I worked in Calgary as a software engineer from 2000-2012 at various places, but never in big oil. At the time, a low cost of living, outdoor recreation opportu

I worked in Calgary as a software engineer from 2000-2012 at various places, but never in big oil. At the time, a low cost of living, outdoor recreation opportunities, relatively young and healthy population, and good wages for engineers (compared to the rest of Canada) kept me there. I left for a big-tech job in the bay area, but I still miss elements of the Calgary lifestyle. In particular, the insanely low mortgage payments compared to wages led to a feeling that I could feasibly bootstrap a business without taking a huge financial risk.