Just managing rent is a struggle
CA includes one of the biggest LGBTQ populations in the whole country. San Francisco always ranks near the top of the list. Acceptance is on the rise in CA. Nowhere is that more obvious than in San Francisco. The streets are decorated with pride symbols and rainbow flags. There are LGBT friendly shops and restaurants. Diversity is welcomed in San Francisco. That is one of the things I like most about the city. I transferred to San Francisco three years ago for 2 main reasons. I felt limited in the midwest. It is not open to exploration of sexuality and I am gay. I was confronted by too many closed-minded people, and it had negatively impacted my career. I am also a daily marijuana smoker. With recreational weed 100% legal in CA, I was convinced to make the move. I discovered that recreational marijauna in California is about half the cost of what I was paying before I moved. The variety of strains is nearly endless, and the terpenes are amazing. The dispensaries have a great deal of competition and need to continually innovate and offer more specials. I was happy to get a job working in a dispensary near my apartment. The job pays most of the bills. However, the cost of living is extremely expensive in California. I need to work part-time at a clothing boutique in downtown San Francisco to cover insurance, student loans and that sort of thing. There is no way for me to survive in San Francisco without working 2 jobs. It’s a wonderful place to live and work, but it isn’t cheap. Just managing rent is a struggle. My apartment is smaller than most hotel rooms, and I have a roommate. I also need to pay for a parking pass.