I left a red state and moved to a blue state. The politics and lack of healthcare in Texas drove me back to Oregon.

• Jules Rogers moved to Houston for a job but left because she didn't agree with the local politics.
• She didn't support the loosened gun laws and the laws policing women's healthcare choices.
• The transportation costs, weather conditions, and voting process also contributed to her leaving.

I was born in Houston, but I grew up in Portland. I moved back to Texas as an adult in 2018 for a position at a local newspaper.

Houston had a lower cost of living, and my husband and I both had family nearby, but it wasn't as great as visiting Grandma for Christmas used to be. I had multiple eye-opening experiences that didn't align with my desired quality of life, so I left around two years later.