Men in San Diego, CA vs Dallas TX
I just returned from spending two weeks in San Diego California, most of it spent exploring the coast line and the museums/botanical gardens, etc. During that time I set my dating apps to my location in the La Jolla area of San Diego where I was staying. Just for reference, the La Jolla area is also where the university of California San Diego campus is located and the excellent medical centers associated with the university.
In the two weeks I was in San Diego, I received more likes and messages than I received in the 18 months I've tried to date in the DFW area. The majority of the men had MS or PhD degrees, a few were retired, but most were still employed/working. Most were also divorced, but I did have 3 widowers reach out. I did revise my profile to state that I had three degrees, two in engineering, and I received messages from a number of engineers within a 50 mile radius of la Jolla, including a few faculty members of the University of California.
I did let all the people who reached out to me know that I was only visiting, and had not permanently moved to the la Jolla area. Only 4 of the men supported the current administration, and they reached out thinking because I was from Texas, that my politics would align with them. The rest were more in line with my social, moral, and political beliefs. Interestingly enough, 6 men were from Texas and moved to California to find a "better social climate" for retirement. There is also a very large Catholic community in that part of California (I am Catholic).
Bottom line, in my opinion I was able to confirm that my inability to find someone to date in the DFW area is regional, and is most likely due to my education and moral, religious and political beliefs. Basically, I'm in the wrong state to find someone who can accept me for who I am. My next step is to sit down and run some numbers regarding my ability to relocate and maintain my lifestyle.
Other factors I took into consideration was how safe I felt and how I felt I "belonged". These past two weeks were the first time I've felt safe, comfortable, and accepted since my husband died almost 5 years ago. I have been starved for intellectual conversation (vs politics) since he passed, and I spoke late into the night with people who were doing research in the nuclear industry, engineering, and medicine (I am a chemical and nuclear engineer). I had more conversation in those two weeks than I've had in the past 4.5 years. It's also the first time I've been out and about without having to carry a gun on me. So it's definitely time for me to consider making a move to a city that has more educated people and is more in line with my value system.
I hope this information helps others who are living in a "desert" in terms of finding people to date, or people who share your moral, religious, or personal belief systems.