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Nep, if you really want to move you have to be more flexible. Years will pass and you'll still be stewing in your own wonder lust stuck in Connecticut which may eventually manifest into regret based on missed opportunities due to your own fear of taking any risks. That in my opinion would be your worst case scenario. Just Go!
Think of it this way, if you never had your experience in Charlotte your curiosity and desires in the South would still be nagging at you. As much as you didn't like it, it sounds like it didn't hurt you by any stretch and you came away from that experience with growth and knowledge.
I've read some of your posts about your visits to states and cities around the country and it just seems like you spend ten minutes in each spot, hit the road, and form your opinions of many places based on what you had seen from the interstate or a trite fly by visit with very brief stops. You should make another trip out west and spend more time in the places you had narrowed down to your liking. Explore the neighborhoods, get a feel for the vibe, spend a day being bored and doing nothing to get the feel of the daily monotony and grind that you'll eventually have.
Just GO Nep! The only regret you'll ever likely have is not doing it and lacking the experiences and growth wondering how it might have worked out but never did. Get out of your own way and take a risk.
Yes, you are correct. I have almost no desire to live in the South anymore (for the most part). Would rather live in the Northeast for sure. But now that I've been out West, the whole dynamic has changed. And I don't have time or money to keep taking off time from work and spending hundreds or thousands of dollars traveling and visiting places!
It is true that I have done large scale road trips, just visiting places briefly, for a quick diagnosis of the area. That's valuable experience still, if you ask me, because it helps greatly in narrowing down choices. For example, I road tripped five states last month out west (NV, UT, ID, WA and OR). It confirmed that I would not want to live in Seattle, Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. But it DID spark my interest in Boise, Kennewick, Salem and smaller places like that. Unfortunately, none of those places have jobs. And I'm not taking a pay cut from $75K to $46K. It's just too devastating and would create new problems in my life. No place is worth that much of a pay cut. I need at least like $53K minimum to stay on track for my financial goals and live independently.
My humble suggestion is to rethink your career path in terms of life goals. If you're a corporate tax accountant, you will most likely need be able to live in a place that makes you unhappy. Places with lots of corporations come with the details of life - traffic, crowds, etc. - that you dislike. As long as there is tension between your career and your desired lifestyle, you will always feel discontent.
I think another of your posts mentioned that you didn't like being a CPA. Would working as one be different in a smaller area? Perhaps the pace would be different or maybe it's a sacrifice you make to live in a place you like. Or maybe there's another career you could consider.
Alternatively, you could home in on a place and check the job listings frequently because gems do come up. This approach requires patience, but it's an option.
My humble suggestion is to rethink your career path in terms of life goals. If you're a corporate tax accountant, you will most likely need be able to live in a place that makes you unhappy. Places with lots of corporations come with the details of life - traffic, crowds, etc. - that you dislike. As long as there is tension between your career and your desired lifestyle, you will always feel discontent.
I think another of your posts mentioned that you didn't like being a CPA. Would working as one be different in a smaller area? Perhaps the pace would be different or maybe it's a sacrifice you make to live in a place you like. Or maybe there's another career you could consider.
Alternatively, you could home in on a place and check the job listings frequently because gems do come up. This approach requires patience, but it's an option.
Well first of all, I'm not a CPA and don't plan on being one. I'm a corporate tax accountant with a master's degree in accounting. I currently make $75K plus 20% bonus, for a total of $90K. The nice thing about it is that I can easily save money, live comfortably, and easily save for retirement. If I were to take a huge pay cut, to say, $50K, it would be devastating. I would have to make harsh cuts to things like saving for retirement, and wouldn't be able to save as much money toward things like a home purchase or my next car or vacations or special purchases, etc.
Well first of all, I'm not a CPA and don't plan on being one. I'm a corporate tax accountant with a master's degree in accounting. I currently make $75K plus 20% bonus, for a total of $90K. The nice thing about it is that I can easily save money, live comfortably, and easily save for retirement. If I were to take a huge pay cut, to say, $50K, it would be devastating. I would have to make harsh cuts to things like saving for retirement, and wouldn't be able to save as much money toward things like a home purchase or my next car or vacations or special purchases, etc.
Home prices are probably much lower in the areas you like though and given that housing costs are about 30% of overall costs, that alone can make a big difference. Any change is going to mean that there will be some pros and cons. So, it may be a matter of counting the costs and thinking about what you value the most.
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