[Porsche-O-Phile]

Thanks for the feedback. In my own defense, I don't suffer fools lightly and I do tend to have a pretty low threshold for stupidity (and there never seems to be a shortage of that out there!) I think you've been exceptionally lucky in life and while that's great and I find it a little bit fascinating to hear how someone who's hit the "life lottery" lives and thinks, I wonder if it might taint your perspective a little. I'm not sure if I'd consider myself a pessimist - more like a realist. Life isn't so easy or simple for most people (including me). It's tricky, there are a lot of potential pitfalls and a lot of ways to get screwed / burned. I'm not risk-averse but I want to make sure that if I'm going to make a bold decision it's a somewhat sensible one - there's a line between "bold action" and "reckless action" if you catch my drift... If I'm going to walk away from the positive things here (job, security, etc.) I need to know it's for a reasonable shot at something that will be better overall - big picture improvement. Certain things can be compromised upon but overall the idea is to keep moving forward, working towards more happiness, more enjoyment out of the time on this rock, more living. There's more to life than just a fat paycheck and the illusion of security...

I'm in my mid-40s now so I've still got a lot of life left (at least I like to hope so!) I think there's still a lot I want to do in me and I just don't see myself being truly happy here because the culture (driven largely due to the weather I think, circling back to the O.P.) demands that one simply accept one's lot in life and settle. I think that's kind of a Shakespearean-level tragedy. It really makes me sad to see people succumb to that and not push themselves and try to make the most of every moment they have - constantly evaluating and re-evaluting their situations and trying to make them better, whatever it takes. That's one thing I liked about CA - it had a good, youthful energy and a buzz about it. People there innovate (or used to). Here, not so much. In the universities perhaps, but not the day-to-day folks.

I'm really, really glad for the opportunity I got here - the situation I had to leave in CA was truly terrible and sucked more than words can describe. I don't think you can understand what it's like to have no income for months on end and watch all your savings and future plans going right down the drain, powerless to stop it. I hope you never have to experience that. I just think I'm (finally) at a point now where I've got some choices and I'm not so sure that the situation that I had to default to in order to survive is really the one I want to define the rest of my life. I think I want better and if I do it right, I can get there. I figure you of all people can appreciate a little ambition to improve one's quality of life, no? I think that's kind of what it's all about.

Anyway - thanks for the input. I'm going to ponder this some more and see what others here have to say also.