I think I would have sought out anarchist communes and tailored my tool to their needs. If done well, I could have my needs met, lived comfortably and created tools that directly impacted my peers. I'd also be able to help out my commune in many other meaningful ways as well. The days would be filled with meaning instead of as a servent of the machine.
Me personally, I've realized how much my perception of socialist countries has been warped by capitalist propaganda and I'm reluctant about believing anything that western media says about these countries.