This has been an internal debate I have wrestled with for awhile now and want your opinion.

I am 28 years old, single, no kids, never been married. I rent, and not own.

I'm not sure if it's the feeling of getting older or seeing everyone else in my age group getting married and staying to start a family, or promptly moving to another state with better amenities, that has triggered this almost fever like feeling to want to move away myself. Don't get me wrong, OKC is great and I have civic pride for my home here. OKC is moving up in terms of becoming a better place to live, but do I really want to wait 30 years for it to be as competitive as a place to stay as some of the larger cities.

OKC is great if you have a family, or are starting one soon, but if you're a single guy, besides the plethora of bars.. there is not much else to OKC. To put it bluntly, OKC doesn't have the "experiences" of other larger cities and frankly the atmosphere is lacking. There is only so much craft beer a guy can drink, repeat visits to "districts", or put up with legislative hypocrisy in a backwards state. After awhile it becomes repetitive and lackluster.

I only have one life to live and I don't want to cheat myself out of life experiences. I have traveled the southern US, I've been in large cities and small towns, and in 3 days I will be in the Caribbean. The amount of differences between OKC and "other" places to live make it difficult for me to want to stay in my home state. Sure, I can continue to travel, but that gets expensive after awhile. A move to a permanent location that already has all the amenities I would get on a trip, but would get to experience every day as a new place to live, is more appealing.

I think if it were not for my parents, siblings and friends living here, I would have considered moving in my early 20's. There is so much to experience in life, in the world... and OKC doesn't even begin to fill that void of adventure.

If you want to move then move! You don't have to feel bad leaving. At the same time don't look for some other place to make life better. I'm sure there are people in the Hamptons that dream of a life in some other place.

If you have a job that can move about the country or a good prospect find a different place and settle! My wife and I thought about moving many times but as our parents are getting older we decided to stay. Living here is cheap enough to let us take a few vacations a year and a large vacation every other year.

Life is a journey go experience it!

This has been an internal debate I have wrestled with for awhile now and want your opinion.

I am 28 years old, single, no kids, never been married. I rent, and not own.

I'm not sure if it's the feeling of getting older or seeing everyone else in my age group getting married and staying to start a family, or promptly moving to another state with better amenities, that has triggered this almost fever like feeling to want to move away myself. Don't get me wrong, OKC is great and I have civic pride for my home here. OKC is moving up in terms of becoming a better place to live, but do I really want to wait 30 years for it to be as competitive as a place to stay as some of the larger cities.

OKC is great if you have a family, or are starting one soon, but if you're a single guy, besides the plethora of bars.. there is not much else to OKC. To put it bluntly, OKC doesn't have the "experiences" of other larger cities and frankly the atmosphere is lacking. There is only so much craft beer a guy can drink, repeat visits to "districts", or put up with legislative hypocrisy in a backwards state. After awhile it becomes repetitive and lackluster.

I only have one life to live and I don't want to cheat myself out of life experiences. I have traveled the southern US, I've been in large cities and small towns, and in 3 days I will be in the Caribbean. The amount of differences between OKC and "other" places to live make it difficult for me to want to stay in my home state. Sure, I can continue to travel, but that gets expensive after awhile. A move to a permanent location that already has all the amenities I would get on a trip, but would get to experience every day as a new place to live, is more appealing.

I think if it were not for my parents, siblings and friends living here, I would have considered moving in my early 20's. There is so much to experience in life, in the world... and OKC doesn't even begin to fill that void of adventure.

Home never fills the void of adventure.

Leave man. You can always come back.

I appreciate the insight and rather happy no one bit my head off.

One thing you should be mindful of is that you're comparing OKC to several different places that you only visited for a short time. The "experiences" that you speak of could potentially also become repetitive and lackluster once you move and live there (where ever it is you're specifically thinking of) for an extended period of time. That doesn't mean you shouldn't ever leave. Just don't get disheartened when you discover your new adventure eventually evolves into your boring routine.

If anyone is going to speak honestly, they will tell you to follow your gut and move. As said above, you can always come back if you want. The worst words in the human language is "I regret not..." One life. Go for it.

This has been an internal debate I have wrestled with for awhile now and want your opinion.

