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Tennessee offers affordability and a down-to-earth culture, but its conservative politics, allergy issues, and perceived professional limitations led the host to leave, though they acknowledge its potential benefits and geographic advantages.
The host shares their experiences living in Tennessee, detailing the reasons for their departure. Key factors included personal struggles with professional stagnation and a long-term relationship ending, which coincided with a realization about not wanting to attend law school. Additionally, severe allergy issues, particularly in Nashville, known as the "Allergy Bowl," significantly impacted their quality of life, leading to sinus infections and pain, prompting a desire to explore other locations.
Professional and political considerations also played a crucial role. The host perceived a degree of professional stagnation in Tennessee compared to larger markets, especially if not pursuing an entrepreneurial path. Politically, Tennessee's conservative nature conflicted with the host's centrist views, particularly concerning immigration and marijuana laws. The host also felt a potential disadvantage due to not being part of the local "good-old-boy" network, impacting their sense of belonging and future opportunities.
Despite the reasons for leaving, the host acknowledges Tennessee's positive aspects. The cost of living outside of Nashville is generally reasonable, offering affordability in rent, groceries, and entertainment compared to the coasts. The state also retains a strong blue-collar vibe and a sense of contentment among its residents, which the host found appealing. Furthermore, Tennessee's geographic location provides excellent proximity to numerous major cities, a stark contrast to the limited options available from their current location in the Bay Area.
Ultimately, the host reflects on whether they would return to Tennessee. While open to the possibility, it would likely depend on their career aspirations, as they recognize the limitations compared to major tech hubs like the Bay Area. The video concludes by inviting viewer engagement on their own experiences and opinions about living in Tennessee.
Tennessee offers a lower cost of living compared to coastal states, with affordable rent, groceries, and entertainment. The state also boasts a strong blue-collar culture and a sense of contentment among residents, which many find appealing. Its central geographic location provides convenient access to numerous major cities, a significant advantage for travel.
Significant cons include severe allergy issues, particularly in Nashville, often referred to as the "Allergy Bowl," which can lead to chronic health problems. Politically, Tennessee leans conservative, which may conflict with centrist or liberal viewpoints on issues like marijuana and immigration. Professional growth may also be perceived as limited compared to larger, more dynamic markets.
Yes, Tennessee is generally considered affordable, especially outside of major cities like Nashville. The cost of living for essentials like rent, groceries, and entertainment is typically lower than in many other parts of the United States. This affordability is a major draw for many considering a move to the state.
Allergies can be a significant issue in Tennessee, with Nashville notably earning the nickname "Allergy Bowl." Many residents experience severe seasonal allergies, leading to discomfort and potential health complications like sinus infections. If you suffer from allergies, this is a major factor to consider before moving.
Tennessee has a predominantly conservative political climate. This can influence state laws and social policies, particularly concerning issues such as immigration and drug legalization. Individuals with centrist or liberal views might find this environment challenging or misaligned with their personal beliefs.
Professional opportunities in Tennessee may be perceived as less dynamic compared to larger metropolitan areas or tech hubs. While there are opportunities, particularly for entrepreneurs or in certain industries, individuals seeking rapid career advancement or specialized roles might find the market more limited. This can be a significant factor for those prioritizing professional growth.
The host left Tennessee due to a combination of personal and professional reasons. Severe allergy issues, particularly in Nashville, significantly impacted their health and quality of life. Professionally, they perceived stagnation compared to larger markets, and politically, Tennessee's conservative leanings conflicted with their centrist views.
Tennessee has a conservative political climate that may not align with centrist or more moderate views, especially concerning issues like immigration and marijuana laws. The host felt this was a significant factor in their decision to leave.
Yes, Nashville is known for severe allergy issues, earning it the nickname "Allergy Bowl." The host experienced significant problems, including sinus infections and pain, which contributed to their decision to explore other locations.
0:03 Hey YouTube, Shouts Calmly here. I just wanted to make a video sharing about my experiences in Tennessee. I wanted to share why I left Tennessee and if I would ever return.
0:16 I loved Tennessee primarily because I was struggling with my faculty. I was stagnating and just spinning my wheels. I basically realized my long-term relationship wasn't working out. I realized that I didn't want to go to law school, and I especially knew that would mean I would be geographically limited to Tennessee forever.
0:44 Another big reason for me is allergies. For those who don't know, Nashville is known to be basically nicknamed the "Allergy Bowl." This is because of the way the city is situated; allergens collect in the area. Especially when I was eating a more high-carbohydrate diet, I would get basically immobilized for a week at a time due to allergy problems and sinus infections. Right before I moved away, I saw a dentist because I felt severe pain right in here, and he said, "I've got the best news for you that I could come up with: it's actually allergies." That was a big sign for me to check out some other places, if not in the world, at least outside of Tennessee.
1:43 Another big reason for me to have left Tennessee is because I kind of got the impression there is a certain amount of professional stagnation compared to larger markets. That's not to say you can't be successful in Tennessee; it's really favorable toward entrepreneurs. But I wasn't a hundred percent sold on whether or not I wanted to be an entrepreneur. And if you're not an entrepreneur in Tennessee, my concern is just that you're going to struggle in certain ways.
2:14 It doesn't mean people can't be freshly successful, but there are different factors that came into play when I started to think about my long-term future. An obvious one is that the majority of people live on the west or the east coast, and those tend to have many of the largest cities and, in my opinion, more opportunity depending on what you're trying to do.
