I moved out of Michigan about three years ago. I did so for the perhaps overly-cited "personal reasons". In my case, it happened to be true. The economy was in decline as I left, and it really got about about a month after I left (in September 2008), but that had nothing to do with it.

I left because it dawned on me that I had a ton of unhealthy thought patterns. And a social circle comprised of people that, while they were awesome, mostly reinforced these patterns. I wanted to get away just as a control, to see if I would evolve my way of thinking.

I took the first tech job I was offered and quickly moved. Things got better. In a new city, around new people, a new perspective was forced on me, and I had to look at things in a new light. I had the chance to rewire my brain.

The one downside (and it's actually a huge upside) is that the first job I was offered was in Santa Barbara. It's an amazing city. The high cost of living is the only justifiable complaint I've ever heard about it, and even that is manageable. If this city has one export, I always say, it might as well be positive thinking, because it's difficult to spend time here and not be in a extended, doggedly persistent good mood.

I often wonder where my brain would be now if I had ended up in a more typical city, like Madison or Berkeley. I'm a positive person, and I tend to be optimistic...but it's too easy here in Santa Barbara. It's easier to remain celibate if you're surrounded by nuns in a convent.

I don't know where I move next, but it will probably happen within a couple of years. The true acid test of my optimism will come when I move away from here. Perception is reality, and I hope I can keep choosing to perceive things optimistically.