I am 28 years old, single, no kids, never been married. I rent, and not own.

I'm not sure if it's the feeling of getting older or seeing everyone else in my age group getting married and staying to start a family, or promptly moving to another state with better amenities, that has triggered this almost fever like feeling to want to move away myself. Don't get me wrong, OKC is great and I have civic pride for my home here. OKC is moving up in terms of becoming a better place to live, but do I really want to wait 30 years for it to be as competitive as a place to stay as some of the larger cities.

OKC is great if you have a family, or are starting one soon, but if you're a single guy, besides the plethora of bars.. there is not much else to OKC. To put it bluntly, OKC doesn't have the "experiences" of other larger cities and frankly the atmosphere is lacking. There is only so much craft beer a guy can drink, repeat visits to "districts", or put up with legislative hypocrisy in a backwards state. After awhile it becomes repetitive and lackluster.

I only have one life to live and I don't want to cheat myself out of life experiences. I have traveled the southern US, I've been in large cities and small towns, and in 3 days I will be in the Caribbean. The amount of differences between OKC and "other" places to live make it difficult for me to want to stay in my home state. Sure, I can continue to travel, but that gets expensive after awhile. A move to a permanent location that already has all the amenities I would get on a trip, but would get to experience every day as a new place to live, is more appealing.

I think if it were not for my parents, siblings and friends living here, I would have considered moving in my early 20's. There is so much to experience in life, in the world... and OKC doesn't even begin to fill that void of adventure.

I agree with Teo9969 in that home never fills the void of adventure. I can so, so relate to everything you are saying here.

I moved to Charlotte when I was 24 and moved back to OKC at 27 (thanks to the recession). I have a great job here, but feel that the city doesn't offer much for a single guy like myself and is better suited for those raising a family or settling down. Pretty much all of my close friends who aren't married either have moved or will this summer. I have personally trapped myself in some bad financial decisions that will make it very difficult and risky (though not impossible) to leave within the next five years, but if it wasn't for those I would probably be moving again sooner rather than later. I agree that OKC is getting much, much better but personally I think its still a good 5-10 years from where I would really like to see it.

Charlotte really doesn't offer that much more than OKC does in terms of actual amenities. They have a real amusement park, an NFL team, and their urban districts are about 15 years ahead of their OKC counterparts, but for the most part there isn't a ton you can do there that you can't do here. Charlotte is marginally more progressive than OKC but there is a strong conservative/religious culture there that isn't much different from OKC. We have Sally Kern, they have Bill James. There is a larger active young professional community in Charlotte but the predominant culture is family-oriented just like OKC. The reason I loved it out there so much is because I was away from home and there was a sense of adventure that I am missing out on here. I could really find myself out there while in OKC I feel like I have an expectation to live up to.

My advice is to really weigh the pros and cons of leaving vs. staying. Think about where you want to live and what you would actually get out of it that you couldn't get here. Also think about your day to day life, things like employment and possible living situations. I had the opportunity to go back to Charlotte recently but chose not to because I would have been leaving a secure job with benefits here for a temp job there with no benefits making about two thirds of what I am making here and it wasn't something I really wanted to do when I really started analyzing things. If you decide that moving is right for you, by all means do it if you have the means to. We only have one life and we need to make the best of it.

Bottom line, if you feel like you need to go, then go. Just be very aware of what you're willing to give up and trade offs you'll accept to experience your life goals.

I've been out of OKC a little over a year. Right before I accepted my job in Dallas, my status here would have mirrored yours exactly, except I was 27 at the time. Counting my time at OU, I had lived here nearly a decade and while I love OKC, I was frankly getting burnt out on the same stuff, same bars, same people, same weather, etc. So I accepted my job and bailed. TBH, within about 60 days I started questioning whether I made the right decision. It is tough to completely start over in a new place. At 28, you are getting to the age where it starts becoming harder to make friends, and this is true everywhere. I begin missing the vast social network and feeling of familiarity that I had in OKC. I also realized how much I took for granted the ease of living here. I get mad when I pay my bills here and it feel its a total ripoff. Once I strip it down, I do largely the exact same things here that I did up there.

