As I retired from the Navy, neared the completion of my PhD Dissertation, and established a MVOSS Creation LLC Business, I received various career calls and had a year to decide on my permanent home. I really wanted to move back to California to be closer to my mother and I probably could have persuaded my son and wife (who like it here in Great Neck Fort Henry area) to live in California BUT I still opted to stay in Virginia. Let me tell you why:

My ideal place to live permanently is a place where my family and I can enjoy a good place to meet our network, friends and family. We also want to live near the beach, parks and museums, near the city but in an area with less traffic and MOST importantly, we want to live in a school district with above an 8.0 middle school rating for my son.

I know you cannot get this in one perfect place to live - after living in Connecticut and California, and visiting many cities around the USA and moving coast to coast four times while I was in the Navy, we learned our lessons:

• The beach in California is way too cold. I remember living along the coast for over 15 years and wearing my wet suit even in the summer while boogie boarding. I don’t need that in Virginia Beach. I know this is a very shallow reason but properties near the beach are usually where the best schools are (except Port Hueneme, where I lived for a while) and the value of property is worthwhile.

• Virginia Beach is more culturally diverse and active than Ventura County – an hour north of Los Angeles. Of course I can’t compare Virginia Beach with Los Angeles or San Francisco, but imagine how much mortgage or rent I’d have to pay to live there with the same convenience. Virginia Beach has a great cultural community we can relate to that has its own Philippine Cultural Center and blocks of Asian food.

• In my 15 years living in Southern California I’ve traveled outside of the state less than in my 3 years living in Virginia. There is more history and diversity on the East Coast, Washington DC, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida, within the same proximity as in California, where I went to Las Vegas and Phoenix only. I am not saying California is over rated if you compare it to Santa Monica, San Diego or San Jose (and other Saints - I guess California is so blessed they name many cities to Saints) to Virginia Beach but there are more choices.

• Four seasons

• Most importantly: Great education (above 8.0 rating) and activities for children. Virginia has excellent recreational centers and public libraries just 5-10 miles from my home.

To be fair, I would say I wouldn’t mind going back to Southern California if everything else was equal. If I was offered:

 The right career opportunity (Silicon Valley, University, USA Air Force Civil Service)

 A good house near the beach (in a good neighborhood) at the right price.

 An 8.0 Middle / High School Rating.

 A place near my mom.

Give me those four, and we can move to Florida or California or even Germany. (Oh, by the way, add In & Out burger for a tiebreaker, and then I can go back to California). My household-move military retirement benefit expires this year on August 31st.

If you have any suggestions or wanted to correct me or help me decide, feel free to message me.