The Friendly Flight From Connecticut

In the past few weeks, a trio of friends has suddenly let people know that they’re leaving southeastern Connecticut.

They’re all pursuing different dreams and heading to different parts of the country. One, a whiz with multimedia who I saw from time to time at the Oasis Pub, went off to seek her fortune in Los Angeles. Another, a familiar face at the Public Library of New London, took a new job at a Carnegie library in Pittsburgh. And Bree Shirvell, the brains behind the Stonington Patch since it launched in 2010, is moving to the Washington, D.C. area.

It’s all a little surprising when it comes in a rapid succession like this. But if a friend does make the announcement that they’re leaving the area, I’m generally not surprised.

Don’t think that last sentence is going to be the start of a rant, the likes of which sometimes grace this site and other news sites in the area, on potential factors driving people out of the city. There are always the debates on taxes and crime rates, and there's a disturbing number of Yankees fans for a state calling itself part of New England. But the friends who have left have always done so saying they have a heavy heart and will miss all the people they got to know. In general, younger people seem to be more transitory nowadays.

Various studies about the lifestyles of people in their 20s or early 30s suggests that we’re all a little antsy at the economy since the stock market dumped a good chunk of its value in 2008, with the subprime mortgage housing crisis adding fears about taking on property. We’re relatively new to the job market and are a little wary of what the future might hold.

I’ve met a few people who exemplify a successful version of the “failure to launch” idea, living at home with mom and dad while holding down a job so money that would have been spent on rent now goes toward student loans or soem other worthwhile investment. I recently heard that we’re nicknamed “Generation Rent” since quite a few young folks are shying away from the idea of a 30-year mortgage. And there’s also a trend toward being single and not making any effort to start up a relationship.

All of it means that more than anything, we’re tethered to work. So if we lose a job or get dissatisfied with a current one, or get an offer from hundreds of miles away, it’s pretty easy to head elsewhere.

When I started up a job hunt again while working in Maine, it wasn’t because I had gotten tired of weekend outings to beautiful mountains or wanted to leave the friends I had made. But there wasn’t much opportunity for advancement and I wanted to move on to something else. New London wasn’t the only place I sent a resume, but it's where I wound up.

While I’m going to miss those friends, I can certainly understand their reasoning and wish them well. I’m happy with my situation at this point, Generation Rent as it is. So don’t worry; you’re stuck with me for the time being.

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