
Why am I here? - DavidChouinard
http://sivers.org/here
======
11001
I have just finished an excellent online course called "The Brief History of
Humankind"[1]. It was really an eye opener for me. I always loved history, but
all the arguments people made about why we need to study it never really
resonated with me. The stuff about "not repeating the same mistakes", "not re-
inventing the wheel", "learning from the past" just never made much sense to
me. The real reason to study history, as it was brilliantly presented in the
course, is not to learn from the past, but to get liberated from it. We study
the past to learn about our present. How did we get here? _Why are we here?_
Often, things we accept as "natural" or permanent, or "optimal" are just a
result of decisions and events that occurred long ago in _very_ different
context.

This post is an excellent reminder that sometimes we need to do the same on
the personal level. We need to look back at our past in order to understand
our present and decide about our future.

[1][https://www.coursera.org/course/humankind](https://www.coursera.org/course/humankind)

~~~
gdwatson
History is also great for providing intellectual perspective. A lot of people
take as universal ideas that are actually peculiar to our own era; since no
era gets everything right, the ideas and attitudes of the past can help you
evaluate those you took for granted.

Of course, studying the future would probably work just as well, if that were
possible.

------
strlen
I always felt that Singapore just doesn't seem like the right place for
someone like Derek Sivers. It's a beautiful and wonderfully located place, but
the stated or unstated reasons many US expats give for moving there are
narrowly selfish -- in the sense of irrational selfishness vs enlightened
self-interest -- low taxes, clean streets. Yet Singapore's culture is strongly
communitarian: there may be low income taxes, but there are tons of other
rules and regulations. The reason for the low taxes, an efficient, universal,
and well functioning healthcare system, and so on isn't liberal individual
empowerment (which is often the reason given for both individualistic economic
policies like low tax rates _and_ for safety-net policies like universal
healthcare in the West), it's greater communal good (which -- unlike in ther
West -- is also defined in a way that's much more nuanced than "greatest good
for the greatest number"). That reality may not hit people immediately, but it
will eventually: e.g., if you plan to have kids, be ready for corporal
punishment in most schools and even some junior colleges, and (far more
burdensome and soul crushing for an individualistic soul) military
conscription.

Derek talked about this in earlier essays and acknowledge that he was
resetting his operating system towards a more communitarian, giving the
example of nominally "converting" to Islam to marry a woman. Yet to me that
reason still seemed narrowly selfish, a much more principled and selfless act
would be to refuse to compromise one's greater cultural and religious heritage
and forgo one of life's greatest long-term pleasures (love) -- something I
would not endorse, as it would result in great misery for both himself and now
wife.

Personally, I am lucky, as I found United State's "left coast" and "far west"
cultures to be my home: I see my own culture was being a happy medium between
these two, but I have a fluent understanding and appreciation of both of these
cultures. They mesh far better than the cultures I've been brought up in
(secular Jewish and Russian) and I'm very lucky that I have the ability to
pick and choose -- I would simply not survive (in the physical sense) had I
attempted to live a life true to my personal views in the land I was born in.
I sincerely hope that Derek finds in New Zealand a culture he can belong to.

~~~
zhemao
> If you plan to have kids, be ready for corporal punishment in most schools
> and even some junior colleges, and (far more burdensome and soul crushing
> for an individualistic soul) military conscription

