So, why Madison-expat? Well, I'm living in self-imposed exile from Madison, Wisconsin. I grew up in and around Madison, which is a great city for that sort of thing. A small city, Madison's world class university brings a degree of culture to a city otherwise blighted with a state government. It's a great city to grow up in - just big enough to see what the world is like, but small enough to be reasonably safe and friendly.

So why did I leave? Well, besides the government, university, and a couple of insurance and utility companies, there aren't many employers for my line of work. A larger city was required, and for personal reasons I chose Seattle. Other friends chose Chicago, Minneapolis, or Silicon Valley. Now that I've lived somewhere larger, I really can't go back. There's also the human need for something new - the last time I visited Madison, there were people I had known for over fifteen years on the flight from Minneapolis - a flight containing maybe 25 people. That's just too cozy for my tastes.