It's right on the ocean with incredibly mild sunny weather. And unlike all the rest of coastal Southern California the air is not polluted by smog nor is the place packed with people. In 1977 I knew I had found my home, and I remained in the Santa Barbara area for 18 years. Deciding how I wanted to make money was more difficult. I managed to go without working for about two years from the time I quit AID, living off of unemployment compensation and my savings.
Unemployment is certainly a joke.
I was eligible for unemployment, so of course I took full advantage of it, about a year's worth of benefits at that time. Eventually the day came that I had to stop sunbathing on the beach or hiking in the hills and go to work. I chose real estate. Unfortunately, I got into it just as prices and interest rates went sky high. I barely made a go of it, except I did fall in love with a wealthy real estate agent and married her.