Just three short hours south of Dubmfuckville is Dallas, Texas. Dallas is known for big hair, crappy football teams, and traffic. The wife and I have been to Dallas several times during our tenure at the University of Dumbfuck, and we honestly like the city. They have the Rangers baseball team, who play all of the teams that have Japanese players, and the wife likes that. They have all of the shopping that you could want, and the wife likes that. They have a HUGE airport with direct flights to nearly everywhere, including Japan, and we both like that. There is a lot to do, lots of excellent restaurants, and some of the best sushi you can find outside of Japan.
Taxes in Texas is why George H. W. Bush lives in Maine, but "resides" in Texas. There is no personal income tax in Texas!! This is offset by a state sales tax. However Texas has in interesting loop hole. If you have ever resided in Texas, and you move away, as long as you maintain your "official" address in Texas, you can claim Texas citizenship and not have to pay state income taxes in your new state. So, like the Bushes, you can keep a P.O. box in Dallas and not pay Maine income taxes. Nice!
Texas makes up for its lack of income tax by drilling property owners with high property taxes. We will not be buying while in Dallas, so we can avoid that mess, but if we choose to reside in Dallas, that is a definite consideration.
Cost of living in Dallas is 12% higher than in OKC, the major difference being in utility costs. Longer hotter summers mean you pay more in electrical bills.
Lots of airports and lots of aviation in Texas and in the Dallas area makes for lots of opportunities to get out and fly. The down side is that Texas is mostly flat desert, so there isn't much to see...
The year long nice weather and very mild winters brought the Brazilians to Texas, and they set up many places to train BJJ. Better for me is that my instructor in Oklahoma has many friends in the Dallas area, and I have already found a nice place to train. They have many Brazilian Black Belts on staff, and many different times to train. That is a big plus for me.
There is a TON of work in the Dallas area. All the big companies have a presence in Dallas, and I even talked to several Microsoft recruiters about moving to the area. I have every confidence that I can find work for as much or more than I currently earn.
Gun laws are a bit more restrictive in Texas, but it still is one of the most open Shall Issue states in the nation.
Dallas checks all of my boxes, except... Well, like Dubmfuckville, they are over the top Christians. It's everywhere, and it sucks. I hate that the question after what is your name is what church do you go to. I hate having grocery clerks tell me to have a blessed day with Christ. I hate having to scan through 15 Christian music channels on the radio. It sucks... Small things but they grate on my nerves...
Still, out of the places I have seen so far, Dallas is the top choice.
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