Grew up there. Live in Portland OR now. I'd like to be remote someday exactly so I can move back, though probably just to one of the quieter (cheaper) surrounding areas... Hard to beat actual seasons and interesting weather. You can drive for 20 minutes in any direction and find yourself alone in nature. Boston is just 2 hours south and the ocean is everywhere you look. Winters are long and harsh, though.
If I could, I might recommend his self-authoring series to a person like this. I've been working through the prompts lately and this was a first thought as I read the letter, myself.
Geocities was my gateway to learning basics of HTML & JavaScript. Didn't take much to impress friends with coding in those days (high school / early 00's).
I've been considering a move from PDX to ABQ this year, for reasons of geography and social culture; however the job market here has completely spoiled me and I haven't followed up on many job leads over there. It does not seem to be exactly what one could remotely consider a tech hub, which is actually part of the draw for me, honestly.
Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time