Globally Rational

I’ve always wondered why people stay in a city that they hate.  I’ve met plenty of people in Boston or St. Louis or Columbia (Missouri) who complain about the weather or the costs or the people.  Why not just move to whatever place fits your lifestyle best?

This was a major part of my decision to move to Australia.  After looking at various surveys (like this one), I’ve come to the conclusion that it makes sense to move to one of the cities that offers the best possible quality of life.  If I didn’t want to leave the country, I’d seriously consider relocating to Cleveland, Ohio or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; they did well in the survey too.  I know for a fact that my quality of life would be better in California than in Missouri (if for not other reason than the fact that the nice weather will entice me to exercise more often), so why not just pack up and go?

Of course, it’s hard to embrace change sometimes.  How is the job market in western Pennsylvania?  How hard is to go through the process of buying a home in Ohio?  But usually, the questions can be answered easily (see the links in the last two sentences).  When I decided to move to Australia, I found everything I needed from a quick Google search for “relocating to Australia”.  Why doesn’t everybody just go where they want to go?

I think encouraging such a diaspora might even help boost the real estate market.

Popularity: 23% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!