A smart@@s remark from a certain someone we all know and love (CBBN) in the San Fran thread got me thinking....why do you live where you live??
Since I left Ashland in 1983, I now live in a town that has been the longest I've lived anywhere since that year. It's only 7 years for me right now, but how did you end up where you are?
Some of you may recall my military retirement last year. I put resume's out all over the country. I got one bite....the job I'm in now. Right back on the base I retired from as a civilian federal employee. Had the another job come along I probably would have moved to it. Albeit, single again, but that's where my mind was.
Taxes out here are outrageous. Weather here is phenomonal. People are nice enough. Truly depends on where you are at any given time. Politics, yeah well, if you're of the liberal, socialist, transgender mindset, it's a perfect environment. (I'm not). Gangs are "around" but have not infiltrated my area/county to any great degree. They are more south of San Francisco and a little north. I think the local Hell's Angels keeps them at bay around here.
Real estate has bottomed. We are even considering buying within the next year if the right one pops up. However I wonder if it will drop more, as the economy tanks more in the coming months/years. I can purchase a decent sized house (1700-2300 sq ft) with a small yard in a decent neighborhood for about 500-600K. Yeah I know....but thats my reality right now.
My job as a GS is "locked in" on 25 March 2013. So the security is there, somewhat. The job is not hard, I enjoy it.
We are 50 minutes from downtown SF. Some of the best restaurants I've ever eaten in my life that are not exorbitant in price. Especially the little mom and pop italian places in North Beach! About 2.5 hours from Lake Tahoe, 1 hour from some amazing bass fishing lakes, and minutes from others. Broadway plays that come here from the east coast (Go see Jersey Boys if you get the chance). Great story and music from Franki Valli and the Four Seasons life together.
I'm away from friends and family I grew up with, I long for the hills of Eastern Kentucky at times, but I wonder how much of that longing is nostalgic vs. reality?
I can sit on my back patio now with a firepit, some nice adirondack chairs made from wine barrels, sip on really good wine or white lightning, depending on my mood. All in all, it's not a bad life out here. Could I have more bang for my buck in another area. You bet. Is it worth it? I really don't know. I'm a creature of habit, and as I said, I've never been in a place this long. It's a new thing for me. I'm trying to relax with it.
Thats my reasoning. How about yours?
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