Alone in the back country might be a good thing

The whole reason for this blog is to keep me connected, somehow, to the technological world where most uber-geeks live. I copied myself on the Internet through this blog, Twitter and Facebook to create the illusion that I live in this beautiful giant metropolis where bits fly down the highways and jump down from the high rises that are the layered applications of the World Wide Web.

My hope was to one day get back and live in a real city like Austin or San Fransisco, strong from all my digital connections. This all changed, however. I might not want to live in a big city anymore. Not since I've read this article on Boston.com, anyway.

Cities are bad for my brain? That is definitely a thinker. All the things that I grew up to love about cities prevent my brain from operating at its full potential by saturating it with useless sensory experiences. In contrast, nature tends to heighten and relax the mind, studies show.

This seriously makes me rethink my strategy. While I miss the sophistication of bigger urban areas, with their 20 varieties of blue cheese and exotic food and restaurants, I also crave the quietness of nature and the sight of water.

As software developers, we are incredibly fortunate to be able to telecommute and work at a certain distance from our customers. Technology is helping us by allowing us to stay connected without being physically together. IM software, emails, scanners, the Web, Google Docs and now iWorks from Apple now allow you to share data online. More and more, people have the tools they need to connect and meet on the Internet.

We already see user group meetings online where one can attend from anywhere and contribute to the discussion. Apple enables you to present a keynote presentation (similar to power point) through an IM session. I'm positive there is already a tech book club online. Hell, IRC has been very useful for years already! What about Linux? It's been developed by people who lived all around the world.

Plus, I can always order my blue cheese from Amazon.com. Hmm, maybe it is time to move further into the wild! All I need is a T1 line and I'm all set!