Where is the American Dream kive and well?

[ultrarunner]

As you say, the cost of living there is every bit as high as the wages (which makes sense...there's no free lunch). I'm curious how the quality of life compares with a place like, for example the deep south where wages are low, but so is cost of living.
Crime, traffic, commute times, etc. also play a role.

It does seem for the SF Bay Area at least a segment of the population cashes out and retires elsewhere... more than half the people that retire from where I work sell the family home and take their windfall and move out of state... either north to Oregon/Washington or East to Nevada with many more to the South.... so far I don't know anyone that has retired to the North East or Mid West...

Traffic to the city is just about unbearable... I could have driven from Oakland to Lake Tahoe in the time it took my to take company over to SF for lunch and back... a traffic light turns green and the line stretching for blocks moves about 4 car spaces.

Crime... especially now classified as petty crime... basically anything under $950 is rampant... smash and grab with impunity... streets are littered with broken auto glass from side window smash and grabs...

It was not like this growing up...

Yet, with all the problems I meet people new to American and California all the time searching their American Dream...

 

[MacLawn]

From the replies here looks like the American Dream depends probably more on who you are than where you are.

Okay downsizing, I am late to this thread party, was reading through and when I got to your post, hey, that's it! Same way it's always been. Having said that in agreement, I also think old Wags down in Tasmania, Eddie, etc., are right about moving too. Follow the opportunity! Ethyl and I have many family members who just get stuck in the mud, wouldn't leave for a better opportunity for anything! I canno' understand that. Move boys, go where there is a better job. Go overseas to make your own American Dream if need be! Hey, that's what my ancestors did starting in the 1600s for maternal ancestors. Left the old countries, got out of Dodge...

 

[downsizingnow48]

Move boys, go where there is a better job.

My grandfather emigrated from western France in 1912. Went to New York, didn't like that. Went to work on a farm in Iowa. Left that to work in the mines in Colorado. Left that for San Diego, started a farm producing vegetables for the Los Angeles market. Raised 8 children and a lot of grandchildren were born on that farm including me.

One of our girls has worked in Washington DC, New Orleans, San Francisco, and now Maryland - she is 35 years old.

So I guess who you are and where you are are two sides of the same coin. At least sometimes.

 

[downsizingnow48]

Move boys, go where there is a better job.

My grandfather emigrated from western France in 1912. Went to New York, didn't like that. Went to work on a farm in Iowa. Left that to work in the mines in Colorado. Left that for San Diego, started a farm producing vegetables for the Los Angeles market. Raised 8 children and a lot of grandchildren were born on that farm including me.

One of our girls has worked in Washington DC, New Orleans, San Francisco, and now Maryland - she is 35 years old.

So I guess who you are and where you are are two sides of the same coin. At least sometimes.

 

[coobie]

I think that my wife and I are an example of the "American Dream." We come from comfortable, middle-class backgrounds.

My father got an associate's degree and over the course of his life he worked as a draftsman, a shop foreman, and eventually retired from a job as a salesman who spent four nights a week on the road. My mother was a nurse for a few years and then stopped working to raise their six children. Eventually, she went back to work teaching the developmentally disabled. She basically worked that job just to put the six of us through college. They were quite frugal, but we never wanted for much either. They scrimped and saved and now my mother can maintain that simple lifestyle on her tiny teacher's pension and their retirement savings.

My wife's parents married right out of high-school. Her father works construction. Through consistent hard work he's worked his way into upper management for the small commercial construction company he works for. Her mother has had a couple of jobs but neither for very long. She's basically always stayed home.

My wife got a bachelor's degree in Chemistry (with a bunch of loans), went to work as a laboratory technician, and steadily climbed the corporate ladder. She manages a group of engineers and quality specialists now. Nothing was handed to her. She has a reputation for doing good work and always delivering what she says that she will.

I got both a bachelor's and a PhD. My career started later and the job market was tough at the time, so I still started as a temporary employee. Instead of saying it was beneath my qualifications (which it was), I took a job as a "Technician I" in a quality control laboratory. I worked that job for a couple years to get some experience and then went into R&D at a small pharmaceutical company. I did well there for five years and was then rehired at the first company as a "Senior Research Scientist." I've worked very hard here and have been promoted to "Principal Research Scientist," which is a high-level technical position. I'm also doing leadership development work because they've identified me as having management potential.

