As you might imagine, I've been having a lot of conversations lately about moving away. Here's the thing. I am a local living here in Silicon Valley. We are a rare breed these days. Born at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, I grew up in San Carlos and Palo Alto for the most part. Although there was that brief overseas adventure at the American Community School of Beirut during my Junior High years. But that's a whole 'nother story...
The conversations I've been having tend to center on the changes in the fabric of community due to the influx of silicon valley peeps. On one hand, there is a richer tapestry of culture and diversity that enriches life here and really makes the burbs more vibrant and global. But on the other hand, there is this leftover longing for a simpler, smaller community - a place where it doesn't take 70 minutes to drive 12 miles to and from work during morning and evening rush hour. A place where cool little stores don't have to keep dealing with exorbitant rent hikes. And a place where everyday people don't have to deal with off-the-chart rents and housing prices.
Call it nostalgia, but a lot of us locals seem to be feeling it these days.
This longing for a simpler life is really feeding into my escape plans. After conferring with a few folks, I'm going to take a year off and move to the central coast. I'll take the time to decompress from that toxic work environment, develop my photography and my little start up in a comfortable, reasonable atmosphere. As I mentioned earlier, I've narrowed it down to Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo. After this year, I'll revisit the larger move. Onward!
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