We left the Bay Area after over 30 years, most specifically due to ageism in hiring. My husband is in IT. He lost his job during the aftermath of the 2008 recession and did not get steady employment at a good company with great benefits until we moved to the East Coast. He had countless interviews in California ending in “you’re over-qualified.” In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, there doesn’t seem to be that kind of bias. We now live in Eastern PA, within an hour and a half of both NYC and Philadelphia. We can get to ski areas in the Poconos and Catskills in an hour or two. The tax situation is infinitely more affordable. Flights to Europe are quicker, cheaper, and more plentiful. We enjoy four seasons and, no, the winters are no big deal. We loved our time in California, but we live better here. Our son has spent his entire life there but he’s a teacher and realizes he’ll never have a positive financial future if he doesn’t leave. Here’s what I learned: there are lots of other great places to live. We’ve been programmed to believe that living in the Golden State is the ultimate privilege. For most people, it no longer is. Even the rich need to be richer to be comfortable in California. My brother-in-law lives pretty well in San Francisco but he’s on disability and in subsidized housing. He doesn’t have a family and his needs are simple. There are always exceptions, but I think it’s easier to build your nest elsewhere.