We all know there is more than one way to accomplish any goal. Growing up, it seemed as though dad was always saying "do it this way" while I was perfectly content doing a task "my way." Being practical, my view was there was only "Frank's way", said in other words, "my way." Pop tended to disagree with me more or less on the basis of principal.
There is a common nagging question amongst Airline Pilots that keeps popping up again and again. It is the decision that must be made as to whether one should commute to work in another state, or move your whole family there.
I say to find a great town like Alamo, where I love to live, and then go about constructing your life around the locale. It is much more preferable for one's family members to remain in the same schools, have the same friends and enjoy a continuity of life as opposed to moving every year or two.
I have a United Airlines pilot buddy who has moved his family to every base in his airline's system. It is obvious we have different ways of doing things as I much prefer for my family to have the stability of staying put, where he chooses the alternative. For my family, stability is a luxury we are fortunate enough to afford.
The West Coast has its appeal because if you must commute home from the Eastern seaboard to the Western shore, it is three hours earlier when you arrive. For example, one can work a day on the "Right Coast" finishing at 3:00 pm Eastern, then fly home in time to pick up the kids at four pm local. If one were to you work a whole day on the West Coast then fly home to the East, adding three hours to the time clock upon tends to make the arrival hour inconvenient with your body clock. If you do the East to West commute, you will have to settle for breakfast at the Waffle House when your hopes were set on a great gourmet dinner after returning home.
Naturally, my "United buddy" and I have differences of opinion in many areas. In fun, I tell him "our differences are mostly because his three girls and his wife have raised him and that he only looks at things from a woman's perspective." I tell him he probably likes "chick flicks" too and he should not bother to deny it. He promptly denies it and tells me my "one daughter is more effective in telling me what to do than all three of his girls." I strongly contend I am a Sinatra subscriber and deploy an iron hand with my daughter: it is "my way or the highway." He says "you are only stubborn and anyone can see you are a hard head." And on it goes...Did I say these arguments are all in great fun?
My family chose Alamo real estate many years ago, and this decision made it necessary for me to commute to an East Coast domicile. The alternative would have been a complete relocation of the family each time my base changed. It should be pointed out that if a pilot is to progress in an airline flying career, it is necessary to change your base occasionally so you may fly the best aircraft, sit in the best seat and fly the most suitable trips. "Seniority" is essentially a director of your life (much like three daughters can be) and controls much of what happens in your professional and personal life.
We selected Alamo as home for many reasons in addition to the "commute decision." There are several benefits Alamo offers a young family other cities and locales do not. It is true, Alamo boasts some of the best schools in the nation. For instance, virtually all of the educational facilities are "California Distinguished Schools." Here, it is not required to pay fees so that your children can attend private school like many families do in other parts of our nation, or out on the East Coast. Our Alamo public schools are great centers of learning for the young mind.
My United buddy pays out big for private schools in Virginia. I jokingly tell him the reason he does this is "because he needs his educated bosses to give him better direction and guidance."
For people with Alamo homes, weather is mild and very pleasant. Have I told you Alamo enjoys a unique "micro-climate?" Alamo weather is special as the sun shines over the township when surrounding communities are "socked-in" with cloud cover. That feature is really nice when you have a picnic planned or your son has a ball game and you are looking for a beautiful sunshiny day in which to enjoy it.
Interestingly, I recall a phone conversation with my Virginia pal during a time when he was snow-blowing his walkway. All of a sudden, I heard all this noise and expletives come over the phone. The Snow Plow clearing the street had totally covered him in snow. I could even hear him rustling around searching for his cell phone in the dirty snow. Fortunately, snow blowers and Snow Plows are not an issue in Alamo.
There is a competitive nature between airline pilots. It most often manifests itself by way of constant teasing, disagreement for the sake of entertainment, and outright joy at ridiculing the other with negatives about the other's airline.
My town of Alamo is centrally located in the Golden State of California with rich culture and entertainment with theaters, plays, performances and museums just across the bridge in the great city of San Francisco. Nearby, the Dean Lesher Center for the Performing Arts offers up considerable local talent in its many outstanding performances throughout the year.
Air Transportation, terribly important to many, is but 25 minutes away at Oakland International Airport and 40 minutes to San Francisco International. San Jose Norm Minetta airport is located in the Silicon Valley less than an hour's drive down the highway. There is convenient Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) just minutes away that will whisk you to OAK and SFO airports too.
If one is a snow skier, Lake Tahoe and a multitude of wonderful ski resorts are little more than 3 hours by car, and if you're going, don't forget the entertainment and big name shows offered there.
When Alamo offers such great things to a family, it seems best to anchor your life in Alamo. On the subject of commuting to a base or continually moving my family, I believe we got it right. About half of my pilot buddies agree, the other half might have to live in Virginia.
Michael S. Hatfield is a former Airline Captain and a practicing Real Estate Broker. He invites property Home Buyers and Sellers to search listings of homes for sale on http://www.alamoluxuryhomes.com Remarkably, the site is enabled in several languages and provides a wealth of local information for the home buyer as well as seller. On the site are tips on how to prepare your home for sale, the latest Real Estate News, where to dine, find a contractor, pick up a bouquet of flowers, and much more. Log in to http://alamoluxuryhomes.com, get the data you need for getting the absolute best real estate deal. Follow Michael at alamohomesales on Twitter and don't forget Michael would love to help you buy or sell your home!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_S_Hatfield
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar