I know personally, how finances can limit your opportunities for personal growth. It seems backwards to say this, but I've grown more character by training my mind to find gratitude in the worst situations. In 2005, my wife left me because I wasn't ready to raise children. She moved out and took the brand new pickup truck with her. Eventually, I convinced myself that I was going to take advantage of making my own decisions from that point onward. For one, I wasn't going to contribute to the destruction of our clean air by buying another automobile. Honestly, I'm glad that I haven't even had the extra money to spend on that kind of comfort. When I want to go somewhere, I ride one of my bikes. The only fuel necessary, might be a stir fry or a sandwich. Eugene, Oregon is a very friendly city for bicycles.

It's a university town, however, so be sure to follow the politically correct guidelines or you will be shamed out of town. Friendly is not a word that I would use to describe Eugene. It's kind of a white people getto, where they drink for 6 months of the year while it rains. Might be fun the first year, but I'm done with Oregon winters. I need to see a shadow, at least once a month!

Don't get me started with Portland. It's a pretentious place where hipsters talk down to everyone. Egomaniacs.

There were no jobs in Portland in 2008, I didn't give up until 2010 when I moved back to Eugene. The only good thing that came out of that experiment, was that I learned how to hustle web design for a living. Eventually, I would find that I could work from any country that had a hostel with WiFi (Thailand, Cambodia and Costa Rica).

To this day, I still think that money leads to comforts that block your opportunities for growth. Although I miss being able to ride my bike into the Three Sisters Wilderness, I feel grateful that I was able to walk away from my rental in Oregon so that I could be available to support my parents and sister, here in Tennessee. So far, I'd say it's a friendly state.