FAQ: Why I choose to live my life in a fashion that makes me happy

Okay so they're not frequently asked...but they made enough of an impression to stick

Why move out? Why not just save money and live at home?
Quality of life. And the fact that I had always wanted to live on my own. My mom was charging me $500 rent and gas was costing me an arm and a leg; my commute was 50 miles each way every Monday through Friday. That was reason enough.

Why don't you just live in Irvine?
Hmm...you make a good case. After all, I do work in Irvine...it's cleaner in Irvine...the apartments are nicer in Irvine...sounds like a good idea. Now why don't you go negotiate me a significant raise in salary so I can afford to live in Irvine?

Why don't you get a roommate so you can live in Irvine?
Okay, as I said before, I had always wanted to live on my own. This is a good time to try it out, since I'm still young enough have a safety net (in the form of parents) without seeming like too much of a loser. It's also something I had to prove to myself: that I'm not completely dense and incompetent. I've been living on my own for a couple of months now and I can say with conviction that I am only kind of dense and incompetent. I've had people tell me that I don't give myself credit for a lot of things that I've accomplished. Well, here's one thing I will give myself credit for. I am proud of my financial independence. Is that so wrong? (sidenote: thanks for the talk we had a couple months ago, Damon, it helped me reaffirm some things I wasn't so sure about). As for the roommate thing? For four years in college I was spoiled with the most perfect roommate ever. I do not want to have to deal with adjusting to someone else. So call me spoiled. I've earned the right to make that decision. It's the quality of my life that I'm trying to maintain.

Quality of life? And that's why you're living in Tustin?
You ignorant asshole Tustin is so not the ghetto. I absolutely cannot win with people. I have people getting on my case for living in the "slums" and people getting on my case for living in the perfect OC bubble. I suppose that's what I get for living in a city that borders both Irvine and Santa Ana. Now, to set things straight.

If you think Tustin is the ghetto then you either have never seen Tustin or have never seen a ghetto. I have yet to see a single homeless person in my area. I have yet to see helicopter searchlights shining through my window at night. You want to see the ghetto? I can show you a ghetto, but if you can't handle Tustin I don't think you'd be able to handle it.

And on the flip side? All of you who generalize all of Orange County as being wealthy, spoiled and in a "bubble", please don't. It's like calling all of the SGV affluent just because it happens to include San Marino. Granted, some of Orange County is like that. But have you ever heard of Santa Ana or Garden Grove? Have you ever seen Santa Ana or Garden Grove (I'm only picking on these cities because I used to spend a lot of time there)? I rest my case.

And for those of you who think I'm a spoiled OC girl for heaven's sake 1) not all people from Orange County are spoiled and 2) I'm not even from Orange county. I'm just here because I went to school here. Believe me, there is much more I'd like to say but I'm sick of typing and I need to pack up and get home--to the SGV.

Yes that was long. I've been seething for months now. Now bring on the criticism.