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Old 03-20-2016, 01:28 PM
 
Location: Sammamish, WA/Reston, VA
14 posts, read 15,337 times
Reputation: 31

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I hate to say this, but having lived in Northern California for a few years and being very familiar with SoCal, don't move back to CA. It's not what it once was. SoCal is a sinking ship economically and many people feel that the situation in Northern California will deteriorate pretty rapidly once venture capital inevitably start consolidating with only the most successful start-ups and mid capitalization companies and all the small unknown start ups that have been driving most of the Bay Area's growth go belly up. If I were you I would move to one of the better metropolitan economies in the Midwest like Chicago, Madison, or Minneapolis, Texas, or perhaps even Colorado. CA is killing itself with its horrible suburban growth limitations which are driving up housing costs to astronomic heights and making it impossible to even eek out a living there making three figures as well as its crippling fiscal problems.
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Old 04-09-2016, 02:14 PM
 
3 posts, read 2,471 times
Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliCarm94 View Post
Hello, my name is Carmilla and I was born and raised in Watts, California. My family and I moved from Watts to Kansas City, Kansas in 2005. As you would imagine, the move was devastating for me. People in Kansas often ask, why would you move from California to Kansas?!?!? I always reply with "I was too young to say no haha!" Moving forward, I'm twenty-one now and I am more than ready to go back home to California, however, finances are a big obstacle. I live on my own and I have to pay bills, bills and more bills. Obviously, bills make it extremely difficult to save money! At the rate that I'm saving, it would take me over four years to move back to California! I don't have a roommate or anyone that could be a roommate. I can't live with my parents because I'm not close to my dad and my mom needs special care because she has a load of medical disabilities on top of being completely paralyzed on the left side of her body. I have plenty of family in California, however, my family is the "only speak around holidays" type. I also have two cats that I don't think I can part with. I work at the Humane Society and I see cats being returned to our shelter all the time due to relocation. The toll that it takes on these animals when they are returned is saddening and I don't think I could put my boys through it. However, finances make it quite difficult to move with pets. Furthermore, I really want to go to college as soon as possible! I want to go to school to be a Veterinary Technician and with time I want to become a Veterinarian. I plan on going to school in California but I know In-State students are usually first priority. I would love to live in Torrance, California but I know it isn't cheap. I'm a SoCal girl so I would definitely prefer to live somewhere that I am familiar with that offer a Veterinary Technician program like Los Angeles, Torrance, Pasadena, Irvine and Long Beach. I'm also open to living in cheaper places with Veterinary Technician programs like Fresno to get a jump start without my finances taking such a heavy hit. So I'm here to ask for any tips or suggestions on moving back to California, especially with California's cost of living.

Is there any school aid or scholarships that I could help me with the initial move along with school?
Should I get a second job here in Kansas and work like crazy?
Are there any places in SoCal that would be a good starting point besides diving right into the city?
Should I just drop everything and go?
What are my REAL options?
Any other young people with a big move in your future? Or any other young people who have managed a big move while finances were an issue?
Are there any opportunities that I could take advantage of in California while I'm out-of-state?
Any tips, advice and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
When I was your age I could have written a story almost exactly like yours. I too am a Southern California native that left when I was too young to say no. I grew up in Rancho Cucamonga and moved at age 11, first to Arizona and then Texas. I didn't want to leave, but I was curious about Arizona and Texas as I had visited them earlier. At 20, while in college, I began missing SoCal more and more and decided I wanted to move back, to the area around my hometown or Orange County, where my grandparents lived.

A year later, I did visit with my boyfriend (who would later become my husband) and I was very, very happy to be back. I actually went a step further in trying to attain my dream of returning to SoCal, getting a post-grad degree, and working in one of those so-called "green jobs" with my biology degree, working in a lab of a "green" company. I actually visited four colleges in the area: USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside. My parents thought that was a horrible idea because of the dire financial situation of the state and the crazy cost of living. I thought with my and my boyfriend's frugality we could make a good living in SoCal. And the fact that I was very happy there, which even my boyfriend noticed, I could live better in SoCal than in Texas, where my allergies were crazy and I was overall not happy. (I too bawled my eyes out when we had to to leave California.) Then I actually applied to those schools, and got rejected from all of them. I should have taken that as a sign, but I decided on a plan B anyway. I wanted out of Texas that bad, and I couldn't bear being "stuck" in Texas any longer.

