Why I Left Texas? (Houston, Austin: quality of life, living, move)

[NOTAM]

omg i so disagree. i am from North Texas originally but love it here in Central Texas. i LOVE Gatesville, and like Lampasas, Temple, Maxdale, Ding Dong, Georgetown, Oakalla, Briggs, Salado, Hamilton...........
there is so much to like here. and though i dont like Killeen, it is SO nice to be in close proximity to a big city that is not a HUGE city, with big highways or anything-easy to navigate-and has SO much international dining thanks to the many military families and friends who have settled here. you can get so much-Vietnamese, Thai, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Cajur/Creole, Hawaiian/Pacific Rim, German, etc. the list goes on and on. and Killeen has a large Asian grocery store-i can get anything my sister can get in Hawaii, at O-Mart.

Originally Posted by Spade

To be fair though. Anywhere in Central Texas outside of Austin just completely sucks. This includes Waco, Temple, Mexia, whatever.

[johnbain]

Even though I overall don't like Texas there is a part of Texas I do like. I very much enjoy going to Fredericksburg, TX. Great in spring, low crime, friendly people, relaxing, some nice wine and beer. That is my favorite place in TX.

[Nomadic9460678748]

But there is a big, beautiful world out there, and I eagerly await any and all opportunities to learn more about it!

Reasons Texas has beckoned:

• My mother and sisters and dear friends live here.

Reasons I have (and will again) exit Texas:

• Oppressive heat.
• Experiencing new things (culture, food, history, landscapes, literature, people, etc.). I have lived in Mexico, Boston, Houston, Oakland, San Francisco, and Portland. Each place has imparted some type of lesson or newfound experience upon me. I would not give that up for anything.
• Because I am first and foremost a Citizen of the World. For myself (and myself only), that means I have an obligation to explore this planet, enjoy its offerings, and hope that what I encounter will make me a more kind, giving, and understanding human being. There is life beyond these borders. I have always been jolted by how many of my friends (mostly from Texas) don't own passports.

The truth is we all have our reasons for choosing a geography. Place has meaning for some of us and is meaningless for others. Some of us meander, while others of us cement ourselves. There need not be a wrong or right path. Texas is a wonderful state, but I'm of the mind that each state is a state of mind and preconceived notions or detractions are of no benefit to anyone.

[NOTAM]

maybe they dont have passports cuz they cant afford to travel! i cant afford it right now, except maybe my yearly Kauai trip to see family.
thank God i have been around the world many many times as a child. of course i would like to revisit some places as an adult, and see the few countries that i have NOT been to, and when i am able to do this, i will get a passport again.

Originally Posted by Nomadic9460678748

But there is a big, beautiful world out there, and I eagerly await any and all opportunities to learn more about it!

Reasons Texas has beckoned:

• My mother and sisters and dear friends live here.

Reasons I have (and will again) exit Texas:

• Oppressive heat.
• Experiencing new things (culture, food, history, landscapes, literature, people, etc.). I have lived in Mexico, Boston, Houston, Oakland, San Francisco, and Portland. Each place has imparted some type of lesson or newfound experience upon me. I would not give that up for anything.
• Because I am first and foremost a Citizen of the World. For myself (and myself only), that means I have an obligation to explore this planet, enjoy its offerings, and hope that what I encounter will make me a more kind, giving, and understanding human being. There is life beyond these borders. I have always been jolted by how many of my friends (mostly from Texas) don't own passports.

The truth is we all have our reasons for choosing a geography. Place has meaning for some of us and is meaningless for others. Some of us meander, while others of us cement ourselves. There need not be a wrong or right path. Texas is a wonderful state, but I'm of the mind that each state is a state of mind and preconceived notions or detractions are of no benefit to anyone.

[Spade]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

omg i so disagree. i am from North Texas originally but love it here in Central Texas. i LOVE Gatesville, and like Lampasas, Temple, Maxdale, Ding Dong, Georgetown, Oakalla, Briggs, Salado, Hamilton...........
there is so much to like here. and though i dont like Killeen, it is SO nice to be in close proximity to a big city that is not a HUGE city, with big highways or anything-easy to navigate-and has SO much international dining thanks to the many military families and friends who have settled here. you can get so much-Vietnamese, Thai, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Cajur/Creole, Hawaiian/Pacific Rim, German, etc. the list goes on and on. and Killeen has a large Asian grocery store-i can get anything my sister can get in Hawaii, at O-Mart.

I guess it's me. I like my cities big. I don't like small towns whatsoever. I like the fast pace and the urbanity. I find those cities that you named boring and soulless with low density sprawl. But that's just my preference.

[bostoner]

I've left and returned on several occasions, mostly due to wanderlust. The next move will be (semi-)permanent as I no longer have anything holding me down here. I'll be headed to the northeast in a year or two (three, tops). I have to live near a coast, and I want it to be somewhere close to other major cities and points of interest. Texas is too geographically isolated, and I feel like I've experienced what I've wanted to here to the fullest. Also, the unchecked sprawl and over-development and the lack of efficient public transportation in our major cities is a biggie. I want to get rid of my car, or at least use it much less. Some things I know I'll miss, like the food; some things I won't, like the climate (political and weather-wise ). Time to move on.

[Spade]

I do believe politically, Texas could change. But the weather is the number 1 reason why I don't want to go back to Texas

[love roses]

If it changes politically, it'll be California Jr., and if that happened, I guess I would have to leave to find somewhere that didn't aim to be Cali.

[WheninRoam]

We left because of the climate, I felt stuck in the middle of nowhere...landlocked if you will, and I need to be closer to the ocean, not man-made lakes. Also, I didn't appreciate the closed-mindedness I encountered so often. There is a world outside of Texas, and it's yours to explore! Won't make you any less Texan, ya know.

[Nomadic9460678748]

Originally Posted by love roses

If it changes politically, it'll be California Jr., and if that happened, I guess I would have to leave to find somewhere that didn't aim to be Cali.

I can't foresee a pervasive Texas political transformation which would jar it from its current "Red Roots," if you will. And this is coming from someone who is neither donkey nor elephant! However, having lived in California I can attest the existence of a significant conservative constituency, but of course, they're not in the traditional urban liberal enclaves such as the San Francisco Bay Area. And remember, this is the state which brought you Proposition 209 (and the other which eludes me, that which pertains specifically to immigration). Also, theirs is a Republican governor (an actor, true), but this is in keeping with that other previous thespian statesman--Ronald Reagan!