Sounds like your will beyond your years. Whatever you choose, your not going to make any wrong decisions.

and don't take any advice from Ali unless you plan on buying a shipment of Betadine...

Sounds like your will beyond your years. Whatever you choose, your not going to make any wrong decisions.

and don't take any advice from Ali unless you plan on buying a shipment of Betadine...

??

We have time ,Squid !

Sounds like your will beyond your years. Whatever you choose, your not going to make any wrong decisions.

and don't take any advice from Ali unless you plan on buying a shipment of Betadine...

Sounds like your will beyond your years. Whatever you choose, your not going to make any wrong decisions.

and don't take any advice from Ali unless you plan on buying a shipment of Betadine...

[/QUOcTE]

I'm lost, why is my post related to whoever Ali is?

Sounds like your will beyond your years. Whatever you choose, your not going to make any wrong decisions.

and don't take any advice from Ali unless you plan on buying a shipment of Betadine...

[/QUOcTE]

I'm lost, why is my post related to whoever Ali is?

It's not related so don't fret. Ali posted earlier in this thread after a long hiatus from posting on OBC's message board. Previous experience would lead me to believe his advice is dubious at best.

Sounds like your will beyond your years. Whatever you choose, your not going to make any wrong decisions.

and don't take any advice from Ali unless you plan on buying a shipment of Betadine...

But... to touch on your questions if this is a serious inquiry...

Affordability... relative. To many of the workers here it's unreasonable. To me it's par for the course. The housing/gas/food prices here are approximately what I expect where my home inland is located. The inventory here sucks compared to an urban area so you have less to choose from in a given price range. Homeowner's insurance here will be higher most likely. If you move here soon after graduating you'd be doing quite well to be able to purchase a home in the near term. If it were me I'd fear I'd be stuck as a lifelong renter. I would buy a no frills starter home adjacent to a major tech center and hang out for a few years.

Activities... fishing, hunting, surfing, wind sports, photography, and anything outdoors. If none of those things appeal to you there may still be something here for you, but the vast majority of everyone I've met here over the years has an interest in one or more of those. The OBX is world class for all of those mentioned.

Socializing for 20-somethings... dunno. I play a lot of disc golf and there's a rocking community here for it. If you're into any of the activities the area is known for you meet people through that as well. I have met a lot of folks through fishing. There are also some good bands and music venues. It's much more subdued than anywhere else I've lived and the people I've met here have strong social networks already. Working remote IT will not provide you a group of peers as a launching off point socially. You have to do some leg work to find your fit here in my experience. Elsewhere I'd find a good bottle shop (I enjoy good beer) and rest assured there would be endless opportunities for meeting new people. I haven't found a single place here with the same vibe as I'm accustomed to.

Rural... west of the beach in mainland Dare and Currituck counties. KDH, not so much. It is small town compared to any major urban area, sure. Is it a small rural town, really? Not in my opinion. Traffic here is a breeze compared to most places I've lived despite any complaints you may read online from locals.

I love it here and in a few years hope to have my interests elsewhere tied up and make the full time move out this way.

oXmen, my son made the same move you are contemplating. After graduating from a major university, dean's list, he moved to OBX for the good life. Oh yes, he had a good time and has made lasting friendships there but it was a financial disaster. Housing and food from Harris Teeter (day old rotisserie chickens and pasta), consumed his weekly pay. Not until he took a second job waiting tables at the Black Pelican in the evening did he begin to finish the week in the black. On a good note, however, there he met a physician who encouraged him to go to medical school, and he did so. He has since "retired" from OBX at age 25 and now has a real job and is quite successful.
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oXmen, my son made the same move you are contemplating. After graduating from a major university, dean's list, he moved to OBX for the good life. Oh yes, he had a good time and has made lasting friendships there but it was a financial disaster. Housing and food from Harris Teeter (day old rotisserie chickens and pasta), consumed his weekly pay. Not until he took a second job waiting tables at the Black Pelican in the evening did he begin to finish the week in the black. On a good note, however, there he met a physician who encouraged him to go to medical school, and he did so. He has since "retired" from OBX at age 25 and now has a real job and is quite successful.
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Wow, that’s quite the story! That really helps me visualize how things could potentially unfold for me. Could I ask what your son majored in during his undergrad? Was it in the tech sector or something related to the sciences, given his transition to medical school, I can only assume he was in the sciences. I'm asking because, as you noted, the career path can significantly impact the feasibility of settling in a place like the OBX. From what I've gathered so far (via Reddit, lol), tech jobs can be tough to find locally, but remote work seems to be a viable option for many in the tech industry, and a good bunch have successfully landed jobs regardless that they had moved to the OBX, according to them. Of course, they likely faced obstacles, but my point is that with dedication and initiative, things can turn out better than you might imagine.