Those who have left (San Antonio, Austin: home, high school, college)

[Mimoso48]

I'd like to hear from people who are leaving San Antonio , or are thinking of leaving, or who have left San Antonio . What reasons did you have for leaving? Where did you go? Do you have any regrets about leaving?

[elnina]

Are YOU planning to leave? What's your story?

[ashbeeigh]

Mine was for personal reasons, to be closer to someone I was in a relationship with. However, it was also to do something different and to be somewhere different. I was raised in San Antonio and was feeling stale snd in a rut. I'm in Austin now. It's close but far enough to be away from family. While money was important, and career advancement, it wasn't a main reason. With that being said I'm making $8k more a year and feel like I'm better off here than I was in SA. I afraid you'll get a lot of military responses in this thread since a large majority of people that use this forum relocated for military reasons....and probably left for those same reasons.

[austindoxie1972]

I left for money. Pure and simple. Have not regretted it. I've done very well -- worked in the private sector and now gliding toward retirement with the federal government. Every once in a while a friend will ask if I plan to return. Outside of DoD, there are limited government jobs in SA. Just not appealing to me.

The place I worked at in SA was nickel and diming employees. They acted like "this is the cheapest place on earth, so why should I pay you more?" I actually came to work one day, and we had on our desk a memo entitled, "The cost of employing you." It had all their benefits lined up, taxes they were paying, in addition to other items I thought was odd. I will say that they have changed, They are now hiring more skilled professionals and (I would assume) are paying a higher salary. But it took 8 years and the loss of some good people to wake up.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by Mimoso48

I'd like to hear from people who are leaving San Antonio , or are thinking of leaving, or who have left San Antonio . What reasons did you have for leaving? Where did you go? Do you have any regrets about leaving?

What are you trying to accomplish with this thread?

[Merovee]

Any tips on relief work and aid for Syria near Damascus?

[TXEX06]

I left for college and then a job and came back after 9 years. I missed SA and wanted to part of the movement to make SA a greater city (already great in my eyes and I grew up in the NE). I didn't want to ride the coattails of others. SA is far from perfect, but it's the only city I would want to be at in Texas.

[malcorub16]

I went to high school mostly in rural South Bexar County but went to Burbank High my senior year to graduate in 2000, I needed to get away from my “friends” at my original high school otherwise I was never going to graduate. At Burbank, an inner city school, I felt like the smart kid and graduated easily. I spent three years working menial customer service call center jobs after high school and just felt stuck in a rut (as others have stated above), once again I felt like I needed to get away from my family, friends and “friends” who I felt were keeping from maturing.

I came to Southern CA and have been living here ever since. I learned to survive on my own (away from family) in a very expensive city, went back to school and started a nice little career for myself. Had I stayed in San Antonio, I am not sure I would be as far along family/career wise as I am now. But I don’t blame my hometown for me not being to make it, It was my personal circumstances, as a matter of fact, I see people who I met when I was younger and first arrived here 12 years ago who seem to be stuck in the same rut here that I ran away from in SA. It could happen anywhere.

I am 34 and still go to SA a couple of times a year to visit my family, but I don't see myself moving back at least not while my young children are in school.

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by TXEX06

I left for college and then a job and came back after 9 years. I missed SA and wanted to part of the movement to make SA a greater city (already great in my eyes and I grew up in the NE). I didn't want to ride the coattails of others.

I like this ^^ very noble to leave to grow as a person but come back to make your hometown a better place.

I am curious, did you start your career elsewhere and then moved back or were you able to get it going in SA?

[Sharpydove]

We had planned to retire out of the military in SA and tried it for eight years and have NO regrets about moving. It never felt like "home" being from the mid-west. We did not like the extreme summers, litter, loose dogs.
I remember the first time we went to our new grocery store in Missouri for the first time. It was around Christmas and all the songs were in English. We just kind of stopped and looked at each other...it was wonderful, but surprising after living in SA for so long.
I'm sure SA locals would find my state hard to feel like home in, too.