Ever considering leaving CA quietly, without making a big scene? (San Diego: condos, mobile home)

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by phantompilot

Now we get to the bottom of your warped viewpoints. You're a retired hermit that lives alone on a boat.

Which is a boat slip away from the average bum under the overpass.

Call me skeptical, but I have a hard time believing you're representative of the average CA resident.

He chose that course and seems to enjoy it. No big deal. I have a friend living in Long Beach Harbor on a boat and is happy. Living alone in both cases, but that is also a choice or at worst a result.

Too many want money, fancy cars, fancy clothes, party, party, party.

He even leaves CA at times and then comes back, a good example to follow. I have left but will come back at times and .... avoid the CA COL and enjoy what I like about CA and then ... leave again to a nice home near the beach in FL and the COL is wayyyy less..

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

You're correct: I'm not representative of the average CA resident ... and, it makes a great debate who's viewpoints are warped.

I did a military career followed by a blue-collar self-employed career (printer) ... raised 3 kids, had 2 long-term relationships (1. Over 20 years with the kids' mother who passed away when they were school children ... and #2 still going after 20+ more years of commitment but separate living arrangements) ... paid taxes to state and feds like everyone else ... but lived since military with almost no carbon footprint (no house, almost no utilities, almost no commute). Lots and lots of fresh air and exercise living with bicycle and kayaks and canoes (beach to boat for many years). All typical family routines and activities for the kids (soccer, Cub Scouts, ballet lessons ... you name it). Volunteer work for disabled and veterans including suicide counseling, benefits acquisition, homeless support, plus never ending waterways litter cleanup ...

All while stashing into savings what most of the readers here pay for mortgages on gianormous houses that you don't need (can't occupy more than one room at a time you know), that use obscene amounts of materials (including toxic ones) to construct and furnish, heat, electricitty, water at about 80+ gals per person per day (compared to my less than 10), and which maintenance requires the majority of your time when not at work you commute to for hours a day in your gas guzzling cars ... the list goes on and on and on and on.

And, in the end, I am extraordinarily fit and healthy in my retirement, have oodles of cash in the bank, no burdens of mortgage or maintenance of home beyond what one guy can do with hand tools occassionally on a sunny day on a beach ... and. I. Live. On. View. Pacific Ocean. Waterfront. I go sailing all summer among the islands in Puget Sound Washington in sunny 70 degree weather. Right now I am typing this on a military recreation facility beach in Hawaii where I've been camping away the winter in a tent / van for two months with my old dog ... as usual using up nearly nothing that detracts from the earth's natural environment that supports us all.

You? By your inccessant posting kvetches I am guessing you are ... quite cranky?

So, I'm a “bum” compared to the average CA resident. Meh ... More free time. More money in the bank. Less worry. No burden to society or planet.

You nailed it.

Good for you - in finding your sweet spot and happiness in what you do. Keep on your sense of humor, too!

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by silverkris

Good for you - in finding your sweet spot and happiness in what you do. Keep on your sense of humor, too!

I agree. You have to in life and CD as well!

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by garek007

well said and I agree. I like reading the post about people leaving because it lets me know that I'm not alone in my decision

I can understand that. A few years before I moved, I would have not even considered leaving California, and barely knew anything about Oklahoma. But I had these images of moving to some other place, and yet the idea of leaving California, where I was born, seemed very strange. But then California kept changing. After college, I realized I was looking for something I remembered as what was. The idea of leaving hadn't come together, but the idea had started to grow.

My ex and I found a place in norcal we loved, but it was too expensive. Then he became the ex and I looked again, and it was still too expensive. But between losing parents and traveling outside of the area, I started thinking seriously of getting away. All I knew was I didn't want crowded city.

A visit to Oklahoma and meeting friends met online brought me to OK. They came from Florida. My apartment lease was almost up, so it was a good time. I'd looked up houses for sale here before leaving.

I looked at the house, and with help from family, got it. I moved ten years ago, not knowing how it would go, but looking forward to leaving. And I won't say its been perfect, but its not a shadow of all the stuff lost back in socal. And I'm used to 'oklahoma time' now, and don't think I could readjust to hurry up all the time.

