u/Sensitive-Spinach281

Salam! 26F I met a Pakistani man online a while back, and after talking with him for about 2 months, we decided to meet each other's parents. He lives about 500mi away from me in a different state. I traveled there and met his strict Pakistani family. Long story short - his mom and the rest of the family like me, but his father is vehemently against me. His reasoning is that I am a revert, white, come from humble means, and that I won't understand Pakistani culture. His family is also worried about what the community will think and, most importantly, that this will set a standard in the family that it's okay to marry outside of the culture. While I understand it's important to preserve heritage and culture... I think this is taking things a little too far. His father has also refused to speak to me and get to know me, and just states that I'm "not a viable option for their son." I am more than happy to adopt customs and traditions and am a very respectful, open-minded person. I don't feel like this hate is warranted. The guy I'm speaking to is basically saying we only have one option, and thats to do Nikkah without his family's blessing; however, we're obviously very hesitant to do that because it's not what we think is best. Although I like him and can see a future with him... is it worth it to keep pursuing this in hopes that his family (namely his father) will change his mind?

Rising M2 here. I have been applying for about three months and haven't secured a position over the summer/beyond. I've applied to about 50 positions. When I started applying back in April before the summer, I was more focused on finding part-time research or hospital roles. I received two callbacks, but once they learned I was in medical school, they quickly stated they were no longer interested. I've also been applying for roles such as phlebotomy tech, medical assistant, dental assistant, and optometrist assistant. Once I realized maybe doing something directly related to my field was not in the cards for me, I pivoted to applying for part-time jobs more broadly - baristas, Big Blue Swim School helper, Whole Foods, retail stores, etc. No luck there either. I'm overqualified for most positions, and hiring managers often avoid bringing on someone who might leave after a couple of months. As an aside, I've also been cold-emailing doctors in my area to volunteer for research over the summer, and haven't received any responses. At this point, I'm asking myself... Is it ME?? (For context, I live in the Chicago area; I'm very respectful in emails; my resume is filled with long-term work as an EMT and Emergency Room Tech, as well as multiple research positions as a research assistant and research coordinator with prominent institutions in the area.) If someone has ANY advice or a similar experience, I'd really appreciate some feedback. I am literally BROKE and fear I might not be able to survive this summer 😭