...because I'm not willing to move.
‘....not willing to move.’
That’s the key term. There are probably a hundred major restaurants around New York City which would have an interest in you....but they aren’t going to pay at the level for that $100k in loans to be easily paid-off. If you stood around for ten years in NY City, you might finally start getting respect and real pay as a top-notch cook.
In the LA area, and San Fransisco....you might find forty job opportunities that pop up each year, but again, as a rookie cook....you aren’t going to get the money to pay off that $100k in loans.
Yep, basically....she screwed up and isn’t willing to really move.