Update: Now that the commute is over and the move is complete, I won't be adding anything to this section. But this is where the blog idea originally started, and it's pretty funny in retrospect, so it's up for your reading enjoyment. - DR

        Maybe it’s just human nature. Whenever you hear about bad things happening, if you have any heart at all, you stop and say a small prayer, “There but for the grace of God go I.” Then you give a quick thanks that that’s not you, and you move on your with your day.

So, when I’d been hearing about all these people who can’t find jobs, I’d say a quick “Thank you” for my technology job in Durham, NC, stop at the local Food Lion and throw a few cans of food in the “Food Bank” box, and work a little harder on my Master’s homework, flush with confidence that after I finished my degree, I’d be able to write my own ticket.

That’s how it works, right? Well, sort of.

Parts of the story worked as planned – I finished my Masters of Information Technology at the top of my class from the Bryan School of Business.. I was able to move up into a job that actually paid a living wage with the great company I work for. No responsibility, but at least we could afford to get the oil changed in the cars often enough that my mechanic wouldn’t cry when he saw us drive up. “Time for your annual 25,000 mile oil change, Dave? I’ll go grab my hammer and chisel.”

Then we made the decision to move back to my hometown of Chicago. There were a lot of reasons behind this – my son is going to college there, I have family and friends in the area, etc. But it was my dear wife, originally from a small town in Louisana, who actually made the decision. It was a good decision, made for all the right reasons.

It's just not working out quite the way we planned it....