I did try other "green" programs at Texas schools, mostly because they were my parents' suggestions, but didn't like any of them until I applied for one on my own, biotechnology for a certificate. I figured because California looked much better for biotech than Texas, I would find a job there with a biotech certificate. WIth some help from a now-ex-friend, I would work a couple of seasonal jobs to earn some cash to move back, but then as I started the second of those jobs in Park City, Utah, my desire to return to California began to wane, as I began applying for science-based jobs in Salt Lake City. I found a great one, which I am still at 4 years later, and now I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I continued to pursue a return to California.

My husband and I took a trip to SoCal last year, and I didn't feel the same extreme enthusiasm that I had in 2004. I was happy to be back, yes, but my living situation in 2015 was way, way different than 2004, with many more bills, many more responsibilities, and a husband. I also didn't bawl my eyes out when we left. I took that as a sign that moving back to California with the typical "adult" responsibilities would been very foolish and that my parents were right all along. I did get to leave Texas like I originally wanted, though my views of the state are a lot better now than in 2004. Pretty much the only gripe I really had in Texas was allergies, which are still horrible there, and almost nonexistent in SoCal and Utah. And in Salt Lake City, even though I have zero biological family here, I was able to make some great friends through work and volunteer gardening, and am now very happy.

So from my life story, I did manage a big move with shaky finances, albeit with the help of the now-ex-friend (who later had issues that we couldn't handle, but that's another story), but it was from one low-COLA state to another. So if you really want to leave Kansas, I would suggest moving to another low-COLA state and see how you fare there. Maybe like me, your desire will wane with time, especially if the financial situation in California does get worse.
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Old 04-09-2016, 06:21 PM
 
18,172 posts, read 16,321,515 times
Reputation: 9325
Quote:
Originally Posted by calgal0953 View Post
When I was your age I could have written a story almost exactly like yours. I too am a Southern California native that left when I was too young to say no. I grew up in Rancho Cucamonga and moved at age 11, first to Arizona and then Texas. I didn't want to leave, but I was curious about Arizona and Texas as I had visited them earlier. At 20, while in college, I began missing SoCal more and more and decided I wanted to move back, to the area around my hometown or Orange County, where my grandparents lived.

A year later, I did visit with my boyfriend (who would later become my husband) and I was very, very happy to be back. I actually went a step further in trying to attain my dream of returning to SoCal, getting a post-grad degree, and working in one of those so-called "green jobs" with my biology degree, working in a lab of a "green" company. I actually visited four colleges in the area: USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside. My parents thought that was a horrible idea because of the dire financial situation of the state and the crazy cost of living. I thought with my and my boyfriend's frugality we could make a good living in SoCal. And the fact that I was very happy there, which even my boyfriend noticed, I could live better in SoCal than in Texas, where my allergies were crazy and I was overall not happy. (I too bawled my eyes out when we had to to leave California.) Then I actually applied to those schools, and got rejected from all of them. I should have taken that as a sign, but I decided on a plan B anyway. I wanted out of Texas that bad, and I couldn't bear being "stuck" in Texas any longer.

I did try other "green" programs at Texas schools, mostly because they were my parents' suggestions, but didn't like any of them until I applied for one on my own, biotechnology for a certificate. I figured because California looked much better for biotech than Texas, I would find a job there with a biotech certificate. WIth some help from a now-ex-friend, I would work a couple of seasonal jobs to earn some cash to move back, but then as I started the second of those jobs in Park City, Utah, my desire to return to California began to wane, as I began applying for science-based jobs in Salt Lake City. I found a great one, which I am still at 4 years later, and now I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I continued to pursue a return to California.

My husband and I took a trip to SoCal last year, and I didn't feel the same extreme enthusiasm that I had in 2004. I was happy to be back, yes, but my living situation in 2015 was way, way different than 2004, with many more bills, many more responsibilities, and a husband. I also didn't bawl my eyes out when we left. I took that as a sign that moving back to California with the typical "adult" responsibilities would been very foolish and that my parents were right all along. I did get to leave Texas like I originally wanted, though my views of the state are a lot better now than in 2004. Pretty much the only gripe I really had in Texas was allergies, which are still horrible there, and almost nonexistent in SoCal and Utah. And in Salt Lake City, even though I have zero biological family here, I was able to make some great friends through work and volunteer gardening, and am now very happy.

