Scared of the future, hate my job, hate my city, but scared I'll never be able to change it.

A few basics about me: I'm 26/F single and a lesbian. I want to move out of my hometown in central CA USA, and live somewhere in the NE corner of the country (PA, NY, MA, NH, VT...). Leaning towards Pittsburgh, PA for a few reasons, but honestly I'm not picky. I know that that area of the country tends to be more expensive than where I live right now. I need a career that pays better than retail, but I'm not sure how to afford the schooling.

I need out of this city. It's hot and dusty here, terrible air quality, hardly any nice green nature nearby. I've lived here all my life and I've wanted to move for a very long time now; I can't see myself living here for the rest of my life. I live with my ex and my sister and it sucks. Our living situation may be dissolving soon with my sis graduating and moving out of town this summer, and there's no way I'm gonna stay here with my ex. I have a friend who may be looking to get an apartment with me, which means I don't have to worry about affording a place of my own but I'll still be living here in the same town.

I've been working in retail for 8 years now, been with the same employer the entire time. I'm actually in an okay position right now; I'm full-time, I work in the office (very little customer interaction), I have health insurance, a 401K, I make around 25,000 a year before taxes. I'm not living in poverty or anything, but I feel like I've trapped myself in this career, all I have is retail experience. I'd actually like to go back to college for a new career, but I don't know how to afford it. I have very little savings, mostly because I blow them on taking vacations just to get away from this crappy job and this horrible city.

If I could go back to college, I would want to finish a technical program. Something like dental hygienist, registered nurse, or some kind of IT certification. I don't have lofty goals, I just want to find a relatively safe career path that will pay more than I'm making right now, and isn't retail. I'm leaning toward Dental Hygienist at the moment and there's a good 2-year program at a college within commuting distance. I have good enough credit to take out student loans most likely. But my biggest problem is how to support myself while going to college. I'll only be working part time most likely, and won't be able to keep my current position. So I can either step down, take a pay cut, and hope that I can make ends meet. Or find a new job, possibly take a harder pay cut, and hope that I can make ends meet; but at least I can leave this horrible store I've been stuck at for the last 8 years.

One thing I do have going for me is that I do some freelance art commissions online. I'm not terribly popular, but I make enough on the side to supplement my income with maybe an extra 100 to 300 bucks a month. I'm hoping to keep working on this to bring in more than that, but I can't see it being more than a side hustle for the forseeable future.

With some schooling under my belt I would have a better chance of landing a job when I decide to move. The last thing I want is to leave town, fail, and have to move back. I want to get out of here and start a new life in a new city with a job that supports me so I can have a little apartment with a nice girlfriend and a cat, and have enough money to afford a few nicer things in life.

I'm really not sure what I'm asking, but I guess any advice related to any of this would be nice. I feel like I will never be able to get where I want to in life, there's just too many obstacles. I need perspective.