We live in west Michigan, which if you look at the links above you'll see has a very reasonable cost of living. The Grand Rapids area is wonderful if you can stand the weather, with basically none of the traffic, crime, or blight that you see in eastern MI. We're expecting our first children now (twins!) and I'm very glad that I didn't pursue some opportunities we've had over the years to move to the west coast, because this will be a great place to raise our children in their earlier years.

So yes, I think that the "American Dream," whatever that is, is alive and well. But you can't just dream about it. You have to be deliberate. Make a plan, work very hard and consistently perform, and always play the long game. You can't just roll over when you have setbacks (believe me we've had a few). Everybody gets unlucky sometimes. Keep your head up and make the best of every situation you're in.

I have to somewhat disagree with Grand rapids mi. having low crime and light traffic.I live in southern lower mi. and watch WOTV out of GR.It seems they have quite a bit of crime there.28th street traffic is no charm to drive in.On the other hand congrats to you and your wife on your new twins and for working hard and living the dream.

 

[Redneck in training]

If you read through the posts it is the same story all over again. Those who succeed take chances, work smart and hard, get as much training as they can and use the setbacks (preferably of others) to learn from.
'Here is rest of my story:
I came to USA 39 years old with 42 dollars, didn't speak English at all, had summer clothes on and it was freezing in February 1986. First three years were quite difficult financially but one of the best time personally. One day after several months in the USA one of the guys from my sponsor (Catholic church) asked if I have any friends. I told him I have a friend in Des Moines, IA. He said that is coincidence I am going to DSM next weekend to see my sister if you want you can go with me. So I went with him. His sister was member of a business club and said we will go to the club for dinner. I saved 300 USD but had to spend it to buy a business suit, shoes etc. While in the club she talked to the club manager when he stopped at our table and told him that I am fresh arrival possibly looking for a better job. He asked me if I can fix ice machine. I have never seen ice machine in my life but figured that it is a refrigeration unit with some mechanical stuff that I could figure out. So I confidently said sure, that can't be too difficult. Well if you can do it you got a job. I was in DSM few weeks later. When I got in the club I found that there were no tools to speak of so I asked my boss to give me 2000 to get the essentials. He gave 1000 so I went to hardware store and bought wise, files set of screwdrivers, wrenches, electrical drill, multimeter and bunch of other stuff. I never called a service in following three and half years except refrigerant recharging. At that time the club installed one of first IBM PC computers with accounting software. My job included emptying boss's trash can every morning and one day I found the computer print out there. It fascinated me what it could contain so I took it put it under my shirt, went to the toilet and study that. I found that maintenance expenses were down about 20000 after only several months since I was hired. After that day I studied the printout weekly gauging my performance. The club was sending squeaky chars to refinisher to fix them, I told boss not to waste money and instruct the buss boys to put squeaky chairs in one corner and I would fix them. I reglued and refinished dancing floor one weekend saving a bundle. After about six month of employment I asked the boss for a rise. When asked how much I told him 12/hour (100% rise) and was immediately thrown out of his office. Nevertheless next paycheck I was paid 9/hour. I waited few more months and asked for 12/hour again. That time I was not thrown out of the office and was told that my job is dead end job, then he took my time card threw it in garbage bin and told me to enroll to school and if I keep the place running he wouldn't care when I come or leave the work. School comes first he told me. They gave me a pager and everyone was trained to call me instead looking for me. While in school I took also summer semesters, never missed single day unless there was an emergency at the club and graduated two and half years later. Married my wife who was a graduated assistant at the university. Then I quit the maintenance job and got first "real" job I was employed at for past 25 years. I was very lucky how my life evolved the way I described above but you make your luck. I guess the guy trusted me. If I would be flaky and do just the minimum to keep the job he would never do it. I was friend with him after he retired and until he died years later. I think that is great American story.

 

[ultrarunner]

Beautiful story and one to be proud of...

My Grandfather had a lot of sayings and one is Nothing Happens until something moves... kind of like go and find/make your way...

