[pdaviesa]

I was born and raised in the Bay Area and here's what is magical: incredible weather, unbelievably diverse set of cultures, one of the world's most beautiful cities, easy access to beaches, mountains, Monterey/Carmel, active lifestyle of residents, open minded communities, world class universities, unbridled enthusiasm for tech and startup culture, tons of success around you which acts as a great motivator. The not so magical part - after slaving away for a few years, bouncing from startup to startup, you come to the realization that being employee number seven at the next Google is kind of like winning the lottery. You're approaching 30 (or a bit past it), are getting ready to settle down and start a family and need job stability and health insurance - so you go get a stuffy corporate job with Apple or Cisco or HP or Oracle or EA or Netflix or Google or Salesforce or ... you get the point. But then you notice something; while you may not be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams, the magic is still there for you and your family to enjoy - and, although you are now an upstanding member of society with real mortgage payments, you wouldn't trade your hacker startup years for anything.