WHY MILLENNIALS ARE AVOIDING SMALL-TOWN AMERICA

[taught_me_patience]

22. Here's why I moved to Los Angeles:

I'm an older Millennial/young Gen X. I believe in myself and my talents and wanted to move to a place where the reward was limitless. I wanted to be the best and compete against the best that the nation and the world. I will admit that it's not for everybody and a lot of people do not have either the skill nor the mentality to make it. That's totally fine too. To me, knowing that my life is limited only by my ability and drive is priceless.

Several years ago, I opened a coffee shop and was instantly immersed in a world of the best baristas (in america and the world), the best roasters, the finest coffee, and hippest shops. None of which would have been available in a small town. It was an awesome experience. It was truly inspiring to see people around you striving to master every little detail to be the best in the world at their craft. Needless to say, the competition is insane and I ultimately lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The experience was priceless.

The thing that I've found real pleasure in is the level of people living in the city. Its fun to go to work when your colleagues are smart, driven, educated, and witty. It's exciting when your 35 yo friend sells his business for $10 million. Those around you help elevate your life higher than you thought possible.