5 ms·

There are a lot of things that go into it. I live in the south bay so have a large living space, so home office is not a problem. I've hit an interesting crossr

There are a lot of things that go into it. I live in the south bay so have a large living space, so home office is not a problem. I've hit an interesting crossroads in my career where I feel like I have confidence and stability in what ever comes next, which has never been true in my career, but I've also never really cared until now :) I'm married, so my roommate is my wife who also has her own separate office. I think this is huge. You didn't ask my advice and I don't know if you care, but having been through three recessions now, I'd suggest you get out of town to somewhere with more space and freedom and take advantage of the remote work world if that's an option for you. The other side: I'm a hermit. I actually prefer not socializing, going out, meeting people (exceptions exist), and any day-to-day routine the most people find comforting. I think that's a larger factor in my general improvement in quality of life - and I'm dreading going back to the normal routine that we need to get back to so the rest of the world can have more stability, but nobody will empathize with me then, or now, which is OK, I'm weird.

legerdemain 6y ago
No worries, I appreciate you sharing your experience! I feel like I'd get the same distractions everywhere in suburbia (and I am in suburban Palo Alto): constant delivery vans rumbling into the yard, lawn care teams with gas-powered leaf blowers at my apartment, adjacent apartment, across the road, people who idle their pickup trucks under my windows day and night, a Roto-Rooter van that shows up to the neighbors over and over, people who shout obscenities out the window while playing COD at night, the neighbor with an outdoor punching bag, and so on. I find even an office with an open floorplan far more peaceful and quiet. I'll take the first opportunity I can, responsibly, take to work from an office or coworking space. By comparison, 2008 was barely a blip on the radar for me. Stressful, but I wasn't crawling up the walls the way I feel I am now.
- codezero 6y ago
  It's amazing how wildly different all of us are, and how we all try to build systems we can all use despite that :) I am lucky in Sunnyvale - I think. Way less residential noisy stuff - and the area is mostly families and is surprisingly quiet that definitely helps a lot. In an office, just given my role, I can never get away from people long enough to focus. 2008 was mostly a blip for me too - had a brief pay hit and less certainty on a job, but wasn't too scary. I feel very much for folks like you and everyone out there who's feeling the pangs of this state of the world - hang in there!

legerdemain 6y ago

No worries, I appreciate you sharing your experience! I feel like I'd get the same distractions everywhere in suburbia (and I am in suburban Palo Alto): constant delivery vans rumbling into the yard, lawn care teams with gas-powered leaf blowers at my apartment, adjacent apartment, across the road, people who idle their pickup trucks under my windows day and night, a Roto-Rooter van that shows up to the neighbors over and over, people who shout obscenities out the window while playing COD at night, the neighbor with an outdoor punching bag, and so on. I find even an office with an open floorplan far more peaceful and quiet. I'll take the first opportunity I can, responsibly, take to work from an office or coworking space. By comparison, 2008 was barely a blip on the radar for me. Stressful, but I wasn't crawling up the walls the way I feel I am now.

codezero 6y ago
It's amazing how wildly different all of us are, and how we all try to build systems we can all use despite that :) I am lucky in Sunnyvale - I think. Way less residential noisy stuff - and the area is mostly families and is surprisingly quiet that definitely helps a lot. In an office, just given my role, I can never get away from people long enough to focus. 2008 was mostly a blip for me too - had a brief pay hit and less certainty on a job, but wasn't too scary. I feel very much for folks like you and everyone out there who's feeling the pangs of this state of the world - hang in there!