Back in the roaring 90s I had a chance to go back to the US when the internet was just taking off.

I was offered a partnership in a business with some guys who were all very smart and proven leaders from other startups. I would leave Vienna, Austria, where I was running my own business successfully for just a few years and move back to Houston, Texas.

The problem was that I hated living in Houston. I hate the traffic. I hate the sprawl. I hate the politics. I hate the weather 9 months of the year. I really hate the fucking racism. I would definitely have a better chance to make good money quickly, more easily and at much lower tax rates (personal and business) than in Vienna. I love living in Europe, and Vienna in particular.

I turned the offer down and another that came less than 10 years later. I'll never know if I could have made more money there and been able to move to somewhere I like in the US after only a few years.

It is expensive to run a firm in Austria, particularly compared to Houston. It means I have a smaller firm than I would if I lived in Houston or lots of other places. I'm cool with that. I'm happy for what I have and don't need to measure my success on headcount.

I stayed in Vienna. I've done really well here and in the 20+ years since that first offer I've enjoyed where I live immensely every day. Life is not only about money.