For US expats raising their kids in Singapore, there is the option of sending
them to the American international school
([http://www.sais.edu.sg/](http://www.sais.edu.sg/)) instead of the public
Singaporean school system. As for military conscription, that only applies to
citizens, so if your children take US citizenship instead of Singaporean
citizenship (US practices Jus Sanguinis, so I think this is possible), they
wouldn't have to worry about military service (I'm not Singaporean or an
immigration lawyer, so don't take my word on that). In short, expats can
totally avoid having that reality hit them. Expats tend to live in a totally
different world than the natives of the countries in which they settle.

~~~
strlen
> As for military conscription, that only applies to citizens, so if your
> children take US citizenship instead of Singaporean citizenship (US
> practices Jus Sanguinis, so I think this is possible), they wouldn't have to
> worry about military service (I'm not Singaporean or an immigration lawyer,
> so don't take my word on that).

If you (like afaik, Sivers) surrender the US citizenship, is there any basis
for children taking US citizenship?

> In short, expats can totally avoid having that reality hit them. Expats tend
> to live in a totally different world than the natives of the countries in
> which they settle.

I think that's what bothers me, but I am also somewhat at a loss why: it is
just for a country to allow an expatriate class that never takes citizenship,
but which others contributes (indeed, that is a positive). It is legitimate
for individuals to choose to forego the benefits of citizenship in order to
avoid the associated responsibilities, yet I can't help by somehow sneer at a
group of people who are in a country quasi-permanently (i.e., not a short-term
business trip) by choice (they aren't fleeing famine or oppression -- which
would be a different matter) by choose not to become its citizen.

I also don't think Singapore is a bad place. Quite frankly their immigration
policies are far better than a large chunk of the world. They certainly put a
far larger expectation on their citizens, but nothing really out of bounds of
a Rawlsian "decent country" \-- basic civil rights are respected. On the other
hand US is guilty of a crime of omission -- there are many potential
immigrants coming from unstable, dangerous, and poor places that are denied
the right to settle in US, but would be able to settle in Singapore.

I guess if I had to pin it down, what bugs me is the way many Westernerns move
and settle in countries without regards to their culture and ways of living --
out of purely material and practical concerns.

~~~
eshvk
> I guess if I had to pin it down, what bugs me is the way many Westernerns
> move and settle in countries without regards to their culture and ways of
> living -- out of purely material and practical concerns.

And what do you think of clans of Indians who move to the U.S. for purely
material and practical concerns, live cocooned in communities (especially in
the South Bay) ?

~~~
strlen
1) I don't think they live "cocooned". I've lived in South Bay myself for 18
years and honestly haven't seen this. Quite frankly your statement struck me
as odd (I earlier wrote racist, but on a second read, I don't think this
qualifies) and reactionary ("clans"?). Maintaining ethnic stores,
restauraunts, and community events is very different from being "cocooned".
They obey US laws (assuming all burdens and responsibilities of citizenship),
they don't live in compounds unreachable to outsiders, etc...

2) The delta in material situation between India and US is far higher than the
delta between US and and Singapore. Westerners moving to Singapore aren't
escaping grinding poverty.

3) There's a large Indian community in Singapore (indeed the very name of the
country is in an Indian language) and if you're going to compare Indians
moving to the US to another group moving to Singapore (well, perhaps not
moving -- they've been there for a long time), this is probably the right
comparison to make. I don't see a problem with multi-ethnic states, as long as
everyone lives by the same basic laws. I'd still think I would find it
acceptable even if the cultures were completely isolated from rest of the
country, e.g., Amish in the US, as long as -- again -- they lived by the same
laws.

4) I did state elsewhere that I think in terms of immigration policies,
Singapore may be "superior" to the US. I strongly believe in immigration as
primary human right: everyone should have the right to move wherever they
please (with only exception being due to basic economic condition -- a mostly
theoretical concern, as usually countries with greatest population densities
and largest immigrant population tend to be _more_ prosperous), whether this
is the right choice for others is a personal matter (something I can speak out
against, but have no right to deny).

~~~
eshvk
1) > I've lived in South Bay myself for 18 years and honestly haven't seen
this.

Right, this might just be a matter of personal opinion. I spent a few months
in Mountain View, I found it oppressively close to being similar to living in
India. It was personally a negative thing because I felt like I (being
ethnically of Indian origin but not really culturally one) was expected to
behave similar to norms in India. Hell, I had a co-worker accuse (tease?) me
of being gay because I was wearing fucking Happy Socks [1]. Now, I must
emphasize that I am not saying that everyone who is culturally Indian is
conservative or homophobic or whatever. However, the norms in that society of
what is acceptable behavior are distinctly different from the norms in this
society. A huge cluster of people living together just makes it easier for
them to bring their societal norms.

[1] [http://www.happysocks.com/us/](http://www.happysocks.com/us/)

> but on a second read, I don't think this qualifies) and reactionary
> ("clans"?).

