"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
Truer words have never been spoken, Minnesota alternative band Semisonic. In my life, this particular lyric refers to my decision to quit my job and take an undetermined amount of time off. The professional term for this period of perceived laziness is a "sabbatical". While I'm sure some sabbaticals are indeed wondrous examples of sloth, I sincerely hope that mine is enlightening and busy (in a good way).
I feel the first order of business here is to give a bit of background on me and my current state of mind.
After getting my M.S. in Computer Science, I immediately started at Riverbed Technology (a computer networking company) and ended up staying there for seven years. Initially, I worked as a QA engineer in the Illinois satellite office, but by the end of my tenure, I was a lead UI developer in San Francisco. My time at Riverbed was immensely educational and extremely influential on my life, both professionally and personally.
In January of 2013, I decided to leave Riverbed to pursue my own interests, travel, volunteer, and take a respite from the corporate world. Without the daily details and pressures of a job looming over me, I hope to meet new people, broaden my horizons a bit, and perhaps gain some clarity while envisioning the next chapter of my life.
I hope for one of two possible outcomes moving forward. The primary outcome would be to work in a field or for an organization that serves a higher purpose than simply making money; for instance, sustainability, renewable energy, green initiatives, and education come to mind. The secondary outcome (which is not necessarily orthogonal) would be to work for a startup that I felt was unique and worthwhile.
While my current skillset and professional experience make me qualified as a software developer (and a UI developer at that), I'm currently evaluating whether I want to continue in that direction or perhaps branch out to something different. Technology has always been a large part of my life, so I anticipate it will play a significant part of whatever challenge I decide to tackle next.
The title of this blog - a combination of titles given to me by two different friends - incorporates my two new roles, which represent the two opposing forces that anyone on a sabbatical needs to delicately balance. On the one hand, you want to be productive and eager to learn new things, but on the other hand, you want to relax, slow down, and actually enjoy life. It's called "funemployment" for a reason.
This blog will serve three purposes:
Well, there you have it. I'm not quite sure what direction this blog will go in, but I'll try to keep it updated regularly, hopefully with interesting stories, insightful musings, or valuable life lessons. The process thus far has been a bit terrifying but also very liberating.
Life's waiting to begin...
Truer words have never been spoken, Minnesota alternative band Semisonic. In my life, this particular lyric refers to my decision to quit my job and take an undetermined amount of time off. The professional term for this period of perceived laziness is a "sabbatical". While I'm sure some sabbaticals are indeed wondrous examples of sloth, I sincerely hope that mine is enlightening and busy (in a good way).
I feel the first order of business here is to give a bit of background on me and my current state of mind.
After getting my M.S. in Computer Science, I immediately started at Riverbed Technology (a computer networking company) and ended up staying there for seven years. Initially, I worked as a QA engineer in the Illinois satellite office, but by the end of my tenure, I was a lead UI developer in San Francisco. My time at Riverbed was immensely educational and extremely influential on my life, both professionally and personally.
In January of 2013, I decided to leave Riverbed to pursue my own interests, travel, volunteer, and take a respite from the corporate world. Without the daily details and pressures of a job looming over me, I hope to meet new people, broaden my horizons a bit, and perhaps gain some clarity while envisioning the next chapter of my life.
I hope for one of two possible outcomes moving forward. The primary outcome would be to work in a field or for an organization that serves a higher purpose than simply making money; for instance, sustainability, renewable energy, green initiatives, and education come to mind. The secondary outcome (which is not necessarily orthogonal) would be to work for a startup that I felt was unique and worthwhile.
While my current skillset and professional experience make me qualified as a software developer (and a UI developer at that), I'm currently evaluating whether I want to continue in that direction or perhaps branch out to something different. Technology has always been a large part of my life, so I anticipate it will play a significant part of whatever challenge I decide to tackle next.
The title of this blog - a combination of titles given to me by two different friends - incorporates my two new roles, which represent the two opposing forces that anyone on a sabbatical needs to delicately balance. On the one hand, you want to be productive and eager to learn new things, but on the other hand, you want to relax, slow down, and actually enjoy life. It's called "funemployment" for a reason.
This blog will serve three purposes:
- To archive what I do with my time
- To allow others to follow what I'm up to
- To offer me a creative/literary outlet
Well, there you have it. I'm not quite sure what direction this blog will go in, but I'll try to keep it updated regularly, hopefully with interesting stories, insightful musings, or valuable life lessons. The process thus far has been a bit terrifying but also very liberating.
Life's waiting to begin...
