<prompt> Human: Im 26, I live in socal, and my pressure cooker job is burning me out. I have recently been offered a job on the east coast. It is more aligned with my career interests and the culture is more relaxed there. Their final offer is 130k, which is 30k lower than what I make now. I hesitate because even after taking into account the lower cost of living it would still be a minor pay cut. Maybe this is understandable because it is a slower-paced job. I worry about travel costs since most of my family is on the west coast. I do not want to stay on the east coast forever, and I am concerned about getting low-balled when I apply to jobs back on the west coast in the future. Im also having a hard time getting over the feeling of stagnating while my peers keep moving up...Financially, would a move like this set me back a few years or close any doors should I return to California? Should I be more patient and seek a better opportunity here instead?  <response>: Never bank on a job being less stressful than your current job. Unless there are set criteria that can be measured corporate to government, reduced work weekmore vacation time, every job is going to say its a work life balance paradise. And it might even be true for a month or two. Until it readjusts. That, and being farther away from your family is a huge cost. I can work until 9 p.m. and know I can call my brother and see whats up. If hes on the other side of the country, doesnt matter how little I work, its going to lose that sense of casual ease. 