59. Finding Freedom, Variety, Balance and Quality of Life

After earning a B.A. from the University of Queensland, Alf entered the advertising and marketing business. He worked for Fortune 500 companies in Australia and the United States. Leaving the corporate side to move into agency management, he settled in the San Francisco area 2005, where he says the quality of life is incomparable.

Moving to the Bay area. Alf’s only regret is that he and his wife didn’t move sooner. The quality of life “is infinitely superior to anything I’ve had before,” he says, “including growing up in Australia. There’s something spiritual about going across the Golden Gate Bridge each day. It changes your mindset.”

“One good thing that has happened to me and my wife is that we have freedom and variety in life. I don’t have to deal with people I don’t want to deal with or do things I don’t want to do. That’s very important. Today it’s all about balance.

“I’m a voracious reader. I’ll go through probably an average of one book a week, sometimes two. Reading is the greatest joy that I can have, but I don’t read religious texts and self-help books.”