I feel like an asshole for saying this. It didn't strike me until an acquaintance with from my fancy college who I hadn't seen in 3 or so years came into the casual fine dining restaurant I work at (James Beard nominated, 2nd job, part-time, still have a "career track" day job).

There's going to be a point where working a less "prestigious" career will get to you. And not just your joints, but that too.

I'd always thought of myself as a super ANTI elitist. Lots of my friends work in hospitality. I'd always dreamed of being a bartender (woefully unqualified, I've quickly learned). I hate my desk job most of the time and constantly am trying to figure out ways to get out. Moving up (which requires investing more time/effort/soul into it) sounds brutalizing at this point. I just don't want to do it anymore.

At the same time, when that acquaintance came in, I felt fucking shitty. Which is ridiculous because I'm working this job so I can buy my own house/condo before she's even living in her own apartment in NYC. But the fact that you're bringing food to people does get to you at some point, especially when one of your best friends who is all about dining out screams at you drunk, "What are you doing?! You're not even cooking!"

Boyfriend who spent years working BOH before becoming a lawyer (where he works often with artists and hospitality industry people) won't tell people that I work at a restaurant part-time because he finds it embarrassing.

And that kind of stuff gets to you after a while.

I can't wait to make enough for the downpayment and GTFO. But maybe that's just me and my elitism.

Tl;dr: My friends are assholes, but there's a point in which trading in getting a shiny degree for a job serving feels really, really bad. EVEN if you make more money.