So from my life story, I did manage a big move with shaky finances, albeit with the help of the now-ex-friend (who later had issues that we couldn't handle, but that's another story), but it was from one low-COLA state to another. So if you really want to leave Kansas, I would suggest moving to another low-COLA state and see how you fare there. Maybe like me, your desire will wane with time, especially if the financial situation in California does get worse.
I know what you mean.I left SoCal 6 years ago. After a few years I began to miss many things, but my wife never wanted to go back,and her feelings count. Then we visited and It was fun, but lacking a little. Then last year I was in CA again and the pull was not very strong at all. Then seeing what is happening there lately my desire diminished even more. Then................a medical condition "may" require a move to a mild climate and low humidity and .....SoCal is really my only choice. I am dreading the talk with my doctor and a specialist. Life is definitely interesting now.
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Old 04-10-2016, 12:11 PM
 
270 posts, read 273,160 times
Reputation: 225
Quote:
Originally Posted by calgal0953 View Post
When I was your age I could have written a story almost exactly like yours. I too am a Southern California native that left when I was too young to say no. I grew up in Rancho Cucamonga and moved at age 11, first to Arizona and then Texas. I didn't want to leave, but I was curious about Arizona and Texas as I had visited them earlier. At 20, while in college, I began missing SoCal more and more and decided I wanted to move back, to the area around my hometown or Orange County, where my grandparents lived.

A year later, I did visit with my boyfriend (who would later become my husband) and I was very, very happy to be back. I actually went a step further in trying to attain my dream of returning to SoCal, getting a post-grad degree, and working in one of those so-called "green jobs" with my biology degree, working in a lab of a "green" company. I actually visited four colleges in the area: USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside. My parents thought that was a horrible idea because of the dire financial situation of the state and the crazy cost of living. I thought with my and my boyfriend's frugality we could make a good living in SoCal. And the fact that I was very happy there, which even my boyfriend noticed, I could live better in SoCal than in Texas, where my allergies were crazy and I was overall not happy. (I too bawled my eyes out when we had to to leave California.) Then I actually applied to those schools, and got rejected from all of them. I should have taken that as a sign, but I decided on a plan B anyway. I wanted out of Texas that bad, and I couldn't bear being "stuck" in Texas any longer.

I did try other "green" programs at Texas schools, mostly because they were my parents' suggestions, but didn't like any of them until I applied for one on my own, biotechnology for a certificate. I figured because California looked much better for biotech than Texas, I would find a job there with a biotech certificate. WIth some help from a now-ex-friend, I would work a couple of seasonal jobs to earn some cash to move back, but then as I started the second of those jobs in Park City, Utah, my desire to return to California began to wane, as I began applying for science-based jobs in Salt Lake City. I found a great one, which I am still at 4 years later, and now I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I continued to pursue a return to California.

My husband and I took a trip to SoCal last year, and I didn't feel the same extreme enthusiasm that I had in 2004. I was happy to be back, yes, but my living situation in 2015 was way, way different than 2004, with many more bills, many more responsibilities, and a husband. I also didn't bawl my eyes out when we left. I took that as a sign that moving back to California with the typical "adult" responsibilities would been very foolish and that my parents were right all along. I did get to leave Texas like I originally wanted, though my views of the state are a lot better now than in 2004. Pretty much the only gripe I really had in Texas was allergies, which are still horrible there, and almost nonexistent in SoCal and Utah. And in Salt Lake City, even though I have zero biological family here, I was able to make some great friends through work and volunteer gardening, and am now very happy.

So from my life story, I did manage a big move with shaky finances, albeit with the help of the now-ex-friend (who later had issues that we couldn't handle, but that's another story), but it was from one low-COLA state to another. So if you really want to leave Kansas, I would suggest moving to another low-COLA state and see how you fare there. Maybe like me, your desire will wane with time, especially if the financial situation in California does get worse.
I would like to add to this. I love my previous experience in Southern California, but every time I go back to visit, I don't see the vibrancy I once felt for my home (born and raised in LA until I was 28, moved to Berkeley until I was 30, now in KY at 32). I actually have a job interview (just took the phone interview yesterday) for a position in Irvine, but not sure if they can match what I make now when adjusted for the cost of living. Even more-so, I asked myself, do I really want to go back? I remember working my way through school there and though I didn't have as much time as I do now (due to not having to study), I'm not sure if I want to deal with traffic, the whole "What kind of car do you drive?" culture, always having to account for traffic, and then there are the police.

