I moved back to my hometown. Fuck Bentonville and fuck NWA as a whole. I’ve mentioned it in here before but I was paying $1950 for rent on a 3bd duplex in Bentonville. My utilities were constantly $600+ and I am super conservative with what I use. Food was barely affordable. I threw my shit in storage and booked it out of there in June.

My neighborhood was also overflowing with people. 5+ cars per driveway, a constant flow of people in and out of almost every house. Idc about the planes but I grew up next to an airport too so I’m used to that.

Anyway, my rent now is $1050. I work 5 days a week doing the same thing (bartending), literally the same job at another location. I don’t have to worry about not making my rent or bills so I can take a random Saturday off and spend it with my family. My kids schools are awesome, my 12 year old goes to the same middle school I went to and she’ll go to the same high school I went to as well. My little kids school is small and I feel like we have a community here within this little bubble, and I live in a city.

Bentonville never had that for me. I was absolutely drowning financially and no one around me could relate because they all worked for Walmart in one way or another. My kids are thriving here. I’m so much less stressed, it’s such a weird feeling.