The word "clan" was used in the sense of people of a certain kinship living
together. This may not be immediately apparent to an outsider but I have lived
in India and people from different states are drastically different. This self
congregation is apparent in neighborhoods there. At least to me.

2)

> The delta in material situation between India and US is far higher than the
> delta between US and and Singapore. Westerners moving to Singapore aren't
> escaping grinding poverty.

Sorry. Most of the new Indians that you see are not escaping grinding poverty.
If you have enough money to pay for a Master's degree and then work on an H1B,
you are clearly not part of the teeming masses of the poor people, you are
ultimately an expat.

3)

> There's a large Indian community in Singapore (indeed the very name of the
> country is in an Indian language) and if you're going to compare Indians
> moving to the US to another group moving to Singapore (well, perhaps not
> moving -- they've been there for a long time), this is probably the right
> comparison to make. I don't see a problem with multi-ethnic states, as long
> as everyone lives by the same basic laws.

Actually, I think Singapore is a drastically different case when it comes to
Indian immigration. For one, immigration laws are diverse enough that you get
both classes of Indians, the white collar professionals and the people
escaping soul crushing poverty.

------
rsobers
I enjoyed the post, but I find it to be such a vast departure from the way I
think and feel, mostly because I have a family.

Sure, _I_ would love to sit on a balcony in New Zealand, coding and listening
to the birds, but I couldn't possibly rip my daughter away from her friends
and the school she loves.

Again, I appreciate the spirit of the post, but reality for most of us
precludes this level of whimsy, and I don't necessarily think that's bad.

~~~
ThatOtherPerson
"Why am I here?"

"Because my daughter loves it here."

Seems to fit in with what he was saying to me.

~~~
gbog
Don't agree.

Something like "because my kids can receive great education here" would be a
great answer, but just "lovin' it" means nothing. And having good friends is
not a good reason either, because real friends are those that stay close to
you when you are far away.

Moreover, I'd say adult people's life should not be constructed around their
kids. It should be the opposite: kids follow their parents where they go until
they can fly alone. I think it has been the case for most of humanity most of
the time (the only exceptions could have been "baby kings" like Louis XIII,
but they do not count).

In the same vein, if you father or mother love hiking, find a way to hike with
kids. If you love snorkeling just teach them to snorkel early. If you prefer
reading books at home just stay at home. They will follow. Having happy
parents is the best gift for kids.

In our new society, having kids often means becoming their slave, and you are
frowned upon if you dare keeping your hobbies once you have them. This is one
of the most worrying mistakes I can imagine. I mean educational mistake. Kids
do not need, or even like to be baby dictators.

~~~
rsobers
Eh, I think too many parents are selfish, especially in America (not saying
Sivers is--clearly he's not).

How often do you see parents dragging their screaming kids around, giving
their 2-year old an iPad to shut them up at the coffee shop, buying a 50" flat
screen TV while the college fund is at $0 and the bank accounts are overdrawn.

In the spirit of Sivers' post, I think if parents stopped, maybe once a month,
and asked themselves "What am I doing to set my children up to have happy
lives?" we'd all be better off.

------
dylanz
Derek, I did the same thing 6 years ago.

I ended up north of you by just a tad bit, in Takaka. It was a long and
winding 90 minute drive to get to Nelson, but it definitely felt like the "big
city" compared to Golden Bay.

When people ask me how my 3 years in New Zealand were, it's hard for me to
answer. A part of me was working hard, so I spent most of my hours behind my
desk, at home, looking at the paddocks across the street. You could have
probably put a backdrop behind that window and it would have felt like a beach
in Fiji, or downtown Munich, etc. When I wasn't behind my desk however, it was
a big realization that I was far away from home. After traveling to Europe for
conferences a lot, you begin to realize that you are IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
(or somewhere). It is very far from everything else. A 90 minute drive to
Nelson, a flight to Auckland, a 14 hour flight to LAX, then a 12 hour flight
to Heathrow. Yikes. When I'd get back to my little house in Takaka however...
it felt like home. Small towns, beautiful scenery, great people. My only
downfall was that I actually ended up yearning for a market like Whole Foods.
I was used to having a HUGE selection of everything to fill my taste buds, and
that's hard to come by unless you are in some of the larger cities there. Get
ready for a lot of fish and chips, and beetroot on hamburgers. I bet you $100
you're going to miss your asian cuisine... badly.

That said, here is a list of things that come to mind:

\- Go to the Mussel Inn near Onekaka in the evening. Enjoy their beer, food,
and chat with the owner Andrew who has great stories (he's the tall guy that
looks like Bob Dylan).

\- Meet up with Galen King in Nelson. He's a good friend, a smart
technologist, and a great person.

\- Go to Collingwood and hit up the chocolatier there, Rosie Glows.

\- Walk around Te Waikoropupū springs and be amazed.

I wouldn't trade the experience for anything (my second kid was even born
there!). Enjoy New Zealand, and make sure to check out Australia while you're
down there too. You're close as you're ever going to be =)

Noho ora mai rā, nā!

