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Old 10-05-2009, 12:12 AM
 
Location: Dallas
1,006 posts, read 735,447 times
Reputation: 1232

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A decade ago, I was too young to move out west on my own. I had not finished highschool and was helping grow the small family business we have. Now I'm 26, have two years left for college (been managing the family business so school came second and part-time) and have enough money saved and work experience in the IT sector to actually be a viable candidate anywhere and California economy implodes along with the rest of the US. Admittedly, Houston has been GREAT to me. Never had to go without a job and working in the Oil and Gas sector is a great resume builder even if I'm not 100% on-board with the culture(more like 70%). Truth is Houston can at times be very mundane and boring for a single male. There are several clubs and bars but they are pretty much all the same. Everyone I work with is older with a family/kids and so are my friends. Houston can at times be a bit too bland and lack innovation.

I have a side hobby I hope to turn into a business but the culture here can be stifling at times. My only fear is that I have become so comfortable with the price of living and a decent sized bi-monthly paycheck and bonuses that paying more and possibly making less would be an adjustment that I would struggle with. There really is no other place I would even consider moving. Seattle is ideal but way too cold and a bit pricey for what I get weather wise.

Last edited by ayahuasca_mike; 10-05-2009 at 12:29 AM..
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Old 10-05-2009, 12:39 AM
 
Location: Sheridan, WY
357 posts, read 1,614,155 times
Reputation: 357
It was going to happen sooner or later. Real estate valuations in California have been based on the "greater fool" theory since at least the late 90's, and the state budget problems have been coming due for a decade. The political clowns in Sacto have merely been able to kick the can down the road for a decade, but they never dealt with the systemic problems.

At your age, it is difficult to see how these things go in cycles, but they do. And in this case, there are a couple of cycles converging at once, resulting in what you see today. The longest timeframe cycle happening now is the "third generation" debt deflation cycle, last seen during the 1930's. The shorter cycle converging with it is a business cycle recession. Overlaid on top of this is a demographic contraction as the baby boomers move into retirement.

I'm sorry to give you the news, but your generation is pretty much screwed, much as the generation that came of age in the 1930's was screwed. They just had to embrace the suck, weather a depression and then go off to fight WWII. So as much crap as your generation is about to get, it won't be as bad as what the Depression generation had to deal with. If they lived through it, you can live through this.
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Old 10-05-2009, 01:16 AM
 
Location: Dallas
1,006 posts, read 735,447 times
Reputation: 1232
Everything you said makes sense, guess I'll just have to make my staple here in Houston. Just glad we have no state income tax. Would have loved to spend a few years enjoying the goodness that Cali has to offer.
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Old 10-05-2009, 06:38 AM
 
Location: United States
2,497 posts, read 7,477,915 times
Reputation: 2270
Hey Mike I know the feeling. I'm 33 and spent most my life taking care of others, now I decide it's time to start doing for me and build the life I want and the economy dropped a big pile of crap on us all. It does look like we are stuck wherever we are, unfortunately I'm stuck in the single most boring place on the planet, may as well be a coffin, i hate everything about the midwest. Be happy your in Houston.
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Old 10-05-2009, 07:05 AM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,329 posts, read 93,761,592 times
Reputation: 17831
Quote:
Originally Posted by moddestmike View Post
Truth is Houston can at times be very mundane and boring for a single male. There are several clubs and bars but they are pretty much all the same. Everyone I work with is older with a family/kids and so are my friends. Houston can at times be a bit too bland and lack innovation.

What makes you think a large California city is any different?

It's hard to believe what you write; that Houston lacks enough venues for your social life. Houston is a huge metropolis.
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Old 10-05-2009, 09:00 AM
 
Location: Dallas
1,006 posts, read 735,447 times
Reputation: 1232
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles View Post
What makes you think a large California city is any different?

It's hard to believe what you write; that Houston lacks enough venues for your social life. Houston is a huge metropolis.
It lacks my taste of social life. If you like nothing but hip/RnB clubs then its your thing. There are a few underground clubs but thats it. Cultural/music festivals are few and far between. Its quite difficult to get big name performers to visit on a regular basis. Hell, I DJ and have more fans in San Francisco than in Houston. Houston is big but dies at night.
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Old 10-05-2009, 09:14 AM
 
Location: SW MO
23,593 posts, read 37,479,020 times
Reputation: 29337
Every decade and every generation has their down-sides. As has been pointed out, it's cyclic. It's also natural. You learn to work with and through it if you want to survive and prosper. There are also almost always personal issues to work through as well.

I think it's what's called "life!"
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Old 10-05-2009, 01:12 PM
 
12,823 posts, read 24,402,599 times
Reputation: 11042
Quote:
Originally Posted by moddestmike View Post
It lacks my taste of social life. If you like nothing but hip/RnB clubs then its your thing. There are a few underground clubs but thats it. Cultural/music festivals are few and far between. Its quite difficult to get big name performers to visit on a regular basis. Hell, I DJ and have more fans in San Francisco than in Houston. Houston is big but dies at night.
Got news for you, SF is far more hip hop oriented than you might realize. Yeah, we've got our other subcultures, but if you walk through SOMA, most clubs there are now hip hop.
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Old 10-06-2009, 04:40 PM
 
Location: Southern California
12,774 posts, read 14,983,025 times
Reputation: 15337
I've been in (southern) CA my entire life & can't imagine living anywhere else...until retirement age anyway, which is a LONG way off, but the cost of living is astronomical.
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Old 10-06-2009, 04:58 PM
 
28,115 posts, read 63,672,505 times
Reputation: 23268
Early 80's were no picnic either... Home Mortgage rates around 15%, record unemployment and impacted Universities...

Good to have a back-up plan and options...

I had an Engineering Degree and no one in the valley was hiring... especially not recent grads...

Started building my own business buying fixer homes and either renting or selling them to buy another... did real well for 10 years and then was offered an Engineering position in the Medical Field...

I always had work... either working for myself or in the corporate world...

Just remember everything is cyclical
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