My kids attending school here and my job, for now.

Gravity

My contract to the U.S. Air Force. But I like the reliable pay and benefits.

I live in Pennsylvania. I have a stable job that pays relatively well. I have a 70 year old mother with heart problems and a serious genetic disease that my siblings inherited. I guess for the moment, as long as both those situations remain unchanged, I am stuck here.

Family, and gravity. LOL

My twins keep me here, otherwise I would move to New Mexico or Lo de Marcos Mexico

Wow! This is a loaded question for me. LOL! I have been a resident of California for a long time now. Longer than anywhere else I have lived (and those places are numerous). I love the great diversity of this state (geographically, culturally, climate), but there's a lot to hate too. Taxes are awful here. Government has its tendrils in everything and currently is pouring billions into a waste called High-Speed Rail (don't even get me started on that). With that said, I am a gov't worker myself and have a decent-paying job with a great benefit package. I don't love my work, but am trying to change that. There are many factors that keep me where I am geographically. I'm legally separated and have a teen-aged daughter I am responsible for, so I need to stay put, at least for the next several years. I'm married to a brand new mortgage, but that could be changed easily enough.

What I'd love to do is hang in there with my state job long enough to earn a decent retirement and then move to a more tropical climate in semi-retirement. Possible locations would include San Diego (not tropical, but pretty warm, year-round), Hawaii (too expensive), or Florida.

Gravity..

I grew up an army brat so nothing keeps me wherever I am. So far post college I moved after 4 years in Corpus. Moved to El Paso to get to a bigger city. Now 2 years in El Paso, still looking to move to an even bigger city. St Paul MN is a high option and in the vicinity of San Francisco is a high option.

Absolutely nothing. I'm hitch hiking to arizona this coming weekend to get out of the cold. I'm going to try to survive for a couple of months in the desert. It ought to be a great adventure. When I get back to civilization, I'll tell you guys all about it. Someone will probably have to tell me to shut up about it.

I have a job that I love, plus my kids live here in the Houston area.

Anxiety keeps me from trying new things

You’re very fortunate. It means so much to have a good relationship with your work, and in my experience, it’s not easy to find. I wouldn’t give that up except for the most extreme of circumstances.
I could probably move somewhere else now because I’m retired, and I wouldn’t mind better weather, but I have friends and family here, and moving is a lot of work and expense. I’ll say inertia is probably what’s keeping me here... and I like it well enough.

Family and extended family. Some years ago, my wife and I looked at the area up in Washington around Port Angeles to Sequim and thought it might be nice. Decided that didn't want to get that far from the little grand kids. As they have grown up, not as much a tie to here. But we have worked hard at establishing a group of friends, musicians to make music with, and most of our kids and grand kids are here in Oregon. Plus like the mild climate, close proximity to the beach, and the mountains. And in a blue area. Would like the adventure of living in a foreign country, but will probably keep that to short trips. Like to spend a month in Denmark, and a month in Crete.

Ohhhh, hang onto those bosses! I worked at a law firm and had exactly the opposite experience. You HAD to take break at a certain time. If I had a doctor appointment and it went 15 minutes over the hour I was allotted for lunch, instead of being able to just stay 15 min later I had to either take it unpaid or use vacation time. The attorneys were super stuck up too. If I saw them in public they wouldn't even say hi!

But to answer your question, right now my daughter is the only think keeping me where I am. She graduates next year so I'm trying to determine where I'll go. If my parents are still healthy, I may move to South Carolina (I'm in MN now). Otherwise I'll just move to the Twin Cities. I like my job well enough but I'm an administrative assistant and I can do that anywhere. The company I work for is good but also has some annoying things so I don't feel super married to them.

I did all my adventuring when I was in my twentys- hitchhiked all over Europe and Noorth Africa, mostly alone. Lived in a commune, occupied houses in Amsterdam, marched in countless anti-Vietnam War marches. Had my kids in the commune and then started thinking on how to raise them.
Bought this house from 1860 because the vibes in it were strong. College degrees, interesting work, many opportunities. A large city close enough to commute. My little hamlet with good neighbors. Planted things. Now I am here for good. My neighbors all know and love me ( or at least tolerate me) and I don't feel the itch to move anymore.

I like these kind of questions because it gives me a chance to brag. I have lived over the world and country. Seattle became the best place I had found and it became my home. Later I had a long distance relationship which turned into a marriage. My late partner, from Texas, fell in love with Seattle at first sight. She also had the jitters about moving someplace she didn't know until her boss reminded her of her adage one must sometimes get out of their comfort zone to progress. After a number of years she felt there was a lack of community in our neighborhood. We then met someone and discovered an island in what is known as the Salish Sea. We visited here for several years and then moved. The sense of community, natural beauty and energy is unmatched anywhere I have ever been. My smallish island is head and shoulders over all the other, much larger islands and even the state! (which is provable)

Being retired helps me but there are lots of others struggling to make a living but willing to do so just to stay here. I know a young woman (who is a space engineer) who was living an a tent on a beach front park with her blind dog who was determined to find a place here (she did). I have a good deal of self sustainability, lots of great volunteer opportunities, friends. The island is progressive and atheists are aplenty and vocal (at one time there were 4 couples that were members of FFRF).

You bet fear of the unknown is a big impediment especially for a woman. It really helps to have connections and a marketable career. Unfortunately, Seattle has become difficult because the growth has created a traffic and affordable housing nightmare.
[visitsanjuans.com]

I like where I am. The weather's great, sun almost always shines. I have a wonderful career that pays well with a fairly high standard of living and opportunities for time off with money to travel.

My son . His mother convinced me to move to the hellhole that is Burnley, England , and when he's old enough in gonna ask him to move somewhere else with me .

I stay where I am because for the first time, in a LONG time, I am needed.
I care for two small humans every day, after school. I get them off the bus, make
sure everyone has a snack, the big one does his homework, and keep them from
getting into too much trouble before their parents get home. During the summer, I
make sure no one drowns, or kills one another.
If you ask them what my 'job' is, they say, "to keep us safe".
Best job I've ever had.

I am stuck here in the mean time because of college. My job is above average for my area and my experience. I'm only 21 after all. But as soon I get my associates I'm hitting the door to move to procure my bachelor's and then masters further down the road c: .