~~~
jwilliams
As a kiwi I am offended about your cuisine comment.... I am also nodding in
absolute agreement.

In NZ you need to play to the strengths. You'll get some of the best seafood
and wine in the world. Freshly caught fish, simply cooked, with a bottle of
South Island white wine. Glorious.

Also, the nature helps. A cup of tea and some smoked mussels. Usually mundane
-- but, after you've just hiked up a mountain and you're sitting on a ridge.
Delicious.

------
throwaway3301
What if you don't know the answer to this question ("Why am I here?")? What if
your answer is that you don't understand why you're still here? When your
passion for everything and anything in life has waned to nothingness. When you
feel like your body is in a constant state of physical and mental fatigue,
bordering on a grinding, gnawing pain? When you feel like a passenger in your
own life, stuck in the rat race, stuck in the routine of monotony? When every
day boils down to sleep, eat, work, and everything in between ends up as a
fuzzy blur?

What then? How can I shake this feeling? How can I restore the drive and
motivation in myself that I never remember having in the first place? Is it
even possible?

To follow Mr. Sivers's analogy: What if _all_ my reasons have expired? Is that
somewhere else... nowhere else? Should I be dead instead? That doesn't seem
like a very practical path to follow, but yet living feels so draining that I
don't know how much longer I can carry the weight of a life lived for nothing.
It really is all for naught. At this point I feel like I am living this life
because it is the life society wants for me: go to school, get a degree, get a
job, get married, have kids, grow old, die. That sounds horrible to me and yet
I feel so stuck in this formula. I feel so abnormal because I can't feel
satisfied or fulfilled with this "normal" version of life. And I can't tell
anyone these things because they will reject me, saying I should just enjoy
this or that, or telling me that I should be grateful for what I have. Their
words (and this article) don't change anything. I know that the change must
first come from within, but I don't know where to start.

~~~
dmfdmf
How old are you? Too young to be having a mid-life crisis but too old to be
experiencing teenage angst, is my guess. There is hope and something I say may
help you but really the only one that can save you is your _self_. My reply
depends on your context. Details needed.

~~~
throwaway3301
To give you some background: I am 22 years old. I graduated from college about
a year ago and I now make a living as a software engineer.

I agree that the only one who can save me is myself, and to all those who have
said that I should seek professional help: I have and am currently working
with someone to address these feelings I have towards my life.

