Who you are depends on where you live

You can be anyone you want, if you live in the right place

Greetings from Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Superwall team photo at the Deep Dish Swift conference in Chicago

In the last month, I've visited Tokyo, Bali, Kansas City, Chicago, and Las Vegas.

Each city has a distinct feeling.

But I especially noticed how the vibe of each city influenced how I wanted to spend my time.

Literally just being in a specific timezone, in a specific geographic location, around specific types of people, influenced what I thought an ideal life might look like, and what seemed possible.

Here are some things I’ve been thinking about.

The city is for making money and having fun

I had a blast in Tokyo. I knew I’d enjoy it but didn’t realize how much.

I met a ton of interesting people working in tech/ music/ finance.

I hung out at co-working spaces and attended startup pitch events. I saw nothing but opportunities to make money.

The concerts and festivals are insane. Entertainment is available for everyone. I could walk everywhere and people were always ready to chat. It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had.

Likewise, in Chicago, I’ve spent four days talking to iOS developers and indie hackers.

Their stories are super inspiring. All the money they’re making, the lifestyles they’re leading, the fullness of life and happiness they exude show what’s possible.

In the city, I want to work hard. Really hard. And then I want to go out to concerts or random events happening pretty much every day due to the sheer concentration of people.

Being around other ambitious people brings you up. Seeing the access that a certain income provides you has a seductive allure. If you are single, the city is the best place to date. You just have to participate in the production and consumption.

A city is a constantly growing organism that feeds on the productivity of its inhabitants. It’s never satisfied and only grows hungrier. It makes you feel like you need to keep producing. Keep consuming. Keep doing more and more.

In the city, obsession and indulgence runs the show.

The suburbs are for building a family

Kansas City and the suburbs of Las Vegas are on the opposite spectrum.

When I’m back home in Vegas, I fall into a set routine. In the suburbs there is almost nothing to do. There is only a small amount of novelty so you get sucked into a fairly repetitive lifestyle.

I work, I exercise, I enjoy some hobbies, and I might go out with friends to do almost the same kind of thing on the weekends.

In Kansas City, I felt compelled to go to Church and started to think seriously about starting a family.

If I were already a father, I’d worry about taking the kids to their sports events and organizing a men’s retreat with the other dads of my kids’ friends.

Your priorities shift significantly.

The slow life becomes more appealing and you enjoy the routine of it all.

The tropics are for adventurers

My time in Bali and places like it promoted a more relaxed working pace, with a balance of outdoor shenanigans and working by the pool/beach.

The people around you are a mix of entrepreneurs or some flavor of influencer, and it’s easy to meet people. Everyone has a similar vibe.

Your free time is mostly spent socializing or doing some kind of activity with a group.

Time passes by slower, you eat healthier, and you live a completely different life than anyone else back home. It’s a sort of semi-retirement when you’re still young.

These places are so cheap that making more money doesn’t really make a marginal difference in how you live. So working hard is not really a priority.

All you want to do is vibe and have a good time, not really caring about the world at large.

Your life revolves around surfing, working, exercising, and eating out 3 meals a day for only $13.

This lifestyle is amazing but it’s a trap for people that want to work hard. It takes a lot of discipline to stick to a routine and work hard to reach your goals.

* * *

It’s been so funny observing myself living out these different lives.

You can have completely different experiences depending on where you live.

Some people stick to one lifestyle their entire life. Others can live them in only a few months.

Personally?

I love combining a mix of all three by living abroad part-time. I’ll be a different person depending on what time of the year it is.

But if you’re trying to accomplish specific things in your life, sometimes the best thing you can do is pack up and go somewhere else for a while.

Until next time,

Jonathan