Now do I regret moving? Surprisingly no. I really enjoy my job, and have learned so much about myself that it has made it worth it. It has been challenging but I have definitely shaken myself out my personal rut. At the same time, living somewhere else has probably made me appreciate OKC more. I can say with some level of confidence I will probably move back. But for now I take my current experience as another step of life. Maybe it will be for you.

I would ask yourself these questions. Are you okay completely starting over someplace new? Are you okay possibly being alone and isolated for an initial time in your new locale until you meet more people, which in itself is a tall order? Do you have the financial means and/or employment opportunities to make it in a new place? And (here is the big one), are there things here that you can adjust in your life that are less dramatic then a full fledged move?

One thing you should be mindful of is that you're comparing OKC to several different places that you only visited for a short time. The "experiences" that you speak of could potentially also become repetitive and lackluster once you move and live there (where ever it is you're specifically thinking of) for an extended period of time. That doesn't mean you shouldn't ever leave. Just don't get disheartened when you discover your new adventure eventually evolves into your boring routine.

Oohh, this is good. I have quite a few friends that live in NYC. I use to joke with them that I was so jealous of their lives. Then I found out their daily routines are 95% of what I do in lil' ole OKC, except for them they pay 300% more for rent, deal with crowds of thousands daily, and actually make an effort to avoid big tourist areas. One of my friends up there only goes to big tourists spots when I was there.

Truth is, people are people EVERYWHERE and you will find that folks and their lives are surprisingly boring and routine throughout this country.

I'm going to throw out one more thing. Don't be afraid of doing things alone. Here, there, or wherever. Surprisingly, you'll meet people easier because you don't have someone else at your elbow to spend all of your time with. There is so much to do in bigger cities that there's no question it's easier to stay busy if that's what you want to do. I can't imagine living in NYC and not taking advantage of all there is to do. In fact, I've always believed there are very few cities that don't really have "touristy areas" and NYC is one of them. It is all woven into the daily fabric of the city. Of course, we're not talking about things like the Statue of Liberty, of course you're not going to go there all the time if you live there. But, the city taken as a whole, has no touristy district. So much to do. Anybody bored in NYC needs more help than where to live.

Just leave, it's good for you. This is not an "OKC has nothing to offer" thing, it's just a stage that many of us go through. In late 2004 I had been in Houston 2.5 years post graduation from a school only 2 hours away. I had always been within that radius of Houston, and while I love the city and all my family and friends there, at that time friends were marrying, having kids, all that, and I had blown through 3 jobs I hated and wanted to get away. I had an old boss who had moved Phoenix, and I "knew" two other guys there (like I "know" most of you here) through a college football forum. I quit my job, took a job in Phoenix, picked up and was gone from Houston in a week, shocking friends and family. Killed my mother at the time, but I ended up meeting my wife in Phoenix and now we're here. My time in Phoenix was awesome, and while it wasn't all these great adventures after another, just going elsewhere filled that void of going it alone for a while.

You are at a perfect point in your life to move to another area. When my ex ad I were on our honeymoon in Colorado, we met a man on the Durango - Silverton train who told us we should move to Colorado. We said, "No, we can't. The ex had a job to go to in Tulsa!" Dumbest decision we ever made. We had everything we owned except our dog and a few household goods in the car. It would have been the easiest move of our life. But we were too chicken to do it. If you have the urge to spread your wings somewhere else and you don't do it, you will always regret it.

I love OKC. If you want to leave then do it. Personally I'm good with visiting
someplace else and coming back to home.

I might recommend leaving the country for a bit if you can. Go teach English for 6 to 12 months in a foreign country, learn a new language, and take the time to evaluate your life moving forward. The United States only has so much to offer and though you'll likely be surprised by how mundane living even in a foreign country can be at times, it definitely provides more unique perspectives.

Remember, you're still a human, and leaving does not exempt you from day-to-day living, so keep in mind as you're thinking through your options that not every moment can be a superlative, indeed, fewer moments than any human would care to admit truly are.

Oohh, this is good. I have quite a few friends that live in NYC. I use to joke with them that I was so jealous of their lives. Then I found out their daily routines are 95% of what I do in lil' ole OKC, except for them they pay 300% more for rent, deal with crowds of thousands daily, and actually make an effort to avoid big tourist areas. One of my friends up there only goes to big tourists spots when I was there.

