Born and raised in the BA. In my mid 30's I left a FAANG type(specialized, highly compensated) employer, sold my home and bought a sailboat and moved aboard. Over that next year and half I spent it sailing the Pacific then ending up in Southern CA.
I was going through a premature midlife crisis all based on the premise that "humans weren't meant to sit behind a desk all day". I was very well off having an entire career in the BA but my "life" was garbage. I'd work, go home, watch TV or play a video game. Repeat. Not much romantically or no strong friendships.
In that year and half my entire outlook changed. It's been 3-4 years since I've returned and to this day:
* Live a "minimalist" lifestyle. I'm a terrible consumer and love it.
* My mental and physical health has drastically improved.
I didnt realize it but I suffered from anxiety. I was constantly worrying about being the best, having the highest salary, and being able to compete. I intentionally made a career out of seeking tough jobs "moving mountains".
When you're traveling (in my case sailing) the mindset quickly changed from worrying about all the little crap about work, performance, hitting the next goal to "I can do anything today, what do I want that to be?" without worrying about tomorrow. That gave my mind peace, which made me happier, which inspired me to work on myself, which made me even happier.
I'd highly recommend it. For those living in the BA.. its a great place to earn and save money but terrible in every other aspect (and I say that lovingly as someone who still gets very homesick).
If you ever leave, when you come back you'll find there is some stigma around it and especially if its not to the Bay Area.
For example I applied to a local semi-large financial institution asking for Cassandra which I have in-depth experience dealing with at scale. The number of people who have that experience at scale can fit into a large room. I was ghosted after first tech screen after being asked about the gap in resume, I wasn't a model employee. And knowing the area they settled for much less.
You're eluding to a question that no one asked. It can be cheap or as expensive you want. You can buy a boat 5-10 grand that will get you to the Carribean from California, or you can spend 1 million to do the same.
Once you've left your expenses are food and maintenance. There are quite a few sailors living on 10K/y and living comfortably. It's not "cheap" but it doesnt need to be as expensive as people suspect
Born and raised in the BA. In my mid 30's I left a FAANG type(specialized, highly compensated) employer, sold my home and bought a sailboat and moved aboard. Over that next year and half I spent it sailing the Pacific then ending up in Southern CA.
I was going through a premature midlife crisis all based on the premise that "humans weren't meant to sit behind a desk all day". I was very well off having an entire career in the BA but my "life" was garbage. I'd work, go home, watch TV or play a video game. Repeat. Not much romantically or no strong friendships.
In that year and half my entire outlook changed. It's been 3-4 years since I've returned and to this day:
* Live a "minimalist" lifestyle. I'm a terrible consumer and love it.
* My mental and physical health has drastically improved.
I didnt realize it but I suffered from anxiety. I was constantly worrying about being the best, having the highest salary, and being able to compete. I intentionally made a career out of seeking tough jobs "moving mountains".
When you're traveling (in my case sailing) the mindset quickly changed from worrying about all the little crap about work, performance, hitting the next goal to "I can do anything today, what do I want that to be?" without worrying about tomorrow. That gave my mind peace, which made me happier, which inspired me to work on myself, which made me even happier.
I'd highly recommend it. For those living in the BA.. its a great place to earn and save money but terrible in every other aspect (and I say that lovingly as someone who still gets very homesick).
If you ever leave, when you come back you'll find there is some stigma around it and especially if its not to the Bay Area.
For example I applied to a local semi-large financial institution asking for Cassandra which I have in-depth experience dealing with at scale. The number of people who have that experience at scale can fit into a large room. I was ghosted after first tech screen after being asked about the gap in resume, I wasn't a model employee. And knowing the area they settled for much less.