I would agree w/ Fred. Try different places. Sounds like you're a programmer that can telecommute. Take advantage of that while you can. When you're settled down, it's much harder to be mobile.

One of the best jobs I had was in international tech sales. I traveled (on the company dime) to the UK, Germany, Canada, Korea, and all over the US (including Hawaii). As a single guy, I spent about 2 weeks of the month gone. I only paid rent and barely put miles on my car. My monthly personal expenses ended up bing VERY low because I was gone so much. My GF was busy w/ a doctorate so it worked out. My boss let me take weekends off in other countries so that made it even better, I could vacation for a few days a week. I miss doing that.

California is great for the variety. Sun, sea, mountains, snow, all w/ in driving distance. It can be as liberal or conservative as you want. The only downside is that you have to be ready to put ~40% of your income on housing, sad fact of California life. We do pay to live here.

I do know a few s/w contractors that have lived in the Pacific Northwest but worked for companies in the SF Bay Area. Silicon Valley pay w/o the cost of living. Not a bad idea.

Last edited by oldskoolboarder; 02/07/09 01:32 AM.