I would imagine you can get setup here with 4k. I'd definitely prioritize things though and try to live as barebones as you can early on. The point is just get here and start getting a steady income stream coming in and then you can start buying things that you put off that weren't absolutely essential.

And yea agreed I wish there was some more prestige for federal workers. I don't think Americans realize just how much is done on their behalf that they don't know about. Their impressions come from their experience at the DMV or what they hear on the news. Michael Lewis wrote a good book, The Fifth Risk, that sort of highlights some of the unsung heroes in the federal government. I found it pretty interesting and it definitely rang true to me. If you're passionate about that sort of stuff it would probably be a good thing to bring up whenever you have an interview. I imagine they look for people like that.

Seriously dude don’t leave us hanging

Yea the silver line now stops at Dulles Airport. I think Ashburn is two stops after that if that helps.

He’s probably referring to the VRE. Not the metro

Though I believe they recently extended the silver line further into VA I think all the way to Ashburn

I’m a government contractor living in Northern Virginia. Moving to this area has been one of the greatest decisions I could have ever made financially and professionally.

The economy around here is as close to recession proof as you can get possibly get. Lots of job opportunities. Federal government is very secure work. You won’t get rich, but you can live a solid life with great benefits and a pension. If the position provides opportunities to get a clearance it’s even better.

I think the public transit in DC is pretty good. Haven’t used it in a while but always felt like I could get to where I needed to go in DC.

You’ll very likely need roommates like you said.

If you don’t see a ton of upward movement in your current job I see very little downside to moving to DC for a career in the federal government. Seems like a no brainer to me.

I wouldn’t be too worried about the state of politics in our country. You can’t predict the future. This seems like a great foot in the door opportunity that could lead to bigger and better things 5 or 10 years down the line.