for a good part of my life, work was my focus. i started my career around fourteen as a sysadmin, and a few years later, i shifted into web development, right when javascript was starting to take off. i've always enjoyed working with plaintext and html: it still feels satisfying to create something with just that.
over the years, i've worked with mid-sized businesses and a handful of vc-backed startups. most of my time, however, has been spent freelancing: either developing or leading teams. unfortunately, i've never built anything that has lasted. many of the personal projects i started are long gone, and the code i wrote for clients is likely forgotten by now. still, i've learned a few things, met incredible people, and eventually burned out on the startup grind. at the time, i didn't recognize the toll it was taking, i just kept pushing because i didn't know any better.
same story with my hobbies, i've tried many things: swimming in the cold sea, running, cycling, hiking, playing the accordion, skydiving, flying planes: but most of them have been abandoned halfway through.
i couldn't even stay in one place for too long: it's been over forty years since i left my hometown, and since then, i've moved around quite a bit. for the past several years, i've been living in estonia. the culture and nature here really speak to me.
now, i'm almost fifty, feels like i'm settling down. i'm still figuring out how to balance work with a slower pace of life. i live in a cozy log house deep in the forest, where it's all about family and the quiet of nature. i still head to the city a few times a week for groceries and school runs, but for the most part, i enjoy the quiet.
being a dad and a husband has taught me a lot about myself. i'm learning to be kinder to both myself and others, and i can't help but wish i'd figured some of these lessons out sooner.
lately, my evenings are spent working on home automation and figuring out how to live off-grid. i'm focused on keeping things simple and embracing a solarpunk lifestyle.
i also still write shell scripts for openbsd from time to time, and i update my website both for myself and for other runbsd fans.
outside of tech, lifting weights has become a major part of my routine. since i live in the forest, i built my own home gym, and it's turned out to be a fun and rewarding project.