Truth is, people are people EVERYWHERE and you will find that folks and their lives are surprisingly boring and routine throughout this country.

Co-sign on this. Even on extended tours, being a tourist is totally different from a permanent resident. I would recommend trying to make some connections in your destination city and try to get some raw perspective on life there. Keep in mind that everything has its cost. Cities with tons of amenities are also more expensive, more crowded, and more work to live well. My wife and I always talk about moving because we're pretty adventurous and do get really bored at times. But her being a native of New York, there are only a few cities that she feels are worth the cost of moving and living, and we can't afford any of them lol.

That being said, don't NOT move because you feel bad or a sell out, because that's silly. I think moving is a much more traumatic thing to us OKC natives than in other places. Probably because it's just so (economically) easy to live here. Most people people I know from other cities move several times, even into their 30s and 40s. If you find a city you love, that offers you what you are truly looking for, and you don't have reasons to stay, then you should go.

Home never fills the void of adventure.

Leave man. You can always come back.

This, x1000

Move and experience something new.

But keep the opening monologue of this in the back of your mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Kc7WtQqrc

I feel you man.
I am 32, unmarried, no kids currently living in Houston.
I am moving to OKC in a month because of a job opportunity that would take me 10 years to achieve in Houston.

I struggled with the questions you are asking yourself: things to do, bars, restaurants etc... The verdict is to be decided.
I lived in OKC for 4 years but that was a decade ago, but when I came back to look at this position I was shocked at how much OKC has changed, grown and improved overall.

I am personally sick of sitting in traffic in a massively crowded city. When I think of the "awesome, cool stuff" I do, none of it happens here - it happens either in Austin or Galveston (hiking and boating).

Even though I live in a city full of bars and restaurants I only go to the same 3 or 4 because traffic is a nightmare.
I don't do high end shopping, I buy everything online.My Houston friends love this place and have this insane love of the humidity, traffic, and the Astros/Rockets (only when they're winning).
Whenever friends or work colleagues from NYC or LA come into town they feel like this is a big city cowboy town and not very nice\cultured (whatever that means).

After evaluating all these factors in my life it made the prospect of moving to an up and coming city more exciting.
Every time I get on facebook OKC is featured on some list as "best place for ...." I find this encouraging.

No matter where you live there are going to be trade offs, just sit down, make a list of your must haves, wants and don't wants.
I think when you look at stuff objectively you'll figure out whats best for you.
Good luck buddy.

I'll let you guys know if I'm still excited about OKC in a year.

Being an unmarried, no kids, renter, you have no reason (other than nerves) to not give moving a shot. Hopefully you've got some cash saved up and/or a skill that is mobile and easily employable.

I considered it for a long time because I didn't see myself as the 'get'n hitch'd' kind of guy (until I met my now wife).

We even considered moving after getting married. I've traveled to many other cities and countries, but honestly, they were all great for a visit, but never considered home.

As for nothing to do in OKC, it really just comes down to what you like to do, your expectations and reality.

Our son went to welding school just so he'd have a very in demand mobile skill. But he found an extremely good paying job near Broken Arrow and has decided he's in no hurry to move somewhere more expensive. Just depends on the individual.

I'm with you all as far as moving. I left California to come here and go to college in 1976. I"ve been here ever since. I'm 56 yo and have no family in Oklahoma. I stayed because of getting hired by the city of Edmond. I'm now retired and looking at moving. Most of my friends have retired and moved to be with their kids and grand kids. s you get older its hard to make friends. especially when they are married and you aren't. I'm looking at moving to the Minneapolis/ St Paul area. Why, longtime friends and family close in Wis., better health care and better fishing and gardening. Yes the cost of living is higher. I'm hoping I can make it on my pension. Now with you a younger guy, sure, move and experience another part of the county. Maybe leave the south/plains for the coasts or up north. You are young and can always come back. Up north, there are lots of festivals and things to do on weekends. Lots of diferent kinds of resturants/craft beer. I'm looking foreward to some good German festivals.

Very eye opening and encouraging. In all the places I've traveled, it's been for a day to two weeks at a time.
I guess I will need to spend the next few months to maybe even a year or two to continue to travel and experience more cities and for longer periods of time.
A lot can happen between now and a final decision.

