Well, I'm a software engineer, and rolled off my Nike contract in Feb. I spent a month down in Grants Pass after that taking care of my mum (she's in assisted living down there), and came back to rejoin the fray (as there are NO tech jobs in Grants Pass or Medford, really). I have in-demand skills and things are picking up (e.g., I have an offer for a gig that I am supposed to start on the 27th), but the kill factor has been that I know no one here and have super limited financial resources, thus the competitive rental market has been bleeding me dry. I believe that in about 2 weeks or so I will have to sell my lovely 2014 MacBook Pro just in order to bridge thru till I (hopefully) get my first paycheck -- and a software engineer without a computer is a kind of funny thing. When I say "hopefully," it's because I've had gigs lined up that suddenly went dry due to last minute funding issues, so I'm hesitant/sketchy on trusting anything until I've worked there a few days.

I used to live in Seattle (2000-2002), and am quite fond of the PacNW, but I may have to press the eject button if and when I rebuild my nest egg. I spent all day Saturday at Washington Park and the arboretum, reminding myself of why I moved here in the first place (the boundless beauty), but the unparalleled rental competition (and slightly more competitive than average tech market) are hurting me in the feels... namely because I don't have a safety net, parents/family I can fall back on (as I mentioned, my mom is in assisted living, which I've footed the bill on for most of last year although Medicaid has finally kicked in, so not like I can crash with her or ask for a loan), and really didn't have enough in savings to carry me safely over the moat of this competitive market.

I'm still fighting, but disillusioned, fer shur. If things pan out, and I manage to stay here (and not tie a bag around my head -- lord knows this bunny can't wind up homeless) thru the summer, I'm sure my tune will change. Portland has seriously kicked my ass, though.