My first programming job I made a whopping $28k a year, back in 2006, in Chicago. That's $35k in today's dollars, and ~$55k taking the cost of living of NYC int

My first programming job I made a whopping $28k a year, back in 2006, in Chicago. That's $35k in today's dollars, and ~$55k taking the cost of living of NYC into account. Hell, you're currently making about what I do after 10+ years of experience even taking cost of living into account (of course I stupidly never left Chicago). Use that salary to leverage a better trajectory than I ever got. Assuming your love is on the west coast somewhere, you should be able to find something close to her that pays comparably well. Just do your best to stick it out and keep looking. A year really isn't that long. I've hated my current job for the past two years but I'm still here (well I desperately need to leave, but it has some perks, like working remotely, and it's hard to find a new job when you're planning a wedding, which thankfully is done now). Having that job on your resume will help you negotiate down the line.