My uncle asked me where I think I will settle eventually. I told him that the idea of settling at a place seems to be challenged more and more looking at how the society has changed. For me, I have been moving from place to place(not out of my choice sometimes). It almost seems that I don’t even know where I feel home at.
Anyways, that’s the trend I see these days. Wherever the better opportunity lies, wherever the person moves to. I see that in young designers and some very experienced ones who have been through several top jobs. In fact, one of them just left his job this morning for any other, leaving his students in the classroom with their stuffs that were supposed to be presented.
So do you think you will pack and leave when someone offers you a better job, or are you pretty much set at where you are, perhaps with your family and ready to become a full local?
Excellent question! I’ve been asking that myself. And having you bring it up on a discussion board is great. I’ve been working for 14 years now and wondering when I will settle after all, traditional wisdom dictates I should have settled as per your uncle’s definition by now. But you bring up a very valid point. The world has changed and more so the economy. Settling doesn’t mean putting down long roots anymore. Or did it?
How do we define settled? is it when you reach the point that you have a substantial portfolio or resume that you are secure - not necessarily in one job, physical location or industry - but secure in that you will always find another, or another will find you. Can settle even apply as a goal anymore for mature adulthood? Our fathers did not have to contend with layoffs, economic downturns, new economies, new paradigms as we do.
This is my third country in my second continent in my fourth decade - I’d like to know what settled means now, much less than if it applies anymore.
Astute observation, however not 100% true. I recommend reading The Rise of the Creative Class for more on the same subject. The author makes the argument that the ‘creative class’ actually choose their location based on desirability of location over anything else-- even jobs. That said, I think the same ‘creative class’ can be lead to any other desirable location by a better job opportunity. My point is that-- I KNOW I would not be willing to move to the ‘middle of nowhere’ in order to take a better job.
My recent move from Chicago to San Diego was perhaps my biggest so it made me question the whole “settled” issue. I can tell you that right now, its certainly my intent, but I realize that anything could happen. If my company was to pull up shop here, I wouldn’t have much of an option–SD isn’t exactly a design hub (save NDI.)
This is my favorite Topic, Relocation! I’m coming up on my second year since relocating to St. Louis from Chicago. It’s not far a way geographically but about a million miles away culturally.
I’m suffering major relocation sickness still! I can’t wait to either “settle in” alittle or move back home!
how do you people plan to move? For example, going from chicago to san diego… did you take like a week off to live in a hotel there to look for places to live? or did you just look at realty websites?
How long and how much would it cost to move a bed, futon, huge tv, 2v dressers, and a computer desk across country?
I moved to my current location so that I could become settled. Last place, good easy work, good money for the time, hated the local culture. So I did a little research, saved up for a year in new place with no work, packed the uhaul and left. Got off the highway stop in the neighborhood I read about, parked in a vacant lot and started looking for apartments.
It’s a nice way to start life over again, but that means everything: friends, work contacts, social life, etc. It can be hard starting up again from scratch in a completely new place where you’ve never been and don’t know anybody.
But it can be a nice jump start your engines if you’re feeling like everythings just the same and you’re in a rut. Nothing more exciting than being in a new city, new apt, different local customs and slang…learning about life all over again.
My company relocated me so I basically didn’t need to lift a finger (the movers actually prefer if you don’t.) Took the cars and everything.
While we looked for a permanent home we just rented a furnished apartment for a few weeks. When we found one we called the movers and they took all of our crated stuff out of there storage here and moved us in. Couldn’t have been easier (but it’s not cheap either.)
We were really lucky to sell our Chicago condo the first day we listed it, then my lawyer handled the signing for me. I have a not-so-lucky friend that couldn’t sell his place and ended up paying double mortgages for 6 months! (A good reason to buy in a hot area if you don’t plan on staying more than a few years.)
I am working on being settled - currently looking for a house and will be getting married in May. Even if I wasn’t getting married, I would be looking for a place of my own - I can’t leave things alone (guess that’s an ID’er trait!) but I can’t touch the walls/structure in my apartment. I like my employer, and get the opportunity to be very creative, travel, and work with manufacturers (started school with the intent to be a mechanical engineer). Its not blue-sky, save the world kind of stuff, but its fast-paced, ever-changing, and challenging. But I don’t feel a great loyalty to the company I work for, and would give some thought to a better opportunity should it present itself (including relocation).
