It's Not Deliverance
Ok, I'm going to write about something that is REALLY bothering me. It's in regards to my cousin's comment on yesterday's blog. This is the reaction I'm receiving from most people when I tell them that my fiance is being transferred to Alabama. Yesterday I had a co-worker telling me that it's the Deep South, that I have never lived in the Deep South, and basically saying that I'm going to be miserable. On Monday one of my friends sent me an online ad for a job in Baltimore, "in case things don't work out." What does she mean, "don't work out?" I thought I explained to her (and others) that, because of my fiance's career, his residency options are very small, and Baltimore is definitely not one of them. Does she mean "in case things don't work out with you and your fiance?" -- because that's the only way I'm staying in Maryland.
Show of hands for all of you who have been to Huntsville. *counts hands in the air* Just as I thought -- no one! So instead of displaying your ignorance and hurting my feelings at the same time, why don't you continue reading while I educate you about Huntsville?
Huntsville, AL is 3 hours northwest of Atlanta, 1 & 1/2 hours south of Nashville, and 1 & 1/2 hours north of Birmingham. There are two major universities: University of Alabama - Huntsville and Alabama A&M. Huntsville has its own airport, a small but modern one, probably comparable to the airports in Columbia, SC and Allentown, PA. They have just built a new shopping mall, renovated the older one (which is still less than 20 years old), and they are building an outdoor mall with high-end stores.
Outside of Silicon Valley, CA, Huntsville is the largest tech center in the United States. Redstone Arsenal, an old military base, is now a huge campus for missile defense and other government operations. NASA has an enormous facility there -- ever heard of Space Camp? And there's the library company with whom I'm interviewing that is headquartered in downtown Huntsville. For being a small city in the Deep South, Huntsville has a high proportion of college grads as its citizens.
As for the Jewish population: approximately 400 families live in the Huntsville area. There are two synagogues, one Reform and one Conservative. While the Conservative shul does not have a rabbi, they bring in a rabbinical student for the High Holidays to supplement the year-round lay leadership. The two synagogues work together to have a Hebrew school. In fact, their joint holiday bazaar just made the home page of the Huntsville Times! It's a small community, but it sounds like a close-knit and active one.
Those of you who know me well know that I am the eternal pessimist. However, I'm trying to make the best of this situation. It's not as if my fiance and I pulled out a map of the United States and said, "Hey, let's go live in Alabama!" He's being transferred and hopefully promoted in the process, which means his salary will increase while the cost of living will drop dramatically. A 4-bedroom, 2-bath house in Huntsville is about $200,000 -- the same house in Alexandria, VA would be approx. $800,000.
As for my never having lived in the Deep South -- South Carolina IS the Deep South, the Bible Belt. Did you know that South Carolina has the most NASCAR fans per capita of any state in the union? How about Pennsylvania, where I grew up? Once you get out of Philly and Pittsburgh, you may as well be in the Deep South. Pennsylvania has the most white supremacists per capita, and you won't be hard pressed to find someone with a gun rack on their pickup truck listening to country music. These are all stereotypes, ones that I find disgusting. My own family members hunt deer and drive pickups, and I personally love country music (thanks, Laura!) and own cowboy boots. I'm even watching NASCAR and Professional Bull Riding... and enjoying it!
So if anyone else wants to criticize our decision to move to Alabama, please keep it to yourself. Right now all I want to hear is how much you'll miss me, but that you're supporting me and my fiance in this move. Thank you.
Show of hands for all of you who have been to Huntsville. *counts hands in the air* Just as I thought -- no one! So instead of displaying your ignorance and hurting my feelings at the same time, why don't you continue reading while I educate you about Huntsville?
Huntsville, AL is 3 hours northwest of Atlanta, 1 & 1/2 hours south of Nashville, and 1 & 1/2 hours north of Birmingham. There are two major universities: University of Alabama - Huntsville and Alabama A&M. Huntsville has its own airport, a small but modern one, probably comparable to the airports in Columbia, SC and Allentown, PA. They have just built a new shopping mall, renovated the older one (which is still less than 20 years old), and they are building an outdoor mall with high-end stores.
Outside of Silicon Valley, CA, Huntsville is the largest tech center in the United States. Redstone Arsenal, an old military base, is now a huge campus for missile defense and other government operations. NASA has an enormous facility there -- ever heard of Space Camp? And there's the library company with whom I'm interviewing that is headquartered in downtown Huntsville. For being a small city in the Deep South, Huntsville has a high proportion of college grads as its citizens.
As for the Jewish population: approximately 400 families live in the Huntsville area. There are two synagogues, one Reform and one Conservative. While the Conservative shul does not have a rabbi, they bring in a rabbinical student for the High Holidays to supplement the year-round lay leadership. The two synagogues work together to have a Hebrew school. In fact, their joint holiday bazaar just made the home page of the Huntsville Times! It's a small community, but it sounds like a close-knit and active one.
Those of you who know me well know that I am the eternal pessimist. However, I'm trying to make the best of this situation. It's not as if my fiance and I pulled out a map of the United States and said, "Hey, let's go live in Alabama!" He's being transferred and hopefully promoted in the process, which means his salary will increase while the cost of living will drop dramatically. A 4-bedroom, 2-bath house in Huntsville is about $200,000 -- the same house in Alexandria, VA would be approx. $800,000.
As for my never having lived in the Deep South -- South Carolina IS the Deep South, the Bible Belt. Did you know that South Carolina has the most NASCAR fans per capita of any state in the union? How about Pennsylvania, where I grew up? Once you get out of Philly and Pittsburgh, you may as well be in the Deep South. Pennsylvania has the most white supremacists per capita, and you won't be hard pressed to find someone with a gun rack on their pickup truck listening to country music. These are all stereotypes, ones that I find disgusting. My own family members hunt deer and drive pickups, and I personally love country music (thanks, Laura!) and own cowboy boots. I'm even watching NASCAR and Professional Bull Riding... and enjoying it!
So if anyone else wants to criticize our decision to move to Alabama, please keep it to yourself. Right now all I want to hear is how much you'll miss me, but that you're supporting me and my fiance in this move. Thank you.
posted by Pupcake | 8:54 AM
1 Comments:
Wow! Just got caught up on all your postings! Congrats on everything! I have never been to Huntsville- but coming from the South myself- I fully support it! I hope everything works out with the new job prospects for you too!
I wish the best to you and your fiancee!
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