A little confession.
I've been giving some additional thought to my geography-related job worries. I fully acknowledge that my interest in California is based primarily on the fact that I think it might be a better personality match for me than the other places I've lived (namely, NYC). That said, I also have to own up to the fact that I kind of like living in places that are a little more conservative. In South Dakota, I disagree with a lot of the state's leaders and that's frustrating, but it's also motivating. I have well thought-out opinions on about the policies I think SoDak needs to enact and as a resident, I was frequently willing to actively promote those ideas and candidates who supported them. I felt a similar motivation living and working in Republican-controlled DC. Also, in both places, my own beliefs were challenged on a regular basis. I frequently met smart people who disagreed with me and forced me to think about my own opinions (on a lot more than just public policy) in a very critical way.
Now that I'm living in a blue city and attending a very liberal school, I'm not nearly as motivated to learn a lot about or get involved in local politics because I trust that like-minded people have got it covered. I actually feel a little lazy here. My main worry about moving to Northern California is that that laziness would continue. Where does that leave me? I'm not sure; at least for a while, moving back to SoDak's not really an option, a second go at DC might be interesting, and I do think I'm going to like the West Coast a lot. There are still places in California that need active Dems, right? I guess I could be politically active anywhere, but it's a lot more fun when it involves a good fight.
Now that I'm living in a blue city and attending a very liberal school, I'm not nearly as motivated to learn a lot about or get involved in local politics because I trust that like-minded people have got it covered. I actually feel a little lazy here. My main worry about moving to Northern California is that that laziness would continue. Where does that leave me? I'm not sure; at least for a while, moving back to SoDak's not really an option, a second go at DC might be interesting, and I do think I'm going to like the West Coast a lot. There are still places in California that need active Dems, right? I guess I could be politically active anywhere, but it's a lot more fun when it involves a good fight.
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