A year ago I decided to leave Chicago and move to LA. It was hard; I was moving away from great friends, my family, a good job, my home, my hang outs. The prospect of leaving everything that was familiar behind was really scary. Weak-in-the-knees scary.
But I think fear can be a good sign. I had grown complacent and too comfortable in my habits. I wasn't taking any risks. I was kind of boring. The fear was a hint that I was probably doing the right thing, because I was ready for a new phase to my life and I doubt there's a change worth making that isn't frightening.
It only took a couple weeks of living here for most of the fear to be replaced by excitement. It was obvious that I had made the right decision.
I miss everyone in Chicago, and I miss Chicago. But I didn't really leave it all behind, that's just not quite how it works. And the past year of my life has been one of the best.
![[laughing on the el platform after a party]](http://lemonodor.com/images/fullerton-el-platform-s.jpg "laughing on the el platform after a party")
I understand your posting quite well. I just quitted EMC, where I was doing high-visibility buzzword-compliant stuff, to stay some month unemployed, and build up more LISP/Scheme experience...in the hope I will be able to make a living out of that. We'll see what the future brings, but if no risk is taken, nothing can be expected.
Posted by: stan on March 7, 2003 02:15 AMBest of luck Stan, I hope you succeed more so because I am toying with the idea of doing the same thing. I wonder how many developers end up being lured out of comfortable but boring jobs by Lisp/Scheme/Smalltalk.
Posted by: on March 7, 2003 01:15 PMyeah baby yeah
Posted by: on March 7, 2003 01:30 PMJohn, we miss you here, in Chicago. But glad to hear things are going so well for you out there. As long as your attachment to Los Angeles remains ironic, I think you'll be OK. BTW, self-employment is great, though I'm cautious to recommend it to anyone, especially if money is a concern. But in the working-from-home-with-your-pants-off department, it's tops.
Talk to you soon.
Posted by: Mark on March 10, 2003 04:59 AMSo Mark, you're seriously advocating irony as a way of dealing with Los Angeles culture? Is that one of those "if you can't beat them, join them" things, or more to the point, "in order to beat them you must join them?" The old destroy-the-system-from-the-inside out, eh?
I am glad to hear about your pants.
Posted by: jjwiseman on March 30, 2003 01:53 PM