I'm not sure what other details you were looking for, but that should be a
start, at least.

~~~
dmfdmf
You are really just starting your life. You will be a completely different man
at 32 than 22. Accept that you are unhappy right now but this is a temporary
situation that you are willing to resolve. You have a job and presumably a
place to live, so right now everything is okay.

To help with feeling overwhelmed, confused and anxious about your life I
recommend a book called "Focussing" by Eugene Gendlin. Its hard to explain but
he has exercises that allow you to cope with life's problems by mentally
building a little breathing space between your problems and your self. His
method also allows you to get beyond the conscious self-talk and other mental
static and tap the subconscious to understand why you are "stuck". (It all
sounds like a bunch of non-sense and even Gendlin oversells it but the book is
cheap, the exercises are easy to do and helpful and you don't have to buy into
all the woo).

Based on your orginal post, it sounds like you launched on this life
trajectory without thinking too much about it and that you are just now
questioning it. This is a very common problem due to social expectations or
parental pressures, etc. So here you are. Many people go down this path but
don't question it until they hit middle age. So be glad you have avoided the
disaster of a mid-life crisis. Moreover, figuring out who you are and what you
value and what you want to do with your life at 22 is not only easier but you
have way more options than the man who embarks on such a task at 50, with the
ex-wife and three kids to consider.

So that is the essence of the problem. You are an adult now and need to decide
what you believe, what you value and what you will do. In a more rational
culture you would have been given much more guidance before being pushed out
of the nest but the problem is still yours to solve. I recommend two books to
read by Ayn Rand; Philosophy Who Needs It and The Virtue of Selfishness. My
recommendation is not so much about her philosophy but about learning to think
philosophically about your life.

------
alexdong
Derek, we met a while ago when you came down to Dunedin. I'm glad you finally
made the move down here.

What I found very interesting is that your decisions are driven not by where
to move TO, but what you're moving away FROM. Your trip to Oregon, then to
Singapore and now NZ seems to follow the similar route. From a vastly
different culture and super-densely-populated .sg to the extreme remote and
lonesome place like .nz.

I feel that's probably not the best way to go for it. Instead of trial-and-
error, how about a search algorithm? Instead of "Why am I here", why not ask
"Where do I WANT to be?".

Here was the list of criteria me and my wife came up when we were drifting
around for a year to look for a city to settle down.

 _Crucial_ : 1) Small country with around 5M population. Coming from China, I
feel lots of the problems of modern society & politics is there because of the
large degree of separation. 2) Walkabout city. We love walking. I want to make
sure the walk from home to office takes no more than 30 minutes. 3) Close to
nature. Tramping is our main hobby. We want to start walking in the wild with
less than 1 hour drive. (Reality is the closest one is 5 minutes walk from
home but that's a bonus.) 4) With a high quality university. This gives us the
continuous flow of different ideas even the city is small. 5) Price is
moderate. We want to have the leisure time to spend with our families and work
on our hobbies. Affordable housing and reasonable prices give us the lifestyle
we want without having to work our butts off.

 _Ok to give up_ : 1) Museums, galleries and fine restaurants. Even when we
were living in Seattle or Boston, we spend more time on solitude activities
like walking and reading. So cultural stuffs are great but we won't die if we
don't have them. 2) Varieties of products/shops. We don't buy a lot of stuff
and when we do, we buy ones that last very very long but not particularly in-
the-fashion. So don't have much choices is not a big problem for us. 3)
Weather. I love San Diego's weather. Never too cold. Never too hot. But if
it's a city that rains a lot and doesn't have a proper hot summary, we're fine
with that.

We visited and stayed in more than 40 cities during that year. Some we stayed
2 months, others a few days. When we started the trip, we have never heard of
Dunedin. But those criteria helped us to quickly sift through the options and
lead us to this unusual decision.

Three years later, we still feel grateful that we made that choice. Life is
good here.

A warm welcome from Dunedin, New Zealand.

------
akg_67
Very timely article. I am being laid off tomorrow (fri). I sent out this
article to my team as sharing my last piece of nugget before I head out the
door!

I think the question not only applies to a country or city but also the place
you work, place you live, or any activity you do.

------
bsirkia
Are you there with friends at all? I'm just curious because for me I always
want to be near friends and family, but know that for some people they would
rather do something new and exciting.

~~~
sivers
Married with a baby. But other than that, I don't know anyone here. That was
part of the appeal. I prefer solitude right now.

~~~
quaffapint
Wow, and your wife was cool with that :)?

Couldn't even imagine being able to move around with my family like that. I've
lived in the same area basically my whole life and it's quite boring. A change
would be nice. Always wanted to try out Montana.

~~~
sivers
I was a requirement of being with me. A 2nd-date question:

"How would you feel about living in the rest of the world for the rest of your
life?"

Many girls I dated really just wanted to stay near family or friends. Then I
found someone willing to keep going. :-)

------
loomio
So glad to hear you're feeling at peace in NZ, Derek. I know many people who
are quietly excited you've chosen this far flung island to call home and know
that you are a fantastic addition to the community no matter what you chose to
do. I know you've been inwardly focused lately, but whenever you're ready,
there's a great community waiting to welcome you with open arms at Enspiral
(including Loomio of course).

