I think Point #5 is really important, especially as the professional default shifts back to in-person work. The additional cost of living in an EA hub is probably worth it for people who lean towards doing direct work in a specific field or rely on some level of social pressure to remain focused.
While based in Texas, most of my visits to EA hubs were tied to business travel. I could have a great life in a three-bedroom house (right on the water!) for about as much as I spent living in a 300-square-foot basement without air conditioning in an EA hub. The state tax savings covered my living expenses and let me donate more than I would have otherwise. From an ETG perspective, it made sense.
I had the best of both worlds for a little bit, but I felt quite disconnected when that travel took me elsewhere. Conversations about niche advocacy projects were replaced with talk of private school tuition and the best skiing destinations. I missed major things that I could have helped with (specifically in the global health space) because I was engaging less with the ideas and people that had motivated me to join the industry I was in.
I don’t think everyone should reorient their lives to live in an EA hub, but it can be incredibly useful for both personal and professional reasons. I am not a city person and will probably move eventually, but I can personally say that coming back has been worth the cost at this point in my life.
I think Point #5 is really important, especially as the professional default shifts back to in-person work. The additional cost of living in an EA hub is probably worth it for people who lean towards doing direct work in a specific field or rely on some level of social pressure to remain focused.
While based in Texas, most of my visits to EA hubs were tied to business travel. I could have a great life in a three-bedroom house (right on the water!) for about as much as I spent living in a 300-square-foot basement without air conditioning in an EA hub. The state tax savings covered my living expenses and let me donate more than I would have otherwise. From an ETG perspective, it made sense.
I had the best of both worlds for a little bit, but I felt quite disconnected when that travel took me elsewhere. Conversations about niche advocacy projects were replaced with talk of private school tuition and the best skiing destinations. I missed major things that I could have helped with (specifically in the global health space) because I was engaging less with the ideas and people that had motivated me to join the industry I was in.
I don’t think everyone should reorient their lives to live in an EA hub, but it can be incredibly useful for both personal and professional reasons. I am not a city person and will probably move eventually, but I can personally say that coming back has been worth the cost at this point in my life.
Yeah, I definitely agree. I wish there was an EA hub that wasn’t so extraordinarily expensive to live in.