Thank you! This was a really nice post :)

1. which places? I am making a list of all the trails to explore when I get there
2. This is very kind! I am a girl and will definitely pm you if I accept the arlington offer
3. I'm glad it's not super confrontational ... my perception of American politics is that the different sides REALLY dislike each other and are always fighting ... would make for an unpleasant environment with them both squished together in DC hahaha

The Europe job is in the same industry, so I could theoretically transition back to the States. But the Arlington offer I have now is pretty good for a new grad so I am hesitant to give it up if my plan is not to stay in Europe long term. A bird in the hand and all that ...

Good advice :) ... thank you for the trail reccs!

> but I’m mid-thirties, married, and have a good group of local friends.

hahahha i am jealous of you :,,,)

I don't even have a driver's license right now so your advice on public transport is very helpful!!

Overall this was a really kind and helpful reply. I am a woman also and if I accept the Arlington offer I will totally dm you about the book club :).

I am definitely not prepared for urban living ;-;!

Why would you pick Europe over Arlington?

I was prepared to chose Europe before I got the concrete offer, but I didn't count on how much lower European salaries are. If I took the Europe offer, I would be able to afford a small apartment with no roommates near my office and healthy food but not much else :P. In Arlington, my standard of living would be much higher.

Thank you for the trail reccs! I will probably be checking all of those out :).

Thank you for the transportation details! I can't drive right now and am debating whether I need to finally bite the bullet and get a license, car, all that hassle...

I'd rather not share where in Europe because I am afraid of being identified by either of the companies which hired me ;-;. My family is from the same European country though; my parents moved to the States before I was born. I have lived there before and loved it. I was ready to move.

Unfortunately, the salary I was offered in Europe is less than half (in the native currency) what I was offered in Arlington (in dollars). I think I could barely make ends meet, with no money left to spend on frivolous things or save for old age :(.

I suppose I could return to my ancestral roots for a couple years and then move back to the States, but the US economy seems to be starting a downward spiral and I am afraid that the excellent offer I have now in Arlington will not be available in a couple years.

So basically, I love living in Europe too but I think it would be irresponsible. Arlington seems a nice place to live, especially compared to the low standard of living I would have in Europe. Thank you for the good wishes :,).

you make it sound like the worst parts of college socializing lol :,,,)

Thank you! I still haven't internalized how squished everything is in cities. I also thought 6 figures was a bigger salary than it is ;-;.

They deliver!

I hope you have a better time in Denver! I also dislike city living but feel a bit trapped by my career ):.

One advantage of Arlington I saw online is that there are some nice Amish farms nearby, so it seems like you can get natural food if that's important to you.

Thank you! This is super detailed and helpful. Some follow up questions:

Do you think public transit is good enough where I don't need a car?

Do you think it's reasonable to rent an apartment in Fairfax or Falls Church and commute into the office? I think my job will be flexible where I don't need to be at work at 9am every day...

Where do people move to? Is it to a nearby suburb or just out of NoVa altogether?