So Here's the Deal

I've been hesitant to write about my life for the past month or so because I wanted to take it all in. For those of you paying attention (not that I expect it), I did graduate last month with an MBA from the University of Louisville. Earning that degree at that school may have been the best move of my life, and I'll always remember the people and the work I did there fondly.

As you'd expect, lacking the structure that I had for two years forced me to make a number of changes. Like, I need to find a job and stuff. I lost my job (amicable on both sides) a couple of months ago, and my lease was running out, so I had a lot of flexibility. I had a lot of decisions to make, from what kind of job to seek, how to seek it, and where to seek it.

I don't have much money as a recent grad. I need a job to fix that. If I don't get one, I need more support, such as a place to live. And I don't have any family support in Louisville. Then I started to look at the Louisville job market, which is pretty poor. So staying in Louisville looked like a bad idea, sadly. I'd love to move to a bigger city, but I wouldn't have any support there, either, and I don't yet have a great job history. And so, the answer slowly became obvious in what I needed to do. The only place where there is a decent job market and support is, of course, Nashville, and so back home I've come.

Nashville only passed Louisville around 1990 in city size. In fact, in the 50's, Louisville was supposedly the largest city in the South (I can't confirm that). But, as I've been told Nashville was like in the 60's, certain powerful interests in Louisville don't want the town to grow, and so it doesn't. They do things to stifle growth, like not allowing any Ohio River bridge at all on the more affluent eastern side of town because it would change life there. That really hurts the economy. Also, there is a state and city tax in Louisville, and neither are in Nashville. Is there any doubt why one is growing faster than the other?

My God will I miss some parts of Louisville. Great museums for a small city, like the Louisville Bats museum and the British Museum-sponsored Frazier Historical Arms Museum. Wonderful dining, with the highest per capita of restaurants in the world. The great pizza that Nashville simply doesn't have. A much better arts scene. A slightly better climate, with less humidity and just enough snow for it to always be interesting. And, of course, a lot of good friends.

And so, I'm back where I grew up. It's impressive to see Nashville growing so well, and I hope to see them start to improve some of the cultural things that Louisville and other cities do so well, like having a more accessible riverfront. No need to change the blog name, as the railroad passes as close to my future apartment as it did to my old apartment, and Louisville will always be dear to me. So long Falls City; I'll be sure to visit.