------
brianwillis
Apologies for our second-rate internet connections. Hopefully we'll see > 5
Mbps download speeds to residential buildings within my lifetime.

~~~
sivers
I got 30 Mbps (actual, on speedtest.net right now) fibre to the home from
Orcon. Thanks to subsidized fibre rollout. :-)

~~~
brianwillis
It should go without saying that I'm incredibly jealous fibre isn't available
in my part of the country.

~~~
sivers
Yeah. I was really surprised. I was preparing for a less-online-life, then
just as I we moved in, we got a notice that fibre was ready. Oh well.

I'll give you my wifi password so you can sit on the porch & surf all you
want.

~~~
mahyarm
I'm very surprised at that. I've heard the internet is basically horrible in
New Zealand and they have horrible bandwidth limits there. Is this a very
recent development?

~~~
jamestnz
It’s better. We have things like fibre and VDSL2 with unlimited caps now. Like
properly unlimited ones (not just "unlimited"). You can get a gigabit internet
connection -- or even dark fibre between private premises -- in many cases.

For example, one residential ISP just released a statement apparently
clarifying their policy regarding "unlimited" plans [1]:

 _“Customers are free to go crazy and use as much data as they want. We have
some customers using nine terabytes per month on our residential unlimited
plans which shows just how unlimited they really are. "_

9TB at home?!

Personally I use a different ISP at my house: I have ADSL2+ and get a quota of
260 GB per month for about $50. This is a "naked" service so I receive it via
a copper line whose regular landline dial-tone service has been disconnected.

[1]
[https://www.orcon.net.nz/about/article/orcons_unlimited_broa...](https://www.orcon.net.nz/about/article/orcons_unlimited_broadband_is_unlimited_truly)

~~~
voltagex_
Orcon are great - although my only experience is connecting to their game
servers from here in Australia. Looks like I can put NZ back on my "places to
flee to" list.

------
allochthon
I like the overall message, but I can't help but think about that thing about
the work visas.

------
teleclimber
I am always fond of Derek Sivers' insights, but I would personally have a hard
time getting much done on the South Island. So much natural beauty to explore.
I'd be on a perpetual kayaking/tramping/skiing trip!

~~~
brianshaler
When you go on vacation, you tend to pack everything you can into your short
window of opportunity. If you don't need to rush, it doesn't seem too terribly
difficult to find a TON of time to be productive. Some of my most productive
weeks have involved 3-hour surf breaks in Mexico, rest stops during campervan
road trips around NZ, cross-country (U.S.) train trips, and realizing there's
not much to do but work all day if you're stranded on a tropical island and
don't find tourist traps very appealing. If you're sufficiently engaged in
your work, the periodic escapes provide an excellent opportunity to ponder and
gather your thoughts. Just pace yourself. Work when you feel motivated and go
out and do awesome stuff when you're not.

YMMV and I may be a workaholic.

------
lmm
I look at it from the other side - why move? If you've loved everywhere you've
lived and you expect to love anywhere else, isn't the converse that you'll
love here just as much as wherever you might move to? Where does this need to
travel somewhere every couple of years come from? I've tried it, and realised
I'm better off where I am.

------
brianbreslin
I love the idea of getting out of your normal habitat to focus. I went down to
central america a month ago to spend a few days, got so much more work done in
3 days than I do in 2 weeks at home. I didn't have constant distractions or
people pulling for my attention all the time. Am planning to do something like
this quarterly in 2014.