Again, thanks for the advice and insight. It's well noted.

Home never fills the void of adventure.

Leave man. You can always come back.

My thoughts exactly. I've lived in another country and places scattered throughout the USA. I've thoroughly enjoyed every single residency even places like Warner Robins Georgia. Life is way too short to be one of those never lived xxx miles from your birthplace statistics.

You are still plenty young enough to get some new locations and situations going. I grew up a Navy brat, joined the USAF and traveled a bit the 23 years I worked at SWA. Move it or lose it. (Too age and trepidation) :D

One more thing I want to add regarding moving, and this applies for ANY move, consider not only what you will gain by moving but what you will lose. Many times what we lose by moving affects our psyche later on moreso than what we gain.

For instance, right now pretty much every pathway I have to move would require me to move without a job and without enough money to last very long in my new location. This means I could possibly be going from an awesome job using my degree to something low-end that would enable me to make enough to scrape by (possibly hourly). It's a dilemma because while I have some appealing options on the table, I am not sure if its worth leaving a great job and/or putting my career in jeopardy. On the flipside I could end up living somewhere that would be a better fit for me at this point in my life than OKC. It would definitely be a gamble. The important thing is to think everything through and not make any rash decisions on emotion or boredom.

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum; I'm trying to get to OKC in hopes that it will be my permanent home. I actually sold my house a few weeks ago, which was one hurdle towards starting the process to relocate. The next hurdle is finding a job.

You're right; you only have one life to live and you should experience as much as you can. Travel around the world. Meet new people. Get to know yourself a little more. You will know when you've found the right place.

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum; I'm trying to get to OKC in hopes that it will be my permanent home. I actually sold my house a few weeks ago, which was one hurdle towards starting the process to relocate. The next hurdle is finding a job.

You're right; you only have one life to live and you should experience as much as you can. Travel around the world. Meet new people. Get to know yourself a little more. You will know when you've found the right place.

Congratulations with wanting to get settled with a job and home in the Oklahoma City area. Lots of luck to you, if you need it. I never had much trouble finding a job in Stillwater when I needed one, so it should be even easier for you to find a good job in Oklahoma City.

Congratulations with wanting to get settled with a job and home in the Oklahoma City area. Lots of luck to you, if you need it. I never had much trouble finding a job in Stillwater when I needed one, so it should be even easier for you to find a good job in Oklahoma City.

Much appreciated! :)

Great to see a handful of people coming in from other places, and glad that they found OKCTalk so quickly :)

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum; I'm trying to get to OKC in hopes that it will
be my permanent home. I actually sold my house a few weeks ago, which was one
hurdle towards starting the process to relocate. The next hurdle is finding a job.

You're right; you only have one life to live and you should experience as much as
you can. Travel around the world. Meet new people. Get to know yourself a little
more. You will know when you've found the right place.
You'll like it here. The cost of living is excellent. Another plus is that you're less
than a days drive from NM, TX, CO, KS, AR, LA & MO for whatever type of
scenery you want.

I just had to read through about 2/3 - 3/4 of your post before I had my answer/suggestion for you:

Move.

Move while you can. You're still at a prime age to do so, no baggage (yes, I'm referring to family, etc.) to worry about, and you rent.
You're good. Go while you can. Go South, Go West... Go wherever you want.

You can always come back if you wanted to or felt the inner necessity to when you're ready to settle down.

I would advise anyone to live somewhere else besides where they grew up for at least a few years. Multiple places that very different if you can. Then come back home if you so choose with that experience.

I would advise anyone to live somewhere else besides where they grew up for at least a few years. Multiple places that very different if you can. Then come back home if you so choose with that experience.

either that or strongly encourage your kids to go to a four year college out of state, that's what I'd like to do with my daughter. I didn't do that but my wife did and it was great for her.

either that or strongly encourage your kids to go to a four year college out of state, that's what I'd like to do with my daughter. I didn't do that but my wife did and it was great for her.

My wife and I both went to schools VERY close to home, and I agree with your sentiment. We look forward to our kids going further away for school.

