Dear friends,

I spent this week in the middle of nowhere: Bakersfield, California. One of my friends moved out there earlier this year, so I decided to pay him a visit. One thing I learned about being out in the middle of nowhere: it’s all about the home!

For the same rent price as an apartment in Los Angeles, it’s possible to have a hugely spacious single-family home with a massive backyard!

Industries in Bakersfield mostly include agriculture and heavy industry. Unless you work in such industries and unless you work in retail, working as a remote information worker is an ideal way to go. Since the house is so big, there’s a room specifically dedicated to being the office.

The food scene in the middle of nowhere is lackluster, but that’s to be expected. Luckily, my friend is a huge master chef and cooks at the level of fancy fine-dining style. The kitchen is also huge, so it lends itself well to have amazing food prepped at home.

Since there’s not much to do outside (and it’s extremely hot), we stayed indoors. There are no sights to see, no interesting places to visit, and no good places to go out to. Ouch.

But, we still have a hugely spacious house to work with. We indulged ourselves in board games, karaoke, and really just catching up.

I had a great weekend. I can see myself getting a change of pace in the middle of nowhere from time to time, but I’m not sure if I can find myself living in such a place permanently. I do like human interaction and going out, so I’ll stick to that.

Best,

Jerry