Liz, sounds like an exciting future! You are still pretty young and have a lot of years to enjoy the hard work you are both doing now. And good for your DH for sticking with it.

I know what you mean about Florida. I've been here 30 years and I can't imagine living anyplace that doesn't have "green stuff" all year long.

Have you considered landscape architecture? My BIL got his degree in it (I think it takes 5 years) and now has his own company. Of course, it took him many years to get to this point, but he has a great business.

Whatever you decide, I hope you get to enjoy it. Life's too short not to. Anyway, you'll figure it out.

Patti

Bigfoot, if ya'll want to move to WV, I might be able to pass his resume along to a classmates husband (I think the husband has a similar background). I could also get you a GREAT deal on a house in Clarksburg. I am still hoping to graduate in May 2011- we will most likely have to move out of state.

I don't know how to help you figure out what to do, but keep this in mind - don't let it be only about the money. Generally places that pay better also have a higher cost of living. For example, people in California usually make better money than those in Ohio, but it's a whole lot more expensive to buy a house, get insurance, buy food and gas. So if you love Florida, try to stay there. Just my opinion. I'm from Cincinnati, lived in San Francisco, Baltimore and back to Cincinnati. If you want adventure, then go for it. If you want stability, stay put.

Good wishes for what looks like a bright future.

Any suggestions from this old fart would be terribly dated, I fear.

o f ... or is that o j?

murraysmom, the salary v/s cost of living is actually what is tempting me out of this state LOL. for example a job in Huntsville AL is offering almost double the pay of a similiar job in orlando and w/in 1 yr the AL job goes up 10% to 6 figures. i am already planning on spending a bit under $500K on my next house here but for half that i can buy a similiar place in Huntsville AL and get a few acreas, not 1/2 acre lol. it makes it very difficult to not say to my DH just go to Huntsville for 2 yrs yourself...i'll stay here and work part-time and still afford everything here, as i wouldn't have his expenses then :-) i've looked at several other cities where he's been requested for interviews and every one of them stacks up the same way. only problem is that i would be miserable and could probably only put up w/ it for a couple of yrs, even if it was a million $$ a yr. i have been looking for months at housing & taxes from So Cal to boston and for what i will sell my house for i can buy the next house w/ acreage and pool completely outright in most major markets (Dallas, St Louis, Nashville are a few options). housing in orlando in the upper middle class is still amoung the most expensive in this country because there has been very little drop off in demand. that probably is a contributing factor in why i absolutley LOVE FL!

i just hope we find a suitable job here...i just hate thinking about how much more pay is out there thou if we leave LOL ~ liz

Murrysmom makes a good point about stability. Also I think you are banking a bit too much on that degree equating job security. Just because people are interviewing him and just because he hires on with a company doesn't mean he'll have that same job in 3 or 4 years. A lot of engineers work on research projects and once the R&D is done so goes the job contract. As he nears 50 no one will care any longer about his degree. It may get him in the door but it won't help him keep a job if it doesn't meet the company's bottom line. The days of getting a good job,staying and growing with the company and having that job until retirement are over in today's economy. California for example has lots of engineers working retail these days.

So I believe you both need to sit down and decide what you both want over the next decade in quality of life as to dwelling,area,entertainment etc. and make your jobs fit the the lifestyle instead of counting on your jobs to make the lifestyle.