I'm glad you liked it. I believe I (and other people from the area) look at the world differently than those from more prosperous regions.

There is a constant thought in the back of my head that this could all be temporary. Boom towns go bust. Industries go bust. But I also think I've left opportunity on the table because of my fear.

I've come to realize that the difficult part of life is balancing the upside with the downside -- knowing when to be conservative and when to be risky.

If I could give advice to anyone leaving school or home for the first time it would be: remain cognizant of the downside, but don't let it prevent you from taking advantage of the upside if it presents itself to you.