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Finding a Job in the Rural Midwest

amy

By amy
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amy Post Whore

amy

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My dream is to live in the rural Midwest (I am thinking Nebraska, southern Minnesota, the Dakotas, Kansas.) I won't be a farmer, but I'll own like 2 acres of land and try to grow as much food on it as possible (like a hobby and money saver thing), and have a milk cow and chickens and bike everywhere. I will also have a job. I was thinking of being a teacher, or a librarian. But I'm not sure all the rural Midwestern towns have libraries (I know Callaway, Nebraska and Argyle, Missouri do not), or how easy it is to "break into the industry" as it were of teaching in a place like that. My grandmother used to teach in a small town (Ely, MN) and I don't know her nearly as well as I want to, but my dad says it's a really bad idea and she didn't get treated well at all, and they like conspire to detenure everyone etc.

Does anyone have experiences with rural Midwestern life in a place like that? What is there to do really, jobwise? If you were nice and unfashionable and awkward would the people there dislike you? Can anyone recommend a career there that you can study for by 4-year college and maybe 2 years grad school, that is not like manual labor (I don't want to deal with the gender awkwardness, or uh...the work).

So far I've come up with these possibilities. If anyone knows the pros and cons of each, I would love to hear them.

- Teacher

- Nurse

- Dentist (I read yesterday about an author who was a dentist. I really would not mind being a dentist.)

- Librarian

- Social Worker (??? Do they need these?)

Thanks to everyone for your help!!!

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amy Post Whore

amy

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Yeah, I am thinking either nurse or dentist would be the best choice. =D I think the choice to be a dentist is a good and normal one, like "Well, mouths aren't so bad, the pay is good, and it is basically working with people." Maybe when I have some kind of savings I can switch to teaching elementary school.

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amy Post Whore

amy

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TELL THE CORN I JUST COULD NOT BEAR TO LET IT DIEEEE and that the Dakotas and Nebraska are wheat country anyway

I really do need to do more research, I honestly don't want to live right in the middle of a bunch of farms, I want to live in the middle of a prairie but of course that's impossible XD. So maybe I'll try within 20 miles of a national park or something

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ROCKSTEADY Post Whore

ROCKSTEADY

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Bad:

people aren't entirely friendly in the midwest, unless your into hunting, fishing, or hardcore farming. The Bugs can be fucking awful. You would have to drive 20 miles to get to the nearest city. Sucks if you have allergys. Dial-up...

Good:

Not a whole lot of natural disasters (minus Tornadoes) It is relatively quite and the landscape is at times very beautiful. you can get away with alot of things you wouldn't be able to in a more populated area.

I live in a rural part of michigan, some days i say "Man, this is great, i'll never move". Then i see the inbred inhabitants and the oppressively cold winters and i think "Fuck this."

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amy Post Whore

amy

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I've pretty much decided on DENTAL SCHOOL =D I'm so excited though. Last night I ran up and down the stairs 20 times to release all the omgdentist energy. I hear there's a real demand for dentists. What I think I'd do is live in the county town (the town where everyone drives to go shopping in the supermarket/Wal-Mart etc right) and have an office there, and maybe live in a town 10 miles away, or the county town if I can afford it.

Thanks Rocksteady for the informed perspective <333 Okay I'm going to try to shoot down everything bad you said so I don't have any doubts, because that's just what I do, even though it's all totally legit =P You know? just to think about it

I think I would have a different perspective on the small towns, coming from a suburban/urban background, because it hasn't just been Argyle, Missouri my whole life. I imagine I'd do my shopping (for books mostly) on the Internet. Besides a large library, all the people, and a starbucks but uh...never mind, there's not much about a city I would miss. Cities are kind of like candy for me, they're nice at first but then very depressing and they always make me feel horribly tempted and deprived but I don't even know what for. I THINK YOUUUU should definitely live in a city though just for the sake of something different. <3

I think I would meet a lot of people as a dentist, taking care of their teeth, and I'd try to be friendly and stuff. =\ I dunno if that would be ok. I'd also pretend to be Christian and join the church because I don't really care either way, and it would be something to do. Eh, I dunno if they'd still like me. I'm good at not being opinionated and judgmental, not that that's really a talent.

AHHH BUGS

AHHH DIALUP

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amy Post Whore

amy

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I would make a joke but that's like my dream, seriously

I actually harvested corn today =D It was really beautiful, because the corn was so tall, but my tailbone didn't really agree with it. (I kept wishing everyone else would go away so I could eat the corn xD)

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amy Post Whore

amy

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When I went to the the dentist they were all like multi ethnic, I think the 3 super degree dentists there were from Russia, Colombia, and China =D

I don't know what kind of background they had but I guess if you're in a poorer country you don't go around like "LOL, I WILL BE AN INTERPRETIVE DANCER" for 20 years

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Mithrandir Post Whore

Mithrandir

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I don't really have anything to say here. I'm so prejudiced against the rural midwest that it's ridiculous. I see it as sort of the cultural equivilent of a nuclear wasteland. But then I'm a fancy ass city boy, and I'm sure the folks down there don't care for my kind either.

as far as practical advice goes, become a dentist rather than a nurse. Nurses usually have pretty lousy hours.

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amy Post Whore

amy

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I'm sure really all you have to be liked is lose your Intellectual Pride, not that you should want to, because it's a beautiful thing worn the way you all do in college with your logic and books. You can still be smart and read a lot and all that.

What I think happens there is the air is full of strength and power and spirit, because it is so flat and strange and lonely. I don't know. I think culture and art and spirit are everywhere equally, but in the Midwest, it has nowhere to go, so it stays trapped in your soul and makes your life beautiful and strong and moderate. People do this in the city, but I can't.

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