APAD: Go west young man.

Meaning:

In its literal sense: Greater opportunities are available in the American West

for pioneering spirits, but can also be used metaphorically in the context of

striking out for pastures new.

 

Background:

Often attributed to the founder and editor of the New York Tribune, Horace

Greeley (1811-72), who used the expression frequently. However, the real author

is thought to be John Babsone Lane Soule, the editor of the Indiana based Terre

Haute Express who first offered the advice in 1851. Between 1840 and 1870 over

250,000 people traveled from the Missouri River to the Pacific.

 

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The economy was booming in the capital and coastal cities in the 90s. Foreign

firms raced to open shops and high-tech workers were in demand. Around

Zhongguan Village, graduates from nearby colleges sold like hotcackes. On my

first gig, I made 10 times more than my dad. It felt unreal. Most of my friends

had settled comfortably into cushy jobs and were in time for the investment of a

lifetime, i.e., real estate. The tide was coming in and lifting all the boats.

 

What most people do rarely interests me, however. An excuse for incompetence,

no doubt, but unaware of today's proverb, I chose to go west. And that made all

the difference.