6 months in California.

The Obsession | Edition - 032

About 60% of the population spends their entire lives living in the same state they were born in.

Not me!

I was born in IL, went to college in IN, spent a few years in GA, and now 6 months in CA.

So here are my thoughts on my experience in California for the last 6 months.

Living in California is awesome!

When I tell people I live in California one of the first things that comes up is “It’s so expensive there”.

I mean yes and no, generally it’s more expensive than most places, but it’s not the most expensive place.

You can’t compare living here to living in a suburb in the Midwest. Most places don’t have the perfect weather, the ocean, mountains, no bugs, big opportunities for careers, and a million other things to do.

The added expense that it does cost to live here I view as a membership fee. It’s what I pay to have access to almost anything I want within driving distance. For me that pretty much all revolves around outdoor activities.

As soon as I moved here I got into surfing, I go almost every weekend now. It’s a fun adventure for me that used to cost me PTO, plane tickets, housing, gear rental, etc.

Now I just load up the truck and go.

My advice if you live here, take advantage of the ocean.

I never vacationed here before living here. All of my vacations were always to spots that pretty much survive on tourists and hospitality.

With California being one of the largest GDPs in the world there is plenty of work opportunities here. LA offers great work opportunities while also providing access to all the great outdoor things to do year round. This is a rarity.

I am not saying it’s perfect here, every place has its pros and cons. So far I have enjoyed my time here.

What your favorite place you have lived and why?

THE WEEKLY 3

1) One Question I Asked Myself

Am I living somewhere because it's comfortable, or because it's where I actually want to be?

2) One Idea That Shifted Me

The extra cost of living somewhere you love isn't an expense. It's a membership fee for the life you want access to.

3) One Challenge to Take Into Your Week

If you've been thinking about making a move, a new city, a new state, whatever it is, stop thinking and start looking into it. You don't have to commit. Just explore it. The worst thing that happens is you learn something.