There are some important factors however.
1. Nice Weather!!
I refuse to live a place like Canada where I have to deal with temperatures below 0 on a daily basis. If it could be 75 and sunny everyday, I would be quite content.
2. Big City!!
There is no way I could ever live in a town that makes a big deal about a McDonalds being built 10 miles away. I want a big city with things to do and interesting people that I would interact with. Public transportation would also be very nice to have.
3. Cost of Living!!
This will probably knock off a boat load of options, but I don't want to go broke just by paying my rent and buying my groceries.
4. Sports Teams!!
This may seem like a ridiculous category, but local sports teams can best determine the unity of the city and the bond that every citizen shares. Try pissing off a New Yorker after the Yankees won the World Series. Not gonna happen! Try pissing off someone in Cincinnati after the Bengals have another awful season. Yikes...
5. Political Views!!
While I generally try and stay pretty moderate in my views, I don't think I could stand living in a place full of racists pigs and extreme conservatives. On the flip side, an extremely liberal place wouldn't be my cup or tea either as some people are just too extreme.
Ok, so now that I got my important factors out of the way, let's find some cities that could possibly satisfy my strict needs. Basically, I am looking for a big city in the south with sports teams and is cheap to live there.
MIAMI!
The first city that came to my mind because of warm weather and big city. Everyone loves the warm weather Miami offers year round. Not to mention the beaches! Wooooo! Miami also offers a team in all four major sports leagues with the Dolphins (NFL), Marlins (MLB), Panthers (NHL), and the Heat (NBA). Not to mention there is also the University of Miami which has one of the best athletic programs in the nation.
But ewwww.... look at that cost of living in the Sunshine State. Also, just walking around Miami at night with greasy lookin guys and girls with a pound of makeup on doesn't seem to pleasing. The whole idea of beaches and parties sounds grand to begin with, but too much of a party just gets to be a bit much.
LOS ANGELES!
Big city, definite check. Warm weather, you betcha. Also with my possible life goal of being a photographer, LA would seem to be one of the top choices out there. Not to mention Los Angeles boast the best team in the NBA in the Lakers and one of the most storied teams in baseball with the Dodgers.
But holy moly the cost of living in Los Angeles is even worse than Miami. Public transportation also seems to be frustrating to say the least and from what I hear, the locals aren't like the friendly people of the Midwest. I might tear my brains out with the high paced frantic lifestyle of LA.
TEXAS!
I put the whole state into one area because I wanted to. Inside the Lone Star State there are four potential places I could live. These would be Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Dallas seems to be far to conservative for my liking, so we will knock it off the list. Houston would be much more liberal, but damn does it get hot there! San Antonio has only one sports team there..... weak.
And then there is Austin. Interesting city we got here. It is an extremely liberal city with a vibrant music scene. Those hot summers aren't so bad when the fall and winters can be in the 60's and nice. The cost of living there is slightly below the national average which is a huge plus. The metro population is a bit smaller than the other cities I am looking at, but at 1.7 million it's not incredibly too small, but also not too big, which could be good. Austin is also home to the University of Texas, so you know this town is going to be supporting their Longhorns. Not to mention I would be in the heart of Texas High School Football! But...there are no pro teams here! Also, as the saying goes, Texans sure are proud of their state and that alone might drive me crazy. I would have to say though, Austin has taken the lead for now. But let's continue on.
ATLANTA!
Hot Lanta!! The culture in Atlanta is unlike any other city in America. While in other cities there is undoubtedly going to be racial tension, in Atlanta, there really is none, or at least much less of it. While Georgia is generally considered a very conservative state, Atlanta sticks out as a sore thumb as being more liberal. Atlanta is also one of the few cities in America with a team in all four major sports, definite plus. Atlanta also has interesting weather, where it could get extremely hot in the summer, but in the winters it could get cold, and even snow a bit. This could get frustrating because you would think in Atlanta it wouldn't snow at all! From what I hear, it snows rarely, which I guess I could deal with. Atlanta also has the MARTA, which is nice for transportation. The cost of living is above the national average, but not by much. So it would be manageable to live in the ATL.
HAWAII!
Living in paradise! Perfect weather all year round, wonderful beaches nearby, living in a place where it feels like I was on vacation 24/7. I could definitely get used to that. Nice weather makes me feel better, and Lord knows the Hawaiian weather would make me feel on top of the world. That is until I realize that unless I win the lottery, I wouldn't stand a chance at getting by in financially in Hawaii. In Honolulu, the cost of living blows every other city on this list out of the water. If I somehow make it big, Hawaii would be an awesome place to live. Although, you gotta think that maybe living in paradise might get old after a while. I might get real homesick due to the distance between Hawaii and the mainland. Another thing, since the Aloha State is so far away, sports is pretty much a non factor here! No pro teams to root for, and only the University of Hawaii sports to root for? Nah, I couldn't do that.
AUSTRALIA!
Awwwww shit! Think about living in a completely different country! So why Australia out of every other country out there? Well first off, they speak English there, so there wouldn't be a big language barrier. Speaking of language, Aussies have really cool accents! Come on! That would be awesome to be surrounded by their accents! Secondly, Australia is known for their warm weather and incredible beaches! Sounds good to me. Third, it could be so cool to live in a place that is so different from America. There are many similarities I am sure, but there are also loads of differences that could either be really frustrating or really interesting to learn about. And while I would be leaving my beloved sports culture that I grew up with back home, in Australia there are completely different sports that I could learn about and start to follow. That might be a big sacrifice, but it could still be interesting. Aussies are also known for being extremely friendly and laid back. This sounds right up my alley! Cost of living there would really depend on where I would live, and actually moving there I am sure wouldn't be cheap, but after a few years I am sure the adjustment would be made cost wise. That brings up another point, while it would be cool to live in another country, would that seriously be a permanent place to settle down? I love America, so leaving the lifestyle that we have here would be difficult. However, I could totally see me living abroad for a few years if possible.
SAINT LOUIS!
The good ol' homestead. This is where I grew up, so of course I would have to consider it! The positives about just staying put in St. Louis are numerous. I know the area well, the cost of living is very low compared to other big cities, there is lots to do, and I have grown to love this city and everything about it. There is a comfort level here that I can't find anywhere else. St. Louis is my home no matter where life will take me. I am proud to have lived here. However, I always worry that I will be missing out on something should I stay in the same place that I have grown up. There is much more to the world than just Missouri. If I were to write a list down of reasons to stay in St. Louis and reasons to leave, staying would be the overwhelming option. But the most important fact on that list would be on the side of leaving, and that reason is that I don't want to live the same life in the same place with the same routine. That would just get boring. I know that if I never leave here, I will always question myself on my deathbed about what else was out there, what kind of life I could have had.
The big question about all of this is whether I want to live the same life, or experience something else. Only in time will I find out the answer to that question.
