@catsalad FWIW, I was a special ed kid, thrown out of high school, didn't have the money for college. My guidance counselor just wanted me to get a low wage job and stay out prison.

...I have a lovely home with cat and partner and a thriving community of friends here (France) *and* back in the USA. I'm struggling with career a lot of the time, but I'm a journalist so that's kind of inevitable right now. I also co-run an IT company and develop tools for web forensics with my partner.