My story - young engineer, no debt, love surfing, hiking, mountain biking, enduro riding, sports in general..

Florida is a great place for all of the hobbies I enjoy along with the lifestyle. However its just not all there. No mountains really sucks...

Looking forward, I'd like to move to the west coast (Oregon, Cali, or Colorado) in 3-8 years due time. I know Colorado has no surf so thats probably a big no for me, but I'd really like to do california for the lifestyle. Is the general interpretation of that state true? Expensive, some parts are trash, etc.? There are a few bases out there I could consider working at, including san diego. Idk, just looking for some general life advice along with any criticism.. Thanks guys

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Perhaps anything you would have done differently in your life or some good investing and personal finance advice.

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Simply put....GO!

The longer you stay in FL the harder it may be to leave...that is my wisdom, should have gone a long time ago but now I have roots here.

I know man I sure do....

I can go now and start my career there but, if I stay here I know the benefits, pay, and everything else in three years minimum will be amazing for the amount of time I've been in industry.

 

 

One route I am considering is staying here cheaply, renting, and then when I am good to go I move over..

OR

Buy a house now with a big downpayment, rent rooms out and make double-triple payments, get as much paid off as I can in 3-6 years and then move over with a decent amount of equity. However I know that that comfort will start setting in eventually..

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FWIW-

keep that hair and beard silky in CA

it's important out there

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add a signature since I'm here in profile anyway

I have thought about it and curious what some replys may offer. I know people tout downsides as expensive and crowded however many times I drive an hour to surf here(secret spots) only to find a crowded lineup and often head high or less waves that dont last long.

In cali if you have to drive an hour to surf, at least when they see a swell coming it often lasts for days(real swells actually).

Also in my experience the competition in the lineup is worse on the east than west. Out there it was crowded but super easy to get waves compared to a good day at the inlet.

I liked san diego, oceanside, san clemente, and also up north by ventura.


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I troll 2L.com to be a better person in real life

 

HAHA thanks man! I'll stock up on porducts as we speak

Had a friend out in san fransisco a few days ago and he said it was full of hipsters, not that I am one but looks and aesthetics are easy and nice on the human eye

 

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I love florida surf, don't get me wrong. Hit a spot here a few times, meet the local guys and eventually its good surfing out here, however you guy those 2-4 days blasts where everyone sees green online, hype builds up, and then you have to go share some waist high waves with onshore winds :/ and everyone dropping in on each other...

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suggestions depend somewhat on what discipline of engineering you're in, but yeah, california is a lot of fun (perhaps more so when you're young )

I like San Diego County and the Santa Cruz area, but not so much LA or SF for me. (The first two are a safe distance from the latter two with easy enough access when you want to visit the zoo.)

Sent you a pm regular joe, Aero.

 

Are those areas livable? Is commuting there just as bad as it can get here? I'm assuming a lot worse. I don't need the spotlights or famous towns, just a lively active city with plenty of opportunity for adventure, sports, career growth and self investment.

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Get the job(s) opps w/ 100% guarentee anywhere near the coast.

CA (similiar) to Brevard has cliques.  Everyone has enough friends already so why invite an outsider in...If you did not grow up with the folks around you they will nost likely shun you at first as a "tranny".  Kinda like Brevard in the early late 80's earl;y 90's.

 

BUT you have hobbies that wil translate to friends, ADVriding clubs (Enduro) looking for peple to ride with, couple surf forums, whatever hobby (M climbing etc.) you will find somepone to let you tag along...that is a great way to get friends instantly as it can be lonely being the new guy in a place they do not want a "New Guy".  Get the job(s) first before going and everything else will fall in place....do not delay, months, years etc.  your window may close before you know it.

 

20 mins on a moto running the Ortega HWY or PCH 1 around Morro bay would be enough to convince most....Florida is and will continue to melt.

 

Edited: 08/01/2016 at 11:02 AM by SurferMic

If you are even thinking
you might want to go,
just GO.

If you are an engineer,
young, single,
you will make enough to live OK.

If you don't like it,
you can come back.
FL will still be here.



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"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

IF,, you go, California has it ALL for everyone, somewhere. Engineer?!, one combo to start: look to work Bay area, live where a commute to both work and surf are doable for a stretch, close enough to Tahoe, Yosemite. Then fine tune your logistics after a time later, once you get to learn'n how t'dig-it out there. best!   

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ola ~

Every time I visit San Diego (my sister lives in OB) I always ask myself why I'm not living there. It is pretty awesome spot on earth. La Jolla if you can afford it, if not further away from the ocean and prices lower.

great advice guys..

 

surfermic-is it really like that? I have no problem making friends but I am very well aware of that douchy attitude as it can be widely found in Florida. ADVriding you hit the nail on the head

 

WG  - I agree with that thinking but if I applied that spontaneous concept to absolutely everything, I know for a fact I would have never wound up in the amazing situation I currently am in. Definitely true that florida will always be here, the amazing job I have now??? Ehh might not be, irregardless of how good I am..

equipeola - Is there a reason you reccomend the bay area? Close to the beach definitely, but can I find that piece of amazing pie that has it all??? (fun stuff far from traffic with equal communting times to mountains and water)

 

 

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If you're going to San Francisco, Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

Housing costs in the Bay Area have largely become prohibitive, even if there's a New York-like phenomenon of well-paid young workers crowding into hip neighborhoods.  Of course employers pay better than in Florida and California's economy is pretty much the flagship for the US.  Nevermind that the University of California and California State are slowly starving.

Oregon's become a city-state.  The economy and half the population are in Portland (and its Washington suburbs), where there's an acute housing shortage and house prices and rents are skyrocketing.  It's not the affordable city it was in the late 90s.   There are pockets of prosperity around Corvallis and Eugene.  The coast tends toward retirees and tourists.  Some corners of the Portland metro area seem to remain relatively affordable; Milwaukie is apparently filling up with young people displaced from Portland.  

Seattle area is busy planning mass transit for the next million or so people to move into the area.  They figure it's impossible to keep up by building roads.  The once-mighty University of Washington seems to stay alfloat by taking in out of state and foreign students.

That said, the PNW is wonderful.

I think as a surfer, and engineer, I'd choose San Diego area for jobs & waves.

And yes, if you are decent engineer, that job (or a better one) will still be here if you want to come back, plus your higher CA salary will allow you to demand more.
Salaries here are still behind the national curve, that''s gonna break soon.


Edit---

I really don't know how amazing your current situation is.
But the future for engineers is still pretty bright....

especially for young ones with silky hair and beards


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"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

Edited: 08/01/2016 at 12:02 PM by WG

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Edited: 08/01/2016 at 02:53 PM by SurferMic

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ola ~

Edited: 08/01/2016 at 12:20 PM by equipeola