I left the bay area to a fairly rural location thanks to being able to work remotely. I actually prefer the office or hybrid, but in the grand scheme of things, living here makes me the happiest. So I am very happy that remote is (hopefully) going to stick around.
I can relate to that. I moved out of a big city to the suburbs of a smaller one. Monthly expenses are roughly flat, but I own a house instead of pinching pennies in a small filthy apartment. I'd much rather work in person, but it doesn't feel possible to maintain a decent standard of living without scoring at least an average tech hub salary while working remotely from somewhere cheaper, at least not solo.
