Psychic Equations

Dear Maude and Mod,
I am a 25 year old female, living in New York with my girlfriend of 2 years and my dog. I am very very happy, except, like most 25 year olds, with my career. 
I somewhat randomly and magically decided I want to be Occupational Therapist and have begun volunteering and taking the pre-requisites I need to apply for grad schools with an OT program. Due to program offerings and finances, going to school in New York City is not an option.  So, I begrudgingly have been trying to formulate a plan to move.
My girlfriend has said she wants to move with me which I am ecstatic about, but it makes me very nervous too. Though she isn't happy in her career either, she has cushy well-paying job in New York that is rare in our current economy. I don't want to be the reason for her leaving her job and moving to a new city where she will most likely not be able to find as high-paying of a job. I worry that the stress of her being in a new city without reason to be there beyond me will strain our relationship and at worst, break it. We have discussed the possibility of having a long distance relationship for awhile because of this problem, but because she dislikes her job, would be away from me, and the dog... long distance doesn't seem like a good option either. I feel like the options outside of New York are unhappy and together, or unhappy and apart.

Maude and Mod; Please find me a resolution that is just as unexpected and magical as my decision to pursue Occupational Therapy! Or, just send me a trust fund; that would suffice.

Sincerely,

Unhappy and together? Or, unhappy and apart?

Dearest Unhappy Together/Apart,
Maude: Let us not waste time nor ink in clarifying your situation any longer! All you need to do is reread your writing, and, like gazing into a crystal ball, you will see what I see. Or perhaps not, as not all have been given my talents (except, of course, Mod). The words that you need to memorize are ..."she dislikes her job". You would not exactly be twisting her arm to go along with you – in fact, in what may be a plan of divine intervention – it seems that this is a good time for her to move and find a career that she loves. You are being blind to the great fortune that has been handed to you: out of the blue you decide to be an OT, you find your volunteering satisfying enough that you are moving forward AND your special intimate other WANTS to go with you. I warn you that the gods will not look favorably on your ingratitude.
I will leave you to dwell on this wisdom with the caveat that you really should make sure that your school and new location are as desirable as possible. That way no one feels stranded and everyone is a bit happier.
Go in Peace.
Mod: Wow. In English: you know for sure that you are going to be unhappy if you are apart. You do not know (though there is a chance of it) that you will be unhappy if you are together in a new place – in fact, it's quite possible that you'll be somewhat/mostly/completely happy outside of New York. Therefore, through some complex laws of probability, I say go with the moving together. Beyond the math (which I’m quite good at, I might add, having taken an incredible online math course), there’s this: you can agonize and fret about your beloved’s happiness, but this decision is really up to her. If she decides to move with you, she is taking it all into consideration (leaving New York, leaving her job, adjusting to a new place where her girlfriend is in school) and that makes her an equal participant for her own happiness. Feeling like all of her well-being is on you will make you both crazy. Finally, doing long distance for a brief, set amount of time (a few months) may be beneficial if that’s the way you want to go. You’ll get to settle in on your own and you’ll both miss one another enough to be certain about her move. Good luck on your magical future!
P.S. I feel you on the delayed trust fund: I’ve been waiting for mine for an awfully long time and Maude just doesn’t seem to be cooperating.