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Sarah Alvarez · Midwestern Exiles: Moving Somewhere, Anywhere, for a Job
January 18th, 2012
Gigi Durham and Robin Johnson at Robin’s graduation ceremony.
Name: Robin Johnson
Midwest Home: Iowa City, Iowa
New Home: Houston, TX
I moved from Iowa City, Iowa, to the Houston metropolitan area after receiving my Ph.D. in May 2010.
My job-hunting strategy in 2009 was to only apply to places where I thought the quality of life and ideal tenure-track position would be excellent. My strategy did not pay off, and I put it down to trying to find a job in an abysmal job market. In 2010, I changed tactics, and I applied to 50 places. I would say most of these job opportunities were not in ideal locations, such as Mississippi, South Carolina, southern Indiana, Peoria, rural Georgia, and Anchorage. I would have gladly moved to any of those. Being single excused me from having to tell a partner, “Guess what, we’re moving to Anchorage!” I tipped the scale toward economic opportunity in 2010.
I moved to advance my career, so in the economic sense the move has been beneficial.
In terms of quality of living, I don’t think it is better. Iowa City was an ideal liberal Midwestern college town with many services within walking distance of my apartment. Although Houston has more to offer in terms of arts and entertainment, it is a sprawling, automobile-dependent city. Iowa is progressively superior as well in terms of marriage equality and reproductive choice.
