On its behalf, Memphis has great music & great food (not the healthiest, but probably some of the tastiest in the world). Also, I have a great group of close friends here & the cost of living is low compared to other parts of the US. Those are the best things I can say about this city.

Here’s the bad stuff… I moved here from Louisiana with my family when I was 12, and I felt a huge difference in the “air” of Memphis vs. Louisiana. The atmosphere of Louisiana was just happier. Even at age 12, I could feel some kind of gray cloud hanging over this place. I think a lot of the tension here has to do with race & Martin Luther King’s murder. It’s such a shame that a 1968 murder can cast such a dark & long-lasting hateful shadow on a place. The hate is what MLK was against, but it definitely persists & I hate that for people of all colors.

My family moved away when I was college age, so I stayed here. However, I feel that I’ve never belonged. I’m 30 now, so it’s not like 18 years isn’t enough time to give a place a shot at being home. I’ve finally finished up college & I’m having a really tough time finding a job in the area. Once I do find a job, I think it will only be to save up enough money to move.

My husband’s family is here & he doesn’t want to move, but I don’t know how much longer I can stay here. I feel like I’m wasting my life in this stifling place & I could be much happier somewhere else. Maybe somewhere more picturesque where I can get out in nature & exercise & people seem happier to be alive. I’m at a point in live where I’m ready to thrive vs. simply surviving.

I know that once I leave, there will be things that I miss that I didn’t realize I’d miss. But, it helps to know that I can always come back if I feel like I should.