Here in KY, the police are fairly friendly and either let me off with a warning or I pay a small fine. In LA, it feels like police are everywhere and are looking for ways to fine you or take you to jail.

Then, there's the hostility towards hispanics. I am 4th generation Chicano on my dad's side and don't even speak Spanish, but many in CA act as if I just crossed the border so it's easier just to go by my English name. In the South, people scoff at the idea of going by my English name and prefer my real name. In some cases, I get treated BETTER because of it. Stuff like that you have to think about as it's not all fun in the sun to live there like when you go to visit.

Also, how much do you have to make to live well in Kansas City?
While they aren't 100% accurate, put that number into a COL calculator and then see if you can even make that much money living in CA? If you can't, plan on working a different job or you'll be constantly struggling in order to enjoy weather that you'll only get to enjoy on the weekend (assuming you go outside every weekend) since you'll be working the rest of the time.

I have a former co-worker that went back to LA after living in the south for 2 years. He wanted to go back for MMJ and for the beach. He now works 14-16 hour days so it doesn't have time to go to the beach and does not smoke MMJ due to how it affects his work performance. To top it off, he has less money in his pocket then when he lived here making LESS money. I asked him, why are you still living here? He doesn't have an answer to that question.

As for school, ask yourself the below:

Why do I want to live in CA so badly?
Can I get what I want outside of CA?
What is the benefit of me going to school in CA?
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Old 04-10-2016, 04:32 PM
 
17,815 posts, read 25,574,545 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peter_midnight View Post
I would like to add to this. I love my previous experience in Southern California, but every time I go back to visit, I don't see the vibrancy I once felt for my home (born and raised in LA until I was 28, moved to Berkeley until I was 30, now in KY at 32). I actually have a job interview (just took the phone interview yesterday) for a position in Irvine, but not sure if they can match what I make now when adjusted for the cost of living. Even more-so, I asked myself, do I really want to go back? I remember working my way through school there and though I didn't have as much time as I do now (due to not having to study), I'm not sure if I want to deal with traffic, the whole "What kind of car do you drive?" culture, always having to account for traffic, and then there are the police.

Here in KY, the police are fairly friendly and either let me off with a warning or I pay a small fine. In LA, it feels like police are everywhere and are looking for ways to fine you or take you to jail.

Then, there's the hostility towards hispanics. I am 4th generation Chicano on my dad's side and don't even speak Spanish, but many in CA act as if I just crossed the border so it's easier just to go by my English name. In the South, people scoff at the idea of going by my English name and prefer my real name. In some cases, I get treated BETTER because of it. Stuff like that you have to think about as it's not all fun in the sun to live there like when you go to visit.

Also, how much do you have to make to live well in Kansas City?
While they aren't 100% accurate, put that number into a COL calculator and then see if you can even make that much money living in CA? If you can't, plan on working a different job or you'll be constantly struggling in order to enjoy weather that you'll only get to enjoy on the weekend (assuming you go outside every weekend) since you'll be working the rest of the time.

I have a former co-worker that went back to LA after living in the south for 2 years. He wanted to go back for MMJ and for the beach. He now works 14-16 hour days so it doesn't have time to go to the beach and does not smoke MMJ due to how it affects his work performance. To top it off, he has less money in his pocket then when he lived here making LESS money. I asked him, why are you still living here? He doesn't have an answer to that question.

As for school, ask yourself the below:

Why do I want to live in CA so badly?
Can I get what I want outside of CA?
What is the benefit of me going to school in CA?

Please....LOL...the bolded part. First off Latinos are in the majority in the LA area, so who is treating you poorly? That's nonsense.

And you have no redneck good ole boys in the south who are cops? Everyone in KY is just welcoming, but you say in LA you get looks for being Latino? Nonsense.

You know what I think it is? I think you're not that crazy about living in KY, but like the guy who got dumped by the pretty girl, it's easy to bash her huh? Easier than admitting the truth.

I'm not saying a native Californian can't find happiness elsewhere, but when you say that people in KY are more welcoming and less racist than people in LA(a city that is the majority Latino) well to quote Jack Nicholson "go sell crazy someplace else, we're full up here".

