Where do I Go from Here?

So I've decided to leave, but where will I go?

I've come up with five criteria.

1. It has to be in the US.
2. It can't have winters anything like what we experience here.
3. I must have a good job with a good wage, coupled with a good cost of living.
4. I have to like it there.

I'd like to retire abroad; maybe even do an early half retirement if I can get a job in the US that I can do from paradise.  But that's a long term goal.

And weather is one of my primary reasons for moving, so it wouldn't make sense to find another frozen wasteland to live in.  So we've already narrowed down the earth quite a bit; only the US, and only it's warmer parts.

I can't expect to make much more than I do now, so the cost of living can't be much higher, but that's easy to compare.  Job opportunities are a little harder.  I have a degree in computer support, and I should have eight years of experience by then.  I haven't looked for a job since I've made these developments in my life.  I expect I'm pretty employable in any city.  It's just a matter of finding a job I like that pays well.  It would give me a lot more leeway if I could get my CCNA by then.

Another thing to consider is, there are people with my job title at my company working completely remote.  It's not ideal for the company, but they have allowed it.  In fact, I'm positive that they would allow me to work remotely from a city with no company office if I had my CCNA.

Now where would I like to live?  I'll need to visit a few cities, but now is the time.  Starting this spring I'll have an extra week of vacation each year.  Not counting my planned vacation next month, I'll have 9 weeks of vacation between now and the time I'm planning to move.  If I can't find a place I'd rather live in that time, I should probably reevaluate moving.

There is already tentative talk about visiting my cousin in San Diego next January, and maybe heading down to Mexico for a day.  I've never been, and it's very close.  Neither of those fit my criteria, but Las Vegas is on the way, and that does.  It looks like I could fly there, then take a greyhound to San Diego for $25 once I've had my fill.

Las Vegas is actually the only city that has come to mind so far.  I don't mind the heat.  I'm a nocturnal person, and the city is very active at night, when it's cooler anyways.  The cost of living is great, and housing is literally 30% to 50% cheaper.  I listen to two podcasts out of Las Vegas every week, and it seems nice there.  They talk about interesting events and conventions all the time.  Taxes are low because they get most of their's from tourists in sales tax.

It seems silly to be thinking about all of this when my vacation to Costa Rica is so close, but it's just what's been on my mind.  The weather here has done a 180 since I started writing this, and it actually rained on Christmas Day.