Welcome!

For a long time, I’ve wanted a place to share my thoughts, ideas, and projects with the world. Some of the world’s best thinkers have said that writing helps them clarify their thoughts and ideas. Since clearer thinking and better communication is nearly always a good thing, I want to take advantage of such an accessible tool that can help me improve in those arenas.

As of posting this, I’m a 20-year-old self-taught software engineer, originally from Massachusetts, but now without a constant location. I have pretty varied interests…here are the main ones:

• Programming (of course). Most of my experience is in web development (mostly Node.js/React and Python/Django), but I’m moving towards working with embedded systems. I find the concept of writing code that has an effect on the physical world absolutely fascinating, as well as the resource constraints that often arise in embedded applications.
• Climate change. I believe that there isn’t another problem that’s nearly as important or as urgent. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to help with climate change using my technical skills―in doing so, I’ve come across a number of wonderful communities, including Tech Impact Makers and ClimateAction.tech. I’m also part of the Sunrise Movement, and have made a couple of internal tools for them.
• The outdoors. I love to hike and backpack, and I’m increasingly getting into backcountry skiing, winter hiking/backpacking, and rock climbing. I hope to do some real mountaineering trips in the near future. Related to my love of the outdoors is my love for physical challenge―nothing gets me excited quite like taking a longer hike, climbing a tougher route, or otherwise pushing the envelope of my abilities.
• Motorcycles (and cars, and anything that goes fast). When I was 17, I bought a 1979 Honda CX500. It didn’t run, and I didn’t know how to fix it, so I started learning everything I could about fixing motorcycles. I eventually got it roadworthy, and now I’ve ridden it across the country solo (twice). Both trips were life-changing experiences that taught me a lot about myself, and about the kindness of others.
• Building things. Learning to fix my motorcycle totally changed my attitude towards working with my hands. Before that, I’d always stuck to working on computers, but going from knowing nothing about motorcycles, to having taken apart nearly every single component of my bike, showed me that it’s totally possible to learn to build/fix anything, and I carry that attitude with me always. I love to tinker, and there’s nothing quite like the challenge of making something with your own two hands.

Those are some of the topics that’ll be discussed on this blog. If you’re reading this, I’m honored that you’re taking the time to listen to what I have to say.