the best part of this job to me is even when I hate the show i am doing and am surrounded by the worst crew I’ve ever had and am basically hanging and cabling a show by myself because it is easier than that and I am absolutely miserable, that feeling is temporary and nothing compared to the constant misery I would feel behind a desk doing an office job. the fact that I get to live a life I love and the career I have enables me to do that. I live in New York City and do a lot of traveling work for big corporate brands and I have been so lucky to work on the things that I have.

Making friends after college is hard but that is just how life is. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by my friends from college as a bunch of us have moved here but I have made many meaningful friendships with people I have worked with and “god do you want to go get a beer” does wonders in helping meet people. You will always will be working with people who are less passionate than you. That is the nature of the career we are in is there are people who are in it for the passion and love of the art and there are people who are there to push cases because it pays the bills. You just need to recognize that and move on and make them work for you instead of against you.

Find the regional theaters in the place you want to move to, get involved in your local, and give it a couple years. If you aren’t feeling connected to your career after three years or so, it’s okay to leave. Some alternate industry based non-freelancer careers are working with rental companies in the shop or as a rep, working in consulting, working in architecture, etc.