I agree with post referring to the “Creative Class” book (a must-read for designers). I’ve moved four times for jobs (all cross-country). In each case, we evaluated the benifits of both the job and location. If there wasn’t a good balance we discovered quickly the situationed sucked. We live in Minneapolis now and love it!! It was just named the “smartest” city in the country by Men’s Health Mgazine (I usually don’t quote this mag…). It has a great balance of culture, schools, music, theatre, etc. The only problem is the weather sucks in the winter.
Creative types gravitate towards other creative types. The book refers to Florence, Italy in the late 1400’s as a good example. It was a hot bed of art and architecture where genius begat genius.
From personal experience I recommend NOT moving to a remote or crappy location for a job. You and your family will be miserable and you will end up leaving. Look very carefully at what the city/town can offer you. Will you always be traveling to another city for your culture? Will your wife or girlfriend always be complaining?
A friend of mine has vowed to never move to a city unless they have a professional football franchise (exception being Green Bay). This rule-of-thumb means he will always live in a city capable of supporting larger cultural activities.
I wish that I would have hear this about 6 months ago.
I just graduated, pick the wrong city but good job. Totoally hate my life outside of work.
This place is rated 175 out of 200 cities in the US for unhealth place to live.
Crime rate is high, weather is horrible, air is bad… I am out of town almost every weekend!
I’ll relocate tomorrow if it’s not for looking bad on my resume.
anyway, back to the “settle” topic.
I am the kind of person would settle once when I get married and have kids. The problem is good guy is hard to find…
gosh. i’ve moved so many times. several times in the orient. a couple times in europe. many many times from state to state here in the US and i’m only in my 20s too. and to tell you the truth, i love it. i get to meet new people, new environments, at the expense of the company
i’m also married and i have a house. to answer the question on how do people do it, i, for one, am renting my house out with all my furnishings still in it, and all i bring with me is a roll-up mattress and my computer and a few nice clothes, and we rent studio apartments or whatever. BUT, if you want to settle in a traditional way, like having a spouse, house in the suburbs AND several kids, that would be a bit tougher. i think moving kids from one place to another too often may not be all too great. especially if they’re already settled and in a nice comfy situation.
but if you (and/or your gf/bf) are young, starting a career, want to go places, i don’t think settling in one place forever is the only option.
The opportunity to move was one of the reasons Design was attractive to me. So far I’ve lived, for work, in 5 states and two countries. Fortunately, I’ve been in interesting places like Seattle, Boston, Montreal, etc. I’m hoping to find a way back towards CA (San Diego probably), but it is equally likely that I could end up in Hong Kong which would be even better.
I have friends that settled after college and when I visit, it seems so repetitive. For me, every few years has been a new adventure.
I don’t want to settle.
this is a really crazy topic- settling.
when are you going to change? why dont you stay for a whole year?
Why dont you get married? get a real job? blah blah …
where i live theres practically no culture, music, no cool people( i think they stay inside). i sorta created this imaginary world . if you think about it , living , moving , jobs , changing not changing , day to day things its all about design. Its how you do things and how you interpret it. how you are creating yourself.
fight structure, be yourself!!
Be yourself and you will never end up settling!!
[quote=“ACCDMBA”]The opportunity to move was one of the reasons Design was attractive to me. So far I’ve lived, for work, in 5 states and two countries. Fortunately, I’ve been in interesting places like Seattle, Boston, Montreal, etc. I’m hoping to find a way back towards CA (San Diego probably), but it is equally likely that I could end up in Hong Kong which would be even better.
I have friends that settled after college and when I visit, it seems so repetitive. For me, every few years has been a new adventure.
I don’t want to settle.[/quote]
How did you like Montreal? Good design job there? Heard some good about it, some less so. Thanks.
I really like Montreal, great job, lots of talented design, beautiful friendly city, even though it is incredible cold right now I find it more livable than Boston. Email me and I’ll tell you more.
I’ve been trying to settle down and be happy where I am and I think Florida has a lot to offer. It’s not quite the design hub but we are working on it. I live between Miami and Fort Lauderdale (a lot of driving!) and the only problem I see is that we don’t have a “designers” area. The design district in Miami is making a huge effort in becoming the place to be; new lofts, and a supercool Performing arts center.
Settling down is hard but I would say it all comes down to having whats important to you close by, if its an awesome job or family and then making things happen.
I have both down here so even though I fantasize for places like New York, Tokyo or Milano, I wonder if being out there by yourself would be worth it. Who knows, maybe in a year or so…
after all, traditional wisdom dictates I should have settled as per your uncle’s definition by now. But you bring up a very valid point. The world has changed and more so the economy. Settling doesn’t mean putting down long roots anymore. Or did it?
