for me now, and I am a city girl through and through.

I am not trying to dissuade you, but I just wanted to throw in my $.02 Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[skuttle]

Thanks again everyone!

Retaking the bar was a big factor for me, especially since La has a completely different type of law than the rest of the US. Taking the Texas bar would be something completely different since La doesn't take the multi-state part...the whole thing would be new. *sigh*

When we went to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl, we actually stayed with friends' parents in McKinney...not actually in the city. If we moved to Texas, we would live in the Dallas surrounding areas...not the actual city. Dallas would be too much city for me! But I'd like having it close by. DH has friends teaching in McKinney, Plano, etc. so I guess we wouldn't be completely alone.

I know Dallas isn't *that* far. It's just that I know my mom couldn't afford to fly to visit us and I wouldn't want her driving that far. Hopefully we'd be able to afford to fly her up to visit us.

 

[IceQueen777]

I now live in a small town in Louisiana. I grew up in New Orleans, but my husband's family is all here in this small town. When we first got married, we lived in Baton Rouge, then moved to St. Louis. My point is that I had always lived in large cities, so the idea of moving to a small town scared me to death.

I have to say that I love it! The sense of community here is unbelievable. Yes, there is that small town mentality, but I have found friends here who also grew up in larger cities. I also have learned to accept people for who they are. They can learn things from me, and I can learn things from them.

About school: When I went to private school in New Orleans, it was mostly (probably about 98%) white kids. My kids now go to a private school here, and things have changed. There are many more minorities (African American, Indian, Asian) than when I was in school, so I feel that my kids are getting some exposure to different cultures. There still aren't as many minorities as the public schools, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

Now, having said all of that...it sounds like Dallas may be the better choice because of the career opportunities. I never appreciated living in Louisiana until I moved to St. Louis. If I never did that, I would have always wondered what it was like to live somewhere else. Maybe you need to do this also. You can always move back to Louisiana if you realize you miss it too much.