I give respect to everyone who chooses to move away from the familiar and is able to let go of the old and learn to live in the new, or realize they never will but can find something which makes it work. Its not easy or simple, but its harder to wake each day knowing that will be just as unsatisfying as the rest. And that only you can change that.

oh, and could garak007 have something to do with a certain Cardassian spy who ended up amid a lot of strangers on a space station?

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Hi David,

There are many factors we've been considering for a while. After leaving CO over a decade ago and selling our home, we could not afford to buy in Monterey. That was ok in large part because we leased a beautiful place right next to the beach and have an incredible owner/landlord. He's never raised the rent because he likes us and he's always fixing the place up!

The fact that you rent was obvious to all within seconds of reading the original post.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by phantompilot

Now we get to the bottom of your warped viewpoints. You're a retired hermit that lives alone on a boat.

Which is a boat slip away from the average bum under the overpass.

Call me skeptical, but I have a hard time believing you're representative of the average CA resident.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

So, I'm a “bum” compared to the average CA resident. Meh ... More free time. More money in the bank. Less worry. No burden to society or planet.

You nailed it.

Thank you for your insights, Mutt, and always, your sense of humor.

[2sleepy]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

The fact that you rent was obvious to all within seconds of reading the original post.

What prompted you to say that, and what does it matter whether he is a homeowner or a renter?

[LuvSouthOC]

Owning allows for considerable stabilization of expenses. I know, it’s rocket science.

[phantompilot]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

You're correct: I'm not representative of the average CA resident ... and, it makes a great debate who's viewpoints are warped.

I did a military career followed by a blue-collar self-employed career (printer) ... raised 3 kids, had 2 long-term relationships (1. Over 20 years with the kids' mother who passed away when they were school children ... and #2 still going after 20+ more years of commitment but separate living arrangements) ... paid taxes to state and feds like everyone else ... but lived since military with almost no carbon footprint (no house, almost no utilities, almost no commute). Lots and lots of fresh air and exercise living with bicycle and kayaks and canoes (beach to boat for many years). All typical family routines and activities for the kids (soccer, Cub Scouts, ballet lessons ... you name it). Volunteer work for disabled and veterans including suicide counseling, benefits acquisition, homeless support, plus never ending waterways litter cleanup ...

All while stashing into savings what most of the readers here pay for mortgages on gianormous houses that you don't need (can't occupy more than one room at a time you know), that use obscene amounts of materials (including toxic ones) to construct and furnish, heat, electricitty, water at about 80+ gals per person per day (compared to my less than 10), and which maintenance requires the majority of your time when not at work you commute to for hours a day in your gas guzzling cars ... the list goes on and on and on and on.

And, in the end, I am extraordinarily fit and healthy in my retirement, have oodles of cash in the bank, no burdens of mortgage or maintenance of home beyond what one guy can do with hand tools occassionally on a sunny day on a beach ... and. I. Live. On. View. Pacific Ocean. Waterfront. I go sailing all summer among the islands in Puget Sound Washington in sunny 70 degree weather. Right now I am typing this on a military recreation facility beach in Hawaii where I've been camping away the winter in a tent / van for two months with my old dog ... as usual using up nearly nothing that detracts from the earth's natural environment that supports us all.

You? By your inccessant posting kvetches I am guessing you are ... quite cranky?

So, I'm a “bum” compared to the average CA resident. Meh ... More free time. More money in the bank. Less worry. No burden to society or planet.

You nailed it.

It was just a tongue in cheek comment (but based on knowing how many people on live-aboards of modest means tend to be). It isn't a bad setup for an independent minded guy. More power to ya. You're a free spirit and certainly freer than the average Californian .

But I'd just point out we can't all live low-footprint in a marina. And because of all us landlubbers and our wage-slave jobs, that's why most people don't have economic security, and why they DO have to struggle to afford their land-lubber, office-working, car commuting, big house having lifestyle.

Boats are great for single people and couples that don't need their own space. But you can't expect a family of four or five to squeeze onto a liveaboard.

BTW do you sail that thing all the way to Hawaii? Or is that just a place you're allowed to use because you're a vet?