As Kevin and I discuss retirement options in 7-10 years:
Midwest: I open with a glorious summer thunderstorm.
Bay Area: Have you seen our winters? If you can call them winters…
Midwest: I raise you FIREFLIES.
Bay Area: Seventy degrees nine months of the year, towering redwoods, and an ocean with waves that knock you down.
Midwest: Oh, I almost forgot. You’re going to need a place to stay if you move. Here’s our housing prices.
Bay Area: …
*****
Clarifying addendum, so I don’t end up saying this over and over again in comments — the only reason we’re considering this is the people; Kevin’s parents and sister are in the Bay Area, so is Jed, and none of them are likely to move away. So are several of my best friends, people I would really love to have weekly board game nights with, and the same for Kevin. I have some good friends in the Midwest, but he doesn’t have nearly as many people here, and I’m not sure my good friends will be staying past retirement anyway. So the Bay Area is exerting an immense gravitational pull, despite the housing price issues. Maybe we will get a little condo in Oakland. I’d miss gardening, though. Complicated.