And shame on you for not bothering to learn Spanish, that is an asset no matter where you live.
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Old 04-10-2016, 11:12 PM
 
270 posts, read 273,160 times
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Originally Posted by seain dublin View Post
Please....LOL...the bolded part. First off Latinos are in the majority in the LA area, so who is treating you poorly? That's nonsense.

And you have no redneck good ole boys in the south who are cops? Everyone in KY is just welcoming, but you say in LA you get looks for being Latino? Nonsense.

You know what I think it is? I think you're not that crazy about living in KY, but like the guy who got dumped by the pretty girl, it's easy to bash her huh? Easier than admitting the truth.

I'm not saying a native Californian can't find happiness elsewhere, but when you say that people in KY are more welcoming and less racist than people in LA(a city that is the majority Latino) well to quote Jack Nicholson "go sell crazy someplace else, we're full up here".

And shame on you for not bothering to learn Spanish, that is an asset no matter where you live.
Are you kidding me? Are you telling me there isn't a race issue in the border states? As a 4th generation, you get it from both sides. You're not "Mexican" enough for the 1st and 2nd generation people (no Spanish), but many whites acted like I'm the son of a gardener or something. I remember my teachers at school started treating me VERY different when they found out my mom was black.

Every "redneck" I have met was 1) proud of being a redneck 2) liked Mexicans due to having many things in common and 3) hated yankees. I've been pulled over three times in the south, twice in Tennessee when I lived there. In Tennessee, it was a small town south of Nashville. The guy made an excuse not to take my car when he could have and let me on my way. Mind you, it was a huge mix up, but I highly doubt LAPD would have been so nice (for the record, I've only had negative experiences with latin cops in the LAPD, the white cop I dealt with was awesome). Actually, yes everyone in KY is welcoming, but I do prefer Tennessee more. It's too close to the North where I live and attitudes here reflect that (not a fan of Northerners).

I travel for work 3-4 days per week minimum out of state, so I'm almost never living in KY, but like I said, I prefer Tennessee and if could find an equivalent job, I'd go to Atlanta for a while.

I've lived in the south for 2 years and traveled everywhere that has a Japanese automotive factory. I have not heard 1 racist slur at all towards me or anyone else. The area where I heard the most racism thrown at myself or others? University of California-Berkeley. #2? San Francisco. #3? Orange County and Los Angeles.

I will say I have never seen more mixed race couples than when I lived in Tennessee.

What do you mean shame on me for not learning Spanish? Do you know how looked down on it was to even speak it when I was in school? Pretty much any 3rd generation and beyond that I knew didn't speak it and usually looked down on those that had an accent in English. My father never spoke Spanish (died when I was 5). I took a year in high school and found it was too difficult to learn. BTW, I speak fluent Japanese and don't have much use for Spanish in my business. Even all of the plants in Mexico that I visit are headed by Japanese.

With that said, there does seem to be a hostility towards black people down here. I have not seen or heard anything, but it's something that you can feel when you're out and about. More here in KY than in Tennessee and big time in Atlanta.

I do enjoy the fun parts of living in LA, but it doesn't feel the same when I go back and visit. I just don't miss the day-to-day life as much. I commute 10 minutes to work. That's very hard to beat.
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Old 04-10-2016, 11:40 PM
 
Location: Laguna Niguel, Orange County CA
9,807 posts, read 11,100,681 times
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Originally Posted by expatCA View Post
I know what you mean.I left SoCal 6 years ago. After a few years I began to miss many things, but my wife never wanted to go back,and her feelings count. Then we visited and It was fun, but lacking a little. Then last year I was in CA again and the pull was not very strong at all. Then seeing what is happening there lately my desire diminished even more. Then................a medical condition "may" require a move to a mild climate and low humidity and .....SoCal is really my only choice. I am dreading the talk with my doctor and a specialist. Life is definitely interesting now.

I hope you can come back.
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Old 04-11-2016, 10:59 AM
 
18,172 posts, read 16,321,515 times
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Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC View Post
I hope you can come back.
Trust me mixed emotions. I love CA for the weather and the memories, as it is "home" to me. But that is about it and the more I read about the State the less appealing it is to me. While I Love OC I would probably live in SD. Less costly, less crowded, lots of beaches and close enough to OC to visit as I please. I will know in a couple of months.
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Old 04-11-2016, 11:38 AM
 
17,815 posts, read 25,574,545 times
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Originally Posted by peter_midnight View Post
Are you kidding me? Are you telling me there isn't a race issue in the border states? As a 4th generation, you get it from both sides. You're not "Mexican" enough for the 1st and 2nd generation people (no Spanish), but many whites acted like I'm the son of a gardener or something. I remember my teachers at school started treating me VERY different when they found out my mom was black.

