Cory was in town yesterday; it was lots of fun. But this is the first time I can remember that anything related to my technical interests happened in Chicago. For the third largest city in the country, it’s incredibly boring.
No one lives here: I know at least three people in Phoenix (pop. 1.3M) but I know no one in Chicago (pop. 2.9M). No one holds conferences here: there’s no one here to come, it’s too far from Boston and California, and the weather and attractions are lousy. I try to make up for it by attending conferences, but that’s too expensive to do often.
I think I want to live in San Francisco. There’s at least one thing I want to attend there or in Silicon Valley every week, there are lots of people there I want to meet and know, there are lots of places and organizations there I want to visit.
But people keep telling me that they’re trying to get out of there; that it’s no fun to live in and it’s too expensive. I’m not sure it can be worse than here. I don’t need much to live: really just a bed, an Internet connection, and a power outlet. How much is that? $1500/mo. with a free cardboard box to keep the rain out?