This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alex Akmal, 23, a project manager at healthcare software company Epic, who moved from Missoula, Montana, where she went to college, to Madison, Wisconsin, after graduating last year. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.
I ended up in sociology with a minor in women's gender and sexuality studies. I went into college with the attitude of"Oh, I want a career, I want to have a dream job, blah, blah, blah," and then I ended up saying"I'm just going to do the stuff that I enjoy and that I'm passionate about. Then I'll figure out the career piece later."
Then, when I got an offer from Epic, they flew me out there. When I got there, I thought I can make this work.The 'Midwestern nice' thing is so real: we got into a taxi from the airport and the driver was talking about the Green Bay Packers, where we should go for beers in Madison, and how much he loved it. He was so incredibly friendly.
Akmal's partner, also named Alex, on a walk with one of their cats, protecting its ears from the cold wind.We live right outside of Madison, kind of in the suburbs. Our home is technically an apartment, but it's like a townhouse — there are no upstairs or downstairs neighbors, just neighbors on the sides. It's really nice. It's a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom apartment — it's a really big space.