Every "redneck" I have met was 1) proud of being a redneck 2) liked Mexicans due to having many things in common and 3) hated yankees. I've been pulled over three times in the south, twice in Tennessee when I lived there. In Tennessee, it was a small town south of Nashville. The guy made an excuse not to take my car when he could have and let me on my way. Mind you, it was a huge mix up, but I highly doubt LAPD would have been so nice (for the record, I've only had negative experiences with latin cops in the LAPD, the white cop I dealt with was awesome). Actually, yes everyone in KY is welcoming, but I do prefer Tennessee more. It's too close to the North where I live and attitudes here reflect that (not a fan of Northerners).

I travel for work 3-4 days per week minimum out of state, so I'm almost never living in KY, but like I said, I prefer Tennessee and if could find an equivalent job, I'd go to Atlanta for a while.

I've lived in the south for 2 years and traveled everywhere that has a Japanese automotive factory. I have not heard 1 racist slur at all towards me or anyone else. The area where I heard the most racism thrown at myself or others? University of California-Berkeley. #2? San Francisco. #3? Orange County and Los Angeles.

I will say I have never seen more mixed race couples than when I lived in Tennessee.

What do you mean shame on me for not learning Spanish? Do you know how looked down on it was to even speak it when I was in school? Pretty much any 3rd generation and beyond that I knew didn't speak it and usually looked down on those that had an accent in English. My father never spoke Spanish (died when I was 5). I took a year in high school and found it was too difficult to learn. BTW, I speak fluent Japanese and don't have much use for Spanish in my business. Even all of the plants in Mexico that I visit are headed by Japanese.

With that said, there does seem to be a hostility towards black people down here. I have not seen or heard anything, but it's something that you can feel when you're out and about. More here in KY than in Tennessee and big time in Atlanta.

I do enjoy the fun parts of living in LA, but it doesn't feel the same when I go back and visit. I just don't miss the day-to-day life as much. I commute 10 minutes to work. That's very hard to beat.
First off I am sorry you lost your dad at such a young age.

But do you honestly think these good ole boys who say they only hate those white Yankees are going to say anything to Mexicans to your face? Believe me if they're intolerant of the white folks from up north they
're intolerant of you. When they're around the "Yankees" they're smiling in their face and talking about those "damn Mexicans".

I lived down there for a few years, I know what it can be like. Not saying everyone is like that, because they aren't, but there is an element of people who think like that. That you don't find in CA too often.

Sorry, but you're not going to tell me that in Southern CA and in places like LA that are the majority Latino and have been for awhile that you run into more prejudice than the south.

You already mentioned you hear comments about blacks, again I was in CA almost 20 years went to the south and came back to CA, I heard comments down there that had my mouth drop open. Strangers in stores in casual conversations would bring up race, religion, and politics and because you're white and they're white well you must all agree......not! Many times I said to myself half laughing and half in shock "this never happened in CA".

And yes it is a shame you don't speak Spanish, knowing a second language is an asset for anyone.

And not everyone in LA has horrific commutes. My longest commute was 45 minutes.
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Old 04-11-2016, 12:35 PM
 
3 posts, read 2,471 times
Reputation: 15
Quote:
Originally Posted by peter_midnight View Post
I would like to add to this. I love my previous experience in Southern California, but every time I go back to visit, I don't see the vibrancy I once felt for my home (born and raised in LA until I was 28, moved to Berkeley until I was 30, now in KY at 32). I actually have a job interview (just took the phone interview yesterday) for a position in Irvine, but not sure if they can match what I make now when adjusted for the cost of living. Even more-so, I asked myself, do I really want to go back? I remember working my way through school there and though I didn't have as much time as I do now (due to not having to study), I'm not sure if I want to deal with traffic, the whole "What kind of car do you drive?" culture, always having to account for traffic, and then there are the police.

Here in KY, the police are fairly friendly and either let me off with a warning or I pay a small fine. In LA, it feels like police are everywhere and are looking for ways to fine you or take you to jail.

