The Tale of Two Towns

     I sat with my good friend in a dive bar in Michigan this past February. We were catching up over  two dollar beers. She and I had known each other since Sophomore year of high school. I was telling her about how I was working on getting out of debt.
"You've always been good with money" She said.
"Yeah, but I'm twenty-two thousand in credit card debt." I confessed. She was shocked.
"Really? I had no idea."
" I'm just really bad with controlling my spending when it comes to using credit cards." I explained. "So I cut them all up last year and am learning to live on what we make instead."
"That's good. Is it all just from over spending?" She asked.
"Mostly, some of from being financially unstable the last couple years." I said. For the longest time I'd blamed the bulk  of my debt from a disastrous roommate in experience in 2007/2008. In the end we were evicted for my roommate never paying rent and I was stuck with the bill for all of it to the tune of $4,500. I was angry for years after it all went down and attributed my credit card debt to her irresponsibility. When in reality the amount I'd been stuck with from it was only a fraction of the amount I was in debt. It was my own doing that lead me to be in the position I am now. I was done blaming others for my inability to keep myself in check.
         After coming back to Ann Arbor Michigan last February I had a bit of enlightenment. The town I grew up in is the exact opposite of where I live now. Ann Arbor Michigan is very laid back in many ways. Metro-Atlanta is about status in many ways. For instance, in Atlanta what you drive is very important. BMW's, Mercedes, and Range Rovers are a dime a dozen on the highways of Atlanta. I even saw a Rolls Royce SUV while heading home from work once.  Meanwhile, in Ann Arbor you can't swing a stick without hitting  Subaru. Ann Arborites value quality over labels. While they might spend good money on an expensive coat, they know it will last them many brutal Michigan winters. In Atlanta many Louis Vuitton handbags are seen on women around town. I have a couple handbags as well. They cost $20 each.
        Every time I go back to Ann Arbor it's a reality check for me. On what really matters in life and to get me away from the material possession pull of Atlanta. The first when time I came back to Ann Arbor after I'd moved to Atlanta in 2012 it felt like a dream. That I'd been in a coma for the last seven months and I'd never actually moved. It felt very surreal to me. Now when I'm back in Atlanta I try to let my Ann Arbor state of mind prevail. I think it helps keep me grounded and hopefully will help in the journey of getting out of debt once in for all.