Top Ten Reasons Why I Sold Everything And Moved Out Of Austin

First, let me say that I love Austin. I lived there for 25 years, raised my sons, met my husband and built my business there. Austin is a wonderful city. It’s hard not to call it home anymore, but Austin has gone the way of Dallas and Houston. It has gotten too big for its britches. Traffic and the lack of a mobility plan have made Austin nearly unbearable for those who live and work there. No matter what time of day, traffic on Mopac is horrendous. We were in Dallas on a Friday during evening rush hour and it was nothing like traffic in Austin. So last year we sold my business, the house and everything in it.

Here are my Top 10 Reasons Why I Sold Everything And Said Goodbye To Austin:

10. The housing market is hot. Why not sell when home values are skyrocketing? At some point prices will peak, but who knows when.

9. Construction – Why is it that city officials decide to work on every road in Austin at the same time? It seems like every road in downtown Austin had lane closures. For those of us who worked downtown and need to get from place to place, it was a nightmare. And I don’t even have to mention Mopac.

8. Traffic – Following on the heels of construction is traffic. This one needs no explanation. Anyone who lives or works in Austin knows exactly how bad the traffic is there. An hour and a half one-way wastes a lot of valuable time.

7. Crowds – I long for the old days when friends could eat dinner at the Nutty Brown Café and listen to some live music while the kids played football in the grass. Now the Nutt has large concerts and packed with people.

6. Lake Travis – Up until the most recent rains, the drought had sucked the life out of the lake. My husband the fisherman was suffering from withdrawals so we had to find a lake with water. Granted the cove was empty, but the rest of the lake had water and plenty of it. Here’s to Lake Travis returning to the lake it once was soon.

5. Opportunity – I had a willing buyer for my business. Not only was he willing, he was eager and I trusted that my clients and staff would be in good hands.

4. Family – My children needed me less and less, but my parents are needing more and more help. Moving closer to Mom and Dad provided me with peace of mind that I could get to them quickly in an emergency.

3. Empty Nest - My youngest son was graduating from High School. We had to hurry and move so he couldn’t return to the nest. That was probably more for me than it was for him. Everyone knows he can come back anytime and I will enjoying doing his laundry.

2. To Be Different – Just because all the cool kids are moving to Austin, the rebel in me decided to move away.

And the Number 1 Reason Why I Left Austin……

1. My husband – My husband was leaving no matter what. End of story.

Are you frustrated with your commute? What changes can you make to improve your quality of life?

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Theresa Schwab is serial entrepreneur, consultant and business coach. She has personally launched a technology business, a food trailer and a consulting/coaching business. Theresa has over 25 years’ experience in corporate IT, technology, and small business development. Connect with Theresa on twitter here or via her website www.TheresaSchwab.com.

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