Where you live is your most important decision.

Don't just think about what you're going to do for a living, and who you're going to marry, but also about where you want to live. When the marriage goes sour, and you're tired of the job, you want to at least be in a place you like. Are you a city guy or girl? Do you love the mountains? The ocean? The plains? Would you rather live out your days in a small town or a big city? Once you've made that first big move, after you've gotten your degree from college or just made a decision to go somewhere else, think about the fact that you may end up in that place forever. Once you get somewhere and start to put down roots -- buy a house, start a family -- you may be in that place your whole life. So choose carefully from the start. Try to pick a place that suits your personality, your basic likes, your temperament and tolerance for different weathers. I know people in Colorado, where I live, who think it gets too cold in the winter; I know others who want to move even further north, into Wyoming and even Montana, where the winters chill you to the bone. I know people who love beaches -- my wife being one -- who would love to live where the temperature never gets below 70. Those locales are, of course, very expensive, so figure that in. Do you like a change of seasons? Do you like the noise and hubbub of the city? Or do you prefer the quiet and comfort of a small town, where everyone knows everyone? These are decisions that are at least as important as what job you take or who you marry, and it's the one no one ever talks to you about while they're busy giving you unsolicited advice about every other part of your life. Every decision is a trade-off, so try to determine, ahead of time, what balance may work best for you and, if applicable, for your life partner.