During the Thanksgiving weekend my cousin came to visit from Tulsa, Oklahoma for several days. This is a cousin who grew up in Culver City. He attended La Ballona Elementary, Culver City Middle School and High School. He has been in the Midwest since 1999 and is comfortable with the lowcost of living and low taxes that come with living in a Republican-dominated state. He lives a comfortable life and I couldn’t be happier for him.
However, maybe because I am set in my ways or because I don’t picture myself living in Tulsa again, not even the low cost of living nor the tempting tax rates are enough to lure me back to the Native State.
Living in the Los Angeles area is a headache: we have a higher sales tax than most places; we can’t drive anywhere in less than 20 minutes; and rent is absurdly high (nothing like San Francisco and New York but still expensive).
However, we do have everything within reach: the beach, the snow, the desert, Hollywood, Disneyland and countless other destinations that most people have to purchase plane tickets for, along with hotel accommodations. My cousin’s threebedroom house for less than $1,000 a month in a very nice neighborhood is amazing. Yet, very little compares to the amazing feeling of sitting outside a Starbucks in Hollywood as I type these words in December and this 82 degree weather.
I feel horrible for my people on the east coast, the Midwest and anywhere that has water pipes freezing and that is in need of snow plows to clear the streets because of the cold, snowy weather. From experience, it is a beautiful sight to wake up to a white Christmas; it’s an amazing experience to have a snowball fight on Christmas morning. However, I don’t want to give up barbeques in December, walks on the beach in January or pool parties during the Super Bowl in February (sometimes) for a lower cost of living. I know it’s expensive and stressful at times to live in Los Angeles but boy is it worth the hassle.