Pack up and move down here to Jax. You can be in Orlando in less than 3 hours, NASCAR down the road at Daytona, Charleston is 4 hours north, more beaches than you can ever visit, 6 cruise ports within an easy drive, TPC every year, warm weather 9 months, snow skiing in NC is an easy drive, and if you get really board ATL and Miami are 5 hours away and NYC is a 2.5 hours/$300 flight away. Heck, you can eat lunch in Jax and have dinner in Grand Bahamas. Cost of living is on par with OKC but no state income tax. Plus some the downtown neighborhoods are fantastic. You will have to put up with a crappy NFL team though.

I'll jump on the GTFO bandwagon. You're not betraying your home city by relocating, and if you're getting to that crossroads where you realize you may someday regret not making a change now, listen to that feeling.

I got it out of my system in my mid-20s, by moving to Portland. I loved my two years there and I think had I not gone then, I'd be regretting it by now.

Now I'm in a position where I could stay in OKC forever, or move, without any strong inclination in either direction. I suppose a dead-end job has that effect on you.

One more thing I want to add regarding moving, and this applies for ANY move, consider not only what you will gain by moving but what you will lose. Many times what we lose by moving affects our psyche later on moreso than what we gain.

For instance, right now pretty much every pathway I have to move would require me to move without a job and without enough money to last very long in my new location. This means I could possibly be going from an awesome job using my degree to something low-end that would enable me to make enough to scrape by (possibly hourly). It's a dilemma because while I have some appealing options on the table, I am not sure if its worth leaving a great job and/or putting my career in jeopardy. On the flipside I could end up living somewhere that would be a better fit for me at this point in my life than OKC. It would definitely be a gamble. The important thing is to think everything through and not make any rash decisions on emotion or boredom.

I second this, definitely! Moved to Milwaukee in 95, then found out how much that sucked, so moved to Chicagoland a year later and was there for 12-ish years. The weather and housing costs got to us, so we decided to move again to Seattle-ish, and found out that was ill-advised due to lack of journalism jobs and the recession just starting. So, yes, move, absolutely (I couldn't wait to get out of here, and am fairly sorry I had to move back (due to the recession, this was the only place out of about a dozen that had a job for me)), but consider that moving will cost you a lot of money, a lot of time, and possibly some friendships. Also, be very, very, very careful of the cost of living comparison websites - their data is generally 3-4 months old, and we relied on it for information about the Seattle area and got kind of blindsided by some things when we got there. But, again, yes, move!

To all the new people moving here.

Go visit the okc bombing memorial and museum. You won't regret it.

Pack up and move down here to Jax...
Hmmm, it's certainly closer to western NC and northern GA for trout fishing.

I am someone who was born and raised in Denver and saw the country of Oklahoma as my vacation spot as a kid (grandparents were here) and lived in St Pete Florida for 9 years and now back here. I want to move back to St Pete or to Costa Blanca Spain if I can. You need to see the world, experience the culture, see how things are done elsewhere, not only know how others see life, their country, and the US and why. See past the bubble of Oklahoma (granted it is easier now with the interwebs). I know so many people who have never left the state and have no desire to, their opinion and views on life are usually extremely narrow, I wonder what it would be like for them to see life beyond this state, beyond this country. Even if you come back a year later and never want to leave the state, you will have your own informed opinion as to why.

I moved away from OKC nearly six years ago. Unlike you I have a wife and kids. We uprooted everyone and moved to Colorado. It's been a fantastic adventure. After living in Oklahoma for my whole life it has been a real eye opening experience getting out of OK. I love being from Oklahoma and love visiting friends and family a couple times a year, but I doubt I'll ever live there again.

Decades ago when visiting Colorado at Colorado Springs for the first time, the eye opening experience from the scenery alone was about enough to make me move there. But I'm just a homebody at heart, my whole family is, and didn't care for that kind of upheaval in life. I eventually got a decent paying career and from then on moving to anywhere seldom crossed my mind, even though I could have asked to be transferred out of state.

The politics at the State Capitol have shifted so far to the right, I'm not surprised young people or any non homebody would want to move out of state. I would not be critical of anyone who does. That this legislative session is about to end is a greater relief than usual and to be glad it didn't turn out to be a worse embarrassment to the nation.