2:43 To follow up on that, because my friend was not from Tennessee, I felt like I was never going to be able to connect into the good-old-boy system. I had the impression that I would always struggle in different avenues just because I wasn't as well-connected as a lot of other people whose families were pretty successfully local. Whereas I didn't really know my dad, and my mom passed away a long time ago, so I felt like some of the advantages that people have living in Tennessee or growing up in Tennessee didn't really apply to me.
3:25 Another big reason is Tennessee politics. Tennessee is pretty conservative, and I identify most with centrism. The idea that progressives and conservatives have some good ideas, and oftentimes a solution to a lot of different problems is right down the middle. Essentially, in Tennessee, almost all decisions have to be on the right side of the spectrum. Regardless of the issue, the conservatives are going to win.
4:05 It's a little bit different within the city limits of Nashville, but Nashville is only so big. Eventually, you're going to have to deal with fairly conservative people. I don't have an inherent distaste for conservative people, but I found that some are anti-immigration, whereas I'm a first or second-generation American. So I actually tend to have more moderate views on immigration.
4:37 Secondly, marijuana. That's a big issue where I tried to work with Tennessee leaders trying to change the laws, and I felt like our efforts were not really taken seriously because it's considered to be a progressive idea that only more liberal places are going to be tolerant of.
5:05 I felt like the strong conservatives in Tennessee, even though it is somewhat changing as more people from other areas move there, still remain an issue. Once you've lived there and traveled in other areas, it tends to get a little bit more... I think part of the reason why it doesn't bother as many people in Tennessee as it should is just because a lot of people in rural areas are not as well-traveled and don't have as much interest in the world outside of Tennessee.
5:42 It's not to call them small-minded; we all have different preferences, and I think that's what's beautiful about America. I can't live in places like Colorado or California as long as I can't work hard enough to afford these places.
5:58 These are just some reasons why I wanted to share about why I'm no longer living in Tennessee. The next question would be, would I return? I would consider it one day, but it would probably not necessarily be standard, just because of my aspirations as far as career goes.
6:25 There is a software engineering development scene in Nashville, but it won't ever compare to the Bay Area, basically the center for that in the United States and quite possibly the center of the entire world as far as having opportunities for mentorship from people with more experience in the field.
6:43 Certainly, the high cost of living is factoring into my decision as to whether I want to stay here in the Bay Area forever. But I think that there's merit in seeking a location that is focused around your discipline, whatever it may be in life. For example, if you're into higher culture, Tennessee might arguably be a better place than California for agriculture. We've had a lot of problems with drought here in California, and that's going to remain an issue for a long time in the future.
7:23 Other reasons why I think Tennessee's not a bad place to live: I don't want to make people think these are all reasons why you should just avoid it. Most employees, cost to live in Tennessee aside from Nashville, has a generally reasonable cost of living. You're not going to pay as much in Tennessee as you are on the east coast to the west coast for rent, groceries, entertainment, etc.
7:49 I'm a bright Nashville regular; I would see concerts for free or like $5, whereas most things I've noticed here in California, they want at least $10 to $20 from you, if not $40 or $50. Of course, there are expensive, exclusive, or premium events in Nashville that don't follow this rule and charge a lot more. But I felt like even now, Nashville has a stronger blue-collar vibe than most any city I've been to on the west or east coast, especially in 2018.
8:25 This might have been true 50 years ago. Places like Portland, Oregon, or Boston may have had larger manufacturing sectors, but a lot of these jobs nowadays have been exported to other countries because it's cheaper to hire people in those countries. They work for less money and often have a lower quality of life compared to the United States, so they have greater drive to change their circumstances.
9:01 I think that sometimes in America, we have such a comfortable lifestyle compared to a lot of other people that we can become complacent with some of the problems in our society.
9:10 Another reason that I like Tennessee is what I mentioned before, the blue-collar scene. I think that there are a lot of everyday people in Tennessee who are relatively down-to-earth and don't feel like they need to be a certain way or somebody to impress you. I think sometimes that we deal with on the coasts is this super ambitious behavior where people are so interested in achievement or success that they're willing to shape themselves in pursuit of that goal.
9:44 Whereas in Tennessee, there are a lot of people that are like, "I like my life. I like the way things are going. I don't need any more than I have to be happy." Whereas I don't get that vibe as much on the west coast.
10:05 There are drawbacks to living in a career-focused area to the extent that the barrier is career-focused.
10:18 Another reason, or sort of another reason, that I do like Tennessee and miss it at times is how close it is to so many different destinations. It's usually within eight hours of Chicago, northern Florida, Atlanta is like four hours away, Memphis is like three from Nashville. Let's see, where else? About eight hours to New Orleans, nine hours to Kansas City, about four and a half to St. Louis, three to Knoxville, roughly eight hours to most parts of Ohio, another eight hours to Detroit.
11:08 So you have all these different things. Infinite hours whereas here in San Francisco, if I think of cities within eight hours, you can't quite make it to Portland, Oregon in eight hours. So really, Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Reno-Tahoe area alongside Sacramento, those four options are your main choices.
11:26 I would somewhat argue that the culture of those places has more in common with the area than the other East Coast cities I mentioned have in common with Nashville. Like if I go to Chicago, I feel like I'm in a different part of the country. Whereas if I go to San Diego, I still have that California vibe. Even though San Diego and San Francisco are very different, you still have that underlying California vibe where you've got the beach culture and you've got the surf culture.
11:56 But anyway, I just wanted to share some of my thoughts on why I left Tennessee and why I returned. I wouldn't mind making a follow-up to this video. So if you have any opinions, maybe you love Tennessee and you wouldn't leave it for any reason, or you don't like Tennessee, or you're planning to leave, let me know your opinions in the comments. I want to know what you think. Thank you for watching until next time.
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