Oliver Goch, 26, lives in Huntington Beach. This transcript is based on a conversation with Goch, and has been edited for clarity and length.
Goch: I've had a perspective change on “making it.”
I'm a test engineer at an aerospace company. I’ve been at this company since college. I graduated in June 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic.
I was working in El Segundo, and I was living with my grandma in [Pacific] Palisades, which was a pretty good deal. Then I got this new role down in Huntington Beach, and so I finally moved out. So this is my first first big boy, living on my own, throw me to the wolves, no grandma and no parents [reality].
Because I’m paying like $2,200 in rent, that’s almost a paycheck. This month, I had to pay rent, and then all my credit card bills came due. And I just eked by because things come up, like I got a nail in my tire. So I drive to go get it fixed. And then they [say], “Oh, yeah, all your tires need to be replaced.” And I'm like, “Ah, great, 900 bucks. Now I hope nothing else comes up.” Once again, I’m very lucky I can afford it.
I think older generations were, “Okay, well, I'm gonna save up money, I'm gonna buy the house, and I've made it,” right? I don't think my generation sees that. I was saving up to buy a house and I was like, ‘For what?’ I've definitely shifted: Maybe this can be like a travel fund or something like that. They've done the research, and experiences make you happy. I think my generation has prioritized happiness and those experiences more.