I am someone who was born and raised in Denver and saw the country of Oklahoma as my vacation spot as a kid (grandparents were here) and lived in St Pete Florida for 9 years and now back here. I want to move back to St Pete or to Costa Blanca Spain if I can. You need to see the world, experience the culture, see how things are done elsewhere, not only know how others see life, their country, and the US and why. See past the bubble of Oklahoma (granted it is easier now with the interwebs). I know so many people who have never left the state and have no desire to, their opinion and views on life are usually extremely narrow, I wonder what it would be like for them to see life beyond this state, beyond this country. Even if you come back a year later and never want to leave the state, you will have your own informed opinion as to why.

So in trying to decide who to vote for, throw in how many states and they have visited. Countries included. The candidate who has been to the most gets the vote.

I believe it is good to live in other locations and be willing to move, but I don't think OK has a monopoly on myopic views and narrow-mindedness. I find people are very similar throughout the US, and you will find OKlahomans are not that bad. The people in the US, beginning 15 miles inland from the Pacific all the way to the NE coast, share a lot of the same values and thinking.

I think anyone could get old and boring if you stay the same place for 20+ years when your single. People who are married and have kids are usually preoccupied with raising their family to be board.

I am someone who was born and raised in Denver and saw the country of Oklahoma as my vacation spot as a kid (grandparents were here) and lived in St Pete Florida for 9 years and now back here. I want to move back to St Pete or to Costa Blanca Spain if I can. You need to see the world, experience the culture, see how things are done elsewhere, not only know how others see life, their country, and the US and why. See past the bubble of Oklahoma (granted it is easier now with the interwebs). I know so many people who have never left the state and have no desire to, their opinion and views on life are usually extremely narrow, I wonder what it would be like for them to see life beyond this state, beyond this country. Even if you come back a year later and never want to leave the state, you will have your own informed opinion as to why.

Being content isn't a bad thing or something to knock someone for. A lot of born and raised Oklahomans that have no desire to move, are some of the happiest people I know.

Being content isn't a bad thing or something to knock someone for. A lot of born and raised Oklahomans that have no desire to move, are some of the happiest people I know.

I was born and raised here, been around the world about 5 times, been to about 40 out of the 50 states. I'm as content as could be living here. Have siblings that live in Texas, Arizona and Nevada, They say they stay there due to their kids and grandkids. But we are all proud Okies. Amongst these relatives (either siblings or spouses) of mine are 4 doctors and or PHD's.
There is a lot about Oklahoma that has our interest, and we are fortunate enough to take 2 or 3 overseas vacations a year. Life is great.

Being content isn't a bad thing or something to knock someone for. A lot of born and raised Oklahomans that have no desire to move, are some of the happiest people I know.

I am not saying they are unhappy, I just think that they are missing out on a lot of things by not seeing the world, or at least other parts of the country.

I am not saying they are unhappy, I just think that they are missing out on a lot of things by not seeing the world, or at least other parts of the country.

Been there and done that, I feel like I've experienced the world well enough to know there are great things and bad things just about everywhere.

I think tfvc.org is talking more about people who have never even traveled. Even if you live in OKC your entire life you can travel and get a pretty good idea of what the world offers if you do it right. It's not as common with the younger generation, but I've met older people here who have only rarely left the OKC metro area. They may go to Tulsa once in a blue moon or on an extremely rare special occasion go to DFW. My dad was that way until he joined the Air Force. His entire life growing up, the only time he ever left town was to go to Six Flags over Texas his sophomore year of high school. I have no doubt people can be happy living like that but they are missing out on a lot the world has to offer.

OP, where do you live right now?

I know first-hand that living in OKC and living in a specific district of OKC are entirely different things.

i believe he lives in MWC

I'm an old married guy with kids so take this with a hefty dose of salt, but, my family moved around a lot when I was younger so having a stable, comfortable, and "boring" residence is fine by me. I prefer to live quietly and visit the exciting places. In my travels I've found that even the supposedly exciting destinations can get boring after a while too, and you can usually find something to complain about wherever you go (politics, night life, people, etc.).

But it sounds like you've already made up your mind and just need a kick in the rear to spur you on. You're still young enough and probably a little wiser than when you were in your early 20s, so why not have yourself a little adventure?