Then, there's the hostility towards hispanics. I am 4th generation Chicano on my dad's side and don't even speak Spanish, but many in CA act as if I just crossed the border so it's easier just to go by my English name. In the South, people scoff at the idea of going by my English name and prefer my real name. In some cases, I get treated BETTER because of it. Stuff like that you have to think about as it's not all fun in the sun to live there like when you go to visit.

Also, how much do you have to make to live well in Kansas City?
While they aren't 100% accurate, put that number into a COL calculator and then see if you can even make that much money living in CA? If you can't, plan on working a different job or you'll be constantly struggling in order to enjoy weather that you'll only get to enjoy on the weekend (assuming you go outside every weekend) since you'll be working the rest of the time.

I have a former co-worker that went back to LA after living in the south for 2 years. He wanted to go back for MMJ and for the beach. He now works 14-16 hour days so it doesn't have time to go to the beach and does not smoke MMJ due to how it affects his work performance. To top it off, he has less money in his pocket then when he lived here making LESS money. I asked him, why are you still living here? He doesn't have an answer to that question.

As for school, ask yourself the below:

Why do I want to live in CA so badly?
Can I get what I want outside of CA?
What is the benefit of me going to school in CA?
LIke the OP, I do still miss the beaches, weather, and palm trees, and I too feel "there's no place like home", which I can't get outside of SoCal, and I have more family even in SoCal than Utah (an aunt and Dad's second cousins; my maternal grandparents died and my paternal grandparents moved to Texas shortly before my grandmother died). However, even with those factors, returning to SoCal not only would not be worth it financially, but the crowds would overwhelm me in a hurry without an open space nearby to catch a break. (And the SoCal I really miss is the SoCal from the 80s and early 90s, which are not coming back.)

I think that may have explained why I was very happy in SoCal in 2004. We were mostly in Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, with only a little time in L.A. County. (The other 4 counties didn't feel as overwhelming because I wasn't in crowds as much, and most of the time I lived in SoCal was spent in San Bernardino, Orange, and Riverside Counties.) In 2015 we were in L.A. most of the time and I felt a little more overwhelmed and not as happy. I was also considerably more mature at 32 than 21. Now I am in California again, visiting San Francisco for the first time, and I actually have been more unhappy because I have had few opportunities for a break from the crowds when going out. I also knew that even if I moved to San Bernardino or Riverside or Orange Counties, most of my time would be spent in the crowds, working, and my opportunities for a break would likely be less and further away from where I would live. So even if I did manage to make a good living there, I would burn out really fast.

Salt Lake City has probably the best balance of city and open space for me. It feels big-city while not being that big (population ~200K), and there are plenty of park areas that are a few minutes away, and I live in a part of the city that is urban but not overwhelmingly crowded, so I get to recharge at home after a busy day at work. And my commute of just 20 minutes is very hard to beat. I have also been able to support myself and my husband on my income alone, before he found a job. My income of $35K goes much further in SLC than it would anywhere in SoCal.

Cost of living: How far will my salary go in another city? - CNNMoney

I live in Salt Lake City and currently make $35K.

If I wanted to move to Orange County, I would need to find a job that pays at least $54,022.

Price difference in Orange County, CA
Groceries - 10% more
Housing - 163% more
Utilities - 36% more
Transportation - 19% more
Health Care - 15% more


If I wanted to move to San Diego, I would need to find a job that pays at least $51,993.

Price difference in San Diego, CA
Groceries - 10% more
Housing - 142% more
Utilities - 41% more
Transportation - 14% more
Health Care - 19% more


They don't have data for the Inland Empire area, but I wouldn't be surprised if I needed an income over $50K to live there like I do in Salt Lake City. The 36-year-old house in which I grew up now goes for almost $400K, and that is below average for the area.


Now, just for kicks, I will compare my income with what I would need in San Francisco and L.A.


Comparable salary in San Francisco, CA - $63,297

Price difference in San Francisco, CA
Groceries - 29% more
Housing - 241% more
Utilities - 23% more
Transportation - 13% more
Health Care - 27% more


Comparable salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA - $50,399 (Odd; I thought I'd need more money there than in OC or San Diego.)

Price difference in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
Groceries - 8% more
Housing - 126% more
Utilities - 32% more
Transportation - 16% more
Health Care - 18% more

Last edited by calgal0953; 04-11-2016 at 12:49 PM..
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