~~~
excid3
Something to keep in mind is that you can likely do this at any time. Hopping
a bus to another place you've never been and working from there for a couple
days can likely have similar results.

~~~
brianbreslin
Yeah, but I like the idea of being out of immediate reach if possible. Not a
bad idea, I've thought of renting a cabin or house somewhere a few hours away.

------
tmault
What’s really cool about this idea is that it passes boundary tests - asking
questions like "What if all of humanity acted like this?”

If the whole planet was a little more conscious - and able - to sort
themselves into a fitting situation, the ‘system’ as a whole would churn out
awesome results.

------
TheSOB888
I suspect this won't be popular, but: Lucky you, Derek. You have the
resources, and more important, the experience to be able to do that sort of
thing.

Why am I in the US? Because I was born here.

(But people are friendlier in other countries, and life is less stressful.)

But I don't have the resources to just fly away.

(...Oh. Right.)

------
lutorm
Having just moved from LA to the Big Island of Hawaii, these questions
resonate with me, too. We moved because of my wife, but I can't say that I was
opposed. Away from the crowded, paved LA basin to a small town, affordable
housing, friendly people.

The internet, though...

------
decentrality
Sound thinking, re-asking a question whose answer changes over life. Without
complete attachment to your chief focus there is no reason to keep up a
previous life.

------
adamzerner
That was brilliant. Said something important. Got the message across clearly.
Did it quickly.

It may have seemed pretty trivial, but I think it was brilliant.

------
pjdorrell
Well-known internet entrepreneur and blogger moves to Nelson. Illustrates
article with photo from Fiordland.
[https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=+nelson+south+island&dadd...](https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=+nelson+south+island&daddr=mitre+peak+fiordland+south+island&hl=en&ll=-42.90816,170.617676&spn=7.523587,16.193848&sll=-44.680141,168.010239&sspn=0.22825,0.506058&geocode=%3BFQvzVv0dEDABCikvJaHAFODVqTGpmM8oiQqi5A&mra=ls&t=m&z=7)

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MyNameIsMK
I once emailed Derek. He went out of his way to answer my questions. I can
vouch for his character. Legit dude. Much respect.

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dsowers
You chose a really nice place to move to. I'm jealous. Be sure to visit Abel
Tasman national park.

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tahoecoder
Go to French Pass on the northern tip of the south island. It's a beautiful
and remote spot.

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linux_devil
Am I the only one who thinks Matrix can be a reality and answer to all similar
questions

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rajbala
Singapore: a democratically elected government with autocratic rule.

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pikachu_is_cool
....Yeah, I can't do that. I like long-term friendship.

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AngrySkillzz
Then you've found your reason to be "here."

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sivers
Exactly! Great answer! The point is NOT to always move!

 _Usually_ the "Why am I here?" question just reminds you why you are where
you are.

Being somewhere for great friendships is a great reason.

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CurtMonash
Who are you? What do you want?

/babylon5

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russellhealy
A very warm welcome!

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benched
I don't ask this too hard, because not only do I know ahead of time that I
probably won't like the answer too much, I don't have much reason to suppose
I'll get it 'right' next time, either. Without any one all-consuming passion
in life, the best I can do is change stuff and see what happens. Also, it's
unclear what Mr. Sivers' financial independence status is, but I think that
for most of us, wherever we go basically has to be for a job.

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djfergus
Mr Sivers is very transparent about his financial situation:
[http://sivers.org/trust](http://sivers.org/trust)

Summary: CD Baby was transferred to a trust then sold for $22m, the trust pays
Mr Sivers 5% per year.

In his own words he has "enough".

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sivers
Part of the reason I haven't been writing much the last couple years is
because I thought, "Ah, it's not fair for me to write about this stuff like
moving countries on a whim."

But everyone's got their own version of this. My example is just one example.

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aaaahhhhh
I moved to Cambodia on a whim 4 months ago and I have ~14,000$ in the bank.
Given my current monthly expenses (100$ rent, 200$ food, 50$ miscellaneous),
I'll have the next three years to work on projects and coding (more than
enough time) without worrying about making money.

Like others have said, money is not the limiting factor for most people in
regards to moving half-way around the world. Being 12,000 miles away from my
parents is very hard though; this move was something I absolutely needed to
do, but I know if something were to happen to them I would completely regret
my decision to come here.

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dualogy
Heya are you in Phnom Penh or in the provinces? Am doing the same (many folks
like us increasingly in Phnom Penh, all of us contributing somewhat to ever-
rising prices though I'm sure ;) -- should hang for coffee!

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notastartup
Such a simple question, yet grants you profound introspection.

