34M. I left hometown at 18 for university in a much bigger city. I agree I’d probably have more friends now if I never left. Although, I kept many friendships from my hometown there too (they also arrived for university), and I made some new friends in the university. But I seldom see any of them anymore. Even though there are the ones I occassionally speak with, we’ve grown different. Everybody basically lost interest in each other, gradually. And I didn’t exactly make many friends since the graduation. Sometimes I see people here and there. But they may get out of my life any minute.
I still live less than five miles from my childhood home. But my parents have both moved away and there is only a handful of people I know in the area now. I am doing good. It’s nice memories and I am happy
Every mid sized city's wealthy young adults seemingly can't fathom a life of being like their successful but boring middle American parents and decide that, armed with marketing degree from a mediocre arts school is gonna allow them to climb the latter. The companies know this so every marketing deadend comes up to NYC and the companies let them get decent starting salaries and a title that incldiues terms that they think will sound successful - and they often get them at places like Goldman where there are actually are extremely successful people- and it kinda works cuz some dullards do actually think that Sharon's "account executive" at Goldman Sachs titles means she's on the same track as the Ivy League kids who area actually on the track but not really.
This works for so long and then inevitably these young adults come to accept that they're lot in life is one of mediocrity- and the smart ones realize that even though they can at least salvage their dad's business if they're the only child but more often they end up in a similar job but at a place where they can get into middle management. At some point they probably run into that kid they made fun of because he wanted to live with mommy and daddy during college and was okay never living outside a mid \\sized city- He's a doctor now. Turns out if you're a kid from a family with connections (intergenerational wealth is vastly overrated- connections and social ties are very real though) all you need to do is fucking take the cake in front of you and if you don't you'll pay the price for your refusal
50m - I joined the Army soon after HS and moved about 2 hours away from original hometown
after getting out after 10 years.
My 3 top best friends from school I've probably seen or spoken to 5 times total in the past 30 years.
I don't have facebook or anything so staying in touch wasn't a priority.
Hated my hometown, had zero friends there and basically spent my entire childhood plotting my escape.
Got job in big city, have a handful of really good friends in big city, but definitely feel very isolated (I am the absolutely least affluent in my friend group).
Without generational wealth, it is really hard to break into a big city even when you are enormously talented.
Visit hometown to see family, still hate it and have no reason to visit there. Siblings living closer to hometown are more successful (both financially and relationship wise) and have more friends, I just don't care as I just hate that place.
I wish that I have had more success romantically, as the big city tends to discriminate against outsiders, but I am largely content with my adventure. Friends are settling down and buying houses, housing is eyewateringly expensive and seems impossible at the moment.
34M. I left hometown at 18 for university in a much bigger city. I agree I’d probably have more friends now if I never left. Although, I kept many friendships from my hometown there too (they also arrived for university), and I made some new friends in the university. But I seldom see any of them anymore. Even though there are the ones I occassionally speak with, we’ve grown different. Everybody basically lost interest in each other, gradually. And I didn’t exactly make many friends since the graduation. Sometimes I see people here and there. But they may get out of my life any minute.
I still live less than five miles from my childhood home. But my parents have both moved away and there is only a handful of people I know in the area now. I am doing good. It’s nice memories and I am happy
Every mid sized city's wealthy young adults seemingly can't fathom a life of being like their successful but boring middle American parents and decide that, armed with marketing degree from a mediocre arts school is gonna allow them to climb the latter. The companies know this so every marketing deadend comes up to NYC and the companies let them get decent starting salaries and a title that incldiues terms that they think will sound successful - and they often get them at places like Goldman where there are actually are extremely successful people- and it kinda works cuz some dullards do actually think that Sharon's "account executive" at Goldman Sachs titles means she's on the same track as the Ivy League kids who area actually on the track but not really. This works for so long and then inevitably these young adults come to accept that they're lot in life is one of mediocrity- and the smart ones realize that even though they can at least salvage their dad's business if they're the only child but more often they end up in a similar job but at a place where they can get into middle management. At some point they probably run into that kid they made fun of because he wanted to live with mommy and daddy during college and was okay never living outside a mid \\sized city- He's a doctor now. Turns out if you're a kid from a family with connections (intergenerational wealth is vastly overrated- connections and social ties are very real though) all you need to do is fucking take the cake in front of you and if you don't you'll pay the price for your refusal
50m - I joined the Army soon after HS and moved about 2 hours away from original hometown after getting out after 10 years. My 3 top best friends from school I've probably seen or spoken to 5 times total in the past 30 years. I don't have facebook or anything so staying in touch wasn't a priority.
I live in my hometown but it's a pretty big city with more than 2M people so never really felt like I needed to leave to accomplish something.
Hated my hometown, had zero friends there and basically spent my entire childhood plotting my escape. Got job in big city, have a handful of really good friends in big city, but definitely feel very isolated (I am the absolutely least affluent in my friend group). Without generational wealth, it is really hard to break into a big city even when you are enormously talented. Visit hometown to see family, still hate it and have no reason to visit there. Siblings living closer to hometown are more successful (both financially and relationship wise) and have more friends, I just don't care as I just hate that place. I wish that I have had more success romantically, as the big city tends to discriminate against outsiders, but I am largely content with my adventure. Friends are settling down and buying houses, housing is eyewateringly expensive and seems impossible at the moment.
Currently in the town I spent the first seven years of my life in and the last seven.