So many people like folk rock but hate country

That's because country music is an e-mail account without a functional spam filter.

I like what I like; why fight it?

That's the Hipster Mantra, but not the Hipster Truth, so I think you'll be OK.

I'm in the process of applying for jobs

So, for what kinds of jobs are you applying? Are they for fun, philanthropy, or financial gain? (does that count as alliteration?) Don't worry; I don't have prejudices against selling out, in case that's what you might do. I, myself, will likely sell out after finishing school. I'm kind of tired of being a small cog in a big machine, even a good machine, and the best way I see to be my own machine is to be, for a while, a cog in a machine that pays its cogs. So sue me; no, I'm not self-conscious about it; why do you ask? Not at all.

As with any do-gooding institution, I am unsure how effective they are

Most people don't seem to realize that non-corporate entities (governments, b-i-NGOs, do-gooders, and so on) can never be as efficient with money and saleable resources as those whose main goal is to accumulate money. When the entire goal is money, financial inefficiencies have a natural and almost inevitable way of working themselves out; not so with the rest of us citizens (united?) who use money only to get other things.

A lot of these urban education programs seem like ego-stroking of the privileged

All I know is that the people I know who taught in city schools are some of the smartest and most caring people, and they did a good job at teaching. That being said, your comment does sound quite post-hipster or post-activist, making my comment-in-progress post-post-hipster/activist and granting me the proverbial high ground in the Battle for Ideological Superiority and rendering invalid any attempt [by you] to reverse the argument back on me. Try a flanking manoeuvre, maybe?

I can see that in you because I do it myself

Just because you do something a lot doesn't mean you're good at recognizing it. Being wrong a lot doesn't make you good at detecting falsehoods.

Devil's advocate

That's why I ask questions. It's not that I don't believe you; it's that I don't understand.

So it wasn't true love?

I think... that you can buy that only once, but you can live off of it for a while. (-TB, in a dream)

Men still have more pressure in terms of work, supporting a family, etc.

I always think it's funny hearing that from a woman. Maybe you're right, but I don't feel that way. It's been a long time since I've felt significant pressure from "society". Pressure from myself is way bigger, and usually in a different direction. Also, societal pressure seems more like a falsely-held belief than an actual force. Kind of like God. No need to pay attention to it.

How do you feel about going back?

I'm returning home a broken man.