. . . if it weren't for kids/grandkids, I would be out of here in a heartbeat. . . primarily because of the weather. I grew up in the desert SW and firmly believe we have the worst combination of weather in the continental US :( !! . . . scorching heat in the summer, ice storms in the winter, tornadoes in the spring, wind most all year round. . . . But. . .because I do have kids/grandkids in the area, I'm probably in for the duration. Having said that. . .I also firmly believe that this is the most exciting time to live in Oklahoma City since mid-century. I've been here since the late 60s, am in my early 70s and can honestly say my biggest regret is that I will probably not be around to see the culmination of so many of the "seeds" that have been planted. . CBD, Core to Shore, Boathouse District, MidTown, AA, Plaza District, Classen Curve (don't want to talk outlying surburbs. . .not my thing. . . ). So many great things going on. . . .glad to be here to be part of at least some of it!!

Whatever you do, don't come to Portland! :D

Said like a true Oregonian!

Home never fills the void of adventure.

Leave man. You can always come back.

My experience is that OKC is a great home. You will miss it like hell, and you'll love it even more when you come back. But if you're frustrated, it is probably best to get out for a while. The simple truth is that Oklahoma needs to go through some growing pains. I say that optimistically.

. . . if it weren't for kids/grandkids, I would be out of here in a heartbeat. . . primarily because of the weather. I grew up in the desert SW and firmly believe we have the worst combination of weather in the continental US :( !! . . . scorching heat in the summer, ice storms in the winter, tornadoes in the spring, wind most all year round. . . . But. . .because I do have kids/grandkids in the area, I'm probably in for the duration. Having said that. . .I also firmly believe that this is the most exciting time to live in Oklahoma City since mid-century. I've been here since the late 60s, am in my early 70s and can honestly say my biggest regret is that I will probably not be around to see the culmination of so many of the "seeds" that have been planted. . CBD, Core to Shore, Boathouse District, MidTown, AA, Plaza District, Classen Curve (don't want to talk outlying surburbs. . .not my thing. . . ). So many great things going on. . . .glad to be here to be part of at least some of it!!

I was born and raised in Oklahoma, so grew up used to the bad weather. A state, like California, quite appealing for much better weather, has become less so due to persistent drought. But then Oklahoma has become less appealing for its persistent earthquakes in the north and central parts of the state. I wish state government and oil companies would get more aggressive in trying to see if they can settle them down. People already have enough reasons to leave the state.

nm

Decades ago when visiting Colorado at Colorado Springs for the first time, the eye opening experience from the scenery alone was about enough to make me move there. But I'm just a homebody at heart, my whole family is, and didn't care for that kind of upheaval in life. I eventually got a decent paying career and from then on moving to anywhere seldom crossed my mind, even though I could have asked to be transferred out of state.

The politics at the State Capitol have shifted so far to the right, I'm not surprised young people or any non homebody would want to move out of state. I would not be critical of anyone who does. That this legislative session is about to end is a greater relief than usual and to be glad it didn't turn out to be a worse embarrassment to the nation.

In bold, my situation right now, and I'm not afraid to say that I'm perfectly fine with it.
I make up for that in traveling. A day or two here, a week or two there... Seeing the country, new cities. And I try to throw in international travel in between, although that'll mostly come once I get to a place in life where I'm comfortable with where I've been and what I've seen in the U.S.

I know traveling isn't exactly equivalent of actually moving somewhere (so many variables to consider) but it certainly does cleanse the palate for a time before I get the itch to go somewhere else.

And let me tell you, no matter where it's coming back from, and no matter how much I enjoyed myself, crossing that border into Oklahoma gives me a feeling I can't replace. It's "home."

OP, I felt the need to provide you this in response to your question, I can't think of a better scenario to link this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br8DpUOyCwI

I've been around a lot as well. However, as much as I like Oklahoma City, I never get the warm fuzzies over returning to Oklahoma. As soon as I see the local news or read an editorial from the Oklahoman, I remember why being away was so nice. It is an island of myopic, conservative thought bought and paid for by oil and gas. And the evangelical churches on every other corner add fuel to the social conservatives. At times, it's hard to overcome that overwhelming conservative certitude (all others are communists and "libtards!") It gets really old fast.