 

[houstonscott]

If you read through the posts it is the same story all over again. Those who succeed take chances, work smart and hard, get as much training as they can and use the setbacks (preferably of others) to learn from. 'Here is rest of my story: I came to USA 39 years old with 42 dollars, didn't speak English at all, had summer clothes on and it was freezing in February 1986. First three years were quite difficult financially but one of the best time personally. One day after several months in the USA one of the guys from my sponsor (Catholic church) asked if I have any friends. I told him I have a friend in Des Moines, IA. He said that is coincidence I am going to DSM next weekend to see my sister if you want you can go with me. So I went with him. His sister was member of a business club and said we will go to the club for dinner. I saved 300 USD but had to spend it to buy a business suit, shoes etc. While in the club she talked to the club manager when he stopped at our table and told him that I am fresh arrival possibly looking for a better job. He asked me if I can fix ice machine. I have never seen ice machine in my life but figured that it is a refrigeration unit with some mechanical stuff that I could figure out. So I confidently said sure, that can't be too difficult. Well if you can do it you got a job. I was in DSM few weeks later. When I got in the club I found that there were no tools to speak of so I asked my boss to give me 2000 to get the essentials. He gave 1000 so I went to hardware store and bought wise, files set of screwdrivers, wrenches, electrical drill, multimeter and bunch of other stuff. I never called a service in following three and half years except refrigerant recharging. At that time the club installed one of first IBM PC computers with accounting software. My job included emptying boss's trash can every morning and one day I found the computer print out there. It fascinated me what it could contain so I took it put it under my shirt, went to the toilet and study that. I found that maintenance expenses were down about 20000 after only several months since I was hired. After that day I studied the printout weekly gauging my performance. The club was sending squeaky chars to refinisher to fix them, I told boss not to waste money and instruct the buss boys to put squeaky chairs in one corner and I would fix them. I reglued and refinished dancing floor one weekend saving a bundle. After about six month of employment I asked the boss for a rise. When asked how much I told him 12/hour (100% rise) and was immediately thrown out of his office. Nevertheless next paycheck I was paid 9/hour. I waited few more months and asked for 12/hour again. That time I was not thrown out of the office and was told that my job is dead end job, then he took my time card threw it in garbage bin and told me to enroll to school and if I keep the place running he wouldn't care when I come or leave the work. School comes first he told me. They gave me a pager and everyone was trained to call me instead looking for me. While in school I took also summer semesters, never missed single day unless there was an emergency at the club and graduated two and half years later. Married my wife who was a graduated assistant at the university. Then I quit the maintenance job and got first "real" job I was employed at for past 25 years. I was very lucky how my life evolved the way I described above but you make your luck. I guess the guy trusted me. If I would be flaky and do just the minimum to keep the job he would never do it. I was friend with him after he retired and until he died years later. I think that is great American story.

What makes a person leave his homeland for another country, rather than stay and make your homeland a great place. Tell us about how you get to that point, was it survival or did you want and dream of being an American. Are you a citizen today? HS

 

[Garandman]

The irony is that CT is most years the state with the highest per-capita income in the country.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_income#States_ranked_by_per_capita_income

From my perspective the current Governor has severely damaged the state's economy and competitiveness with other states. CT makes MA look Laissez-faire, and that's a stretcher!

 

[Wagtail]

What makes a person leave his homeland for another country, rather than stay and make your homeland a great place. Tell us about how you get to that point, was it survival or did you want and dream of being an American. Are you a citizen today? HS

I'm going to 'somewhat' hijack your question to RIT as it also pertains to me... There are people, I've observed over the years, who have "wanderlust" to certain degrees. A lot of people who are long-term military have it ("Join the 'Service' and see the World") but it's not exclusive to that calling. Opportunity, including higher education, is a hallmark of Service too.

My first posting (at age 17) was to the Atlantic 'fleet' based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Serving on ships & a submarine for 9 years in that area. I'd made friends and was very familiar with the area. Then the opportunity came to transfer to the West coast... It was my decision and I took it. It was hard to leave NS but I wouldn't know what life would be like in British Columbia if I didn't. It was also a heck of a lot longer, distance wise, to visit my family in Southern Ontario (where they all still live).

Repeating my first posting experience; serving on various ships for 12 years in that area. I'd made friends and was very familiar with the area. However, retirement was looming and I needed to "think about what I wanted to be when I grew up". [Note: at that time retirement was, for me, at age 40... and I was almost 38]. The Royal Australian Navy came up on an Information Tour (headhunting was such an ugly word ) and, because of the education I'd received and my experience, they offered to bring me on (retire from the RCN/transfer to the RAN) and employ me 'til age 55. HUGE decision, but I took it!

They paid for everything to come to Australia, so I didn't actually immigrate per se, I was brought here. I also received my full citizenship within 3 months of arriving. Serving on ships & various postings (and more education) until it was time to retire (again) to the place in Tassie that I'd bought two years after coming to Australia. I'm now very content with where I am now, both lifestyle and community... hopefully I can stay here until I cark-it, but who knows. I'm not afraid of the next stage of my life and I've made a lot of friends along the way.

The road less travelled, I guess.