So many have asked me what I think of my move to San Francisco. I may as well share.
Shifting location is a way to reinvent the way you spend your time. And we all need to think about reinventing our days. Location’s just one part of it.
I’m sitting a block from my house, at Cafe Reverie just now (that’s a photo from my iPhone, where I’m taken where I’m seated). I’ve never been much a fan of FourSquare, but I just became Mayor here, overtaking Craig Newmark. Some things you just can’t do everywhere.
But that’s just a geeky detail, and it’s easy to get caught up in the techie side of San Francisco. In reality, a city is what you make of it. I’m extremely happy right now, but it’s not just because it’s SF. It’s because I hate dissonance and I’ve found a way to do more things here that jive with who I am, right now.
I think everyone ought to find their place, their lifestyle.
There came a point some time ago where I wanted to be anywhere outside of where I lived. Plenty of trips let me to the environmental things that contributed to the best days for me—parks, co-workers, natural light, people who understood my passions, dance, Spanish & Japanese food, etc. I also knew I wanted to make the biggest possible impact with my work.
What about you—what environmental factors contribute to your happiness? Have you ever considered it?
When my sister moved to NYC it was like someone flipped a light switch—all of a sudden she was at home. I watched the same with my closest friend from my college when he moved to a big city.
Some of those who read this blog are married with a couple kids in school. But most of you are like me—primarily tied to a place by your work and local network. And if you’re a lot like me, you probably haven’t re-evaluated your location (in the micro- or macro- perspective) in a long time.
So yes, three weeks in, I’m more than content with my move here. I’m not going to lie—there are some very specific business opportunities that have only been possible due to my location. But as a whole, it’s really about re-considering how and where I spend my time. Completely redoing it in a place where it’s possible to make certain kinds of decisions.
I hope you’ll consider what’s possible where you are. Whether in the same place or on the other side of the globe, there’s a lot of opportunity to be closer to the real you in a 24 hour day.
You should really subscribe to Technotheory via email or rss.
Glad you’re happy! Just wanted to say…enjoy your mayorship. When I lived in Cole Valley last year I was mayor of Reverie, Craig took it from me when I moved back to Los Angeles. It’s a great mayorship, treat it well ;)
Enjoying your journey. Thanks for the insightful comments. JFL
I am from Amsterdam and I am planning to go on a trip to the US, but I cannot choose between NY and San Francisco. Which city would you recommend?
Wishing you the very best and brightest future. I agree 100% with what you’re saying about location. My home is on the market and I can’t wait to get to my new home, hopefully in 2011 or as soon as my house sells. And then I can become even more of who I really want to be, both personally and professionally, and make a greater impact on the world with my work. Thanks for sharing!
Jared – just having moved to San Francisco this post really hit home for me. It really feels like, as you note, a “switch has been flipped” and I feel like this is truly a home. From the people I’ve interacted with to the general vibe, this is a remarkable place. Hope we can run into each other eventually.