When I first came to the Bay Area in 1994 for law school, I was surprised to find some similarities between the pace of life here and in the South (at least in the urbanized South). Now Southerners do practice a special kind of leisurely approach to living (and working) that is not for the faint of heart – or maybe it is.

As much as I would love to live in Manhattan for a while, I don’t think I could work there and survive that unique New York intensity. But I can hope that one day those type-A East Coasters will come around to a better way of thinking. A recent New York Times article is a (slow) step in the right direction and will hopefully encourage all of us, wherever located, to take things a little easier.

The article made me realize why it’s so tough to think about leaving San Francisco. After more than 12 years of working here, we do seem to strike the right balance between work and all that life that’s to be lived when we don’t allow work to get in the way. I realize many East Coasters see us (both Southerners and West Coasters) as lazy or unmotivated, but I will put my productivity up against anyone’s, anywhere, anytime. Right after my nap.