california, the dream and burden

As of late, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with family and friends, far and wide, about quality of life and inevitably, the cost associated with living in California (and the Bay Area, to be precise). This is no cheap spot to live, mostly due to housing (whether rent or mortgage or property taxes), and you can’t deny that sales tax and gas and bridge tolls! and other everyday expenditures add up quickly too. 

At this point in time, I am fortunate enough that I don’t actively think about budgeting everyday, though I definitely wonder about future life expenses and am still trying to save like a maniac (and doing a decent job of it). Elsewhere, I’d bet that I could be spending much less — but make less too?

And how do you actually quantify what is just so incredible about blue skies, 70-degree temperatures, a lack of mosquitoes, an abundance of fresh produce that makes my eyes water, so many restaurants that I can’t keep up and somehow manage to constantly discover new foods and cuisines, lovely and caring neighbors, a diverse community that doesn’t fake conversations about equity, hiking trails 10 minutes away, outside living that takes advantage of what little land we have, an ocean and mountains and forests that surround me, and a wide-open approach to what I can do? That’s worth... a lot.

It might not be the place for me forevermore, and circumstances and perspectives change, but the dream currently outweighs the burden. which is kinda glorious.