You put many limitations on what you would accept: essentially put all your eggs in one basket. I respect you decision and am sorry it didn't work out for you. But if you compare getting hired to a quality company to getting drafted to a major league ball club, your limits meant you could have only been happy if drafted by Seatle... that makes it kinda tough.

On the flip side, there are a fair number of regional "lifers" who have stayed at an outstation after they could have moved on to the big boys for the very same reasons you list. Still, they are berated for working for "bottom feeders" or dismissed as being fools.