Big Decisions: First Thoughts on NYC

As some of you likely know, I've finally finished my travels, landed in New York, and begun the final step in my transition to whatever's next. I've been in New York for the last week, and I feel like I've gotten a good early impression about the tech scene here, life in NYC as a young adult, and what it would mean to be back "home". So here goes, my first thoughts on the big apple, the closest thing I have to a home, New York City.

The Traveler's Curse

Whether it was the time I lived in a bookshop in Paris or when I saw the sun rise over Africa after climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the stories I tell often give people the impression that my life over the last few years has been nothing but joy and excitement. And while the excitement bit may be true, as any experienced traveler will tell you, the journey has its own hardships that most people (myself included) don't tend to realize until they've done it. When I get that look in my eyes of longing for a place to settle down, even for just a year or two, I have a hard time expressing why such a concept is important to me at this point in my life. But recently a friend sent me a story he found online that I feel sums up these experiences really well. So, for your reading pleasure...

Big Decisions: First Thoughts on Nairobi

As some of you know, I'm currently in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, to investigate potential job opportunities and the prospect of moving here for a significant amount of time. It's only been four days since I arrived (out of a total of two weeks), so my impressions are still being formed, but for now, here are a few of my early observations.

Making the "Right Choice"

The start of September marks the end of my summer of respite, and as a result, the beginning of my job search in earnest. I have lots of potential roads ahead of me: moving back to the developing world and establishing myself as a technology expert there, joining a more conventional small tech company in Silicon Valley or New York, going back to one of the big hitters like Google, or something entirely different. And so, for the last few weeks, I've had the question on my mind: How will I know if the choice I make is the right one?

Looking Back on a Year at Cambridge

Saying goodbye to my father
before departing for Cambridge.

I'll never forget the trip I took from my family's home in Arizona late last September. I set off for England to start my master's degree at Trinity College in the University of Cambridge. I had just finished a whirlwind trip around the US after 14 months of travel; I was sleep deprived, whiplashed by the sudden life changes, and apprehensive to be moving to another country again. I remember the bus ride from Heathrow to Cambridge. I hadn't slept in nearly two days, and crazy thoughts were ricocheting off my skull. Was I making the right decision? Was Cambridge the right place for me? Would I even be able to stay in one place for nine months? Well here we are, nine months later, and finally, I can answer those questions with certainty.

Living without Regret

There was an excellent article published in The New York Times the other day that resonated with me deeply. It doesn't take long to understand why – the article begins with the following passage:

At 17, I wrote a speech titled, “When You Come to the End of Your Days, Will You Be Able to Write Your Own Epitaph?” It reflected the approach to life I adopted after my mother’s untimely death from cancer at age 49. I chose to live each day as if it could be my last — but with a watchful eye on the future in case it wasn’t. 

My goal was, and still is, to die without regrets.

Reflecting on Three Years of Travel

Oxford, just after I arrived in 2009.

Three years ago today, I landed in England for the first time with my suitcases and a stomach full of fear and apprehension. I had never traveled on my own before, never been to Europe, never lived abroad, nothing. I remember getting off the plane and wandering around Heathrow as anxiety welled up within me. My phone wasn't working despite the preparations I'd made beforehand. I didn't know how to get to the tube stop where I'd be meeting my cousin who had been living in London. What was the difference between the rail and the underground anyway? I called my father from a pay phone in a panic. He didn't pick up. Neither did my aunt. I was stuck. I was alone. But though I didn't realize it at the time, this feeling of discomfort, of anxiety, would soon become an addiction.

How I Spent My Gap Year

Greetings, friends, family, and other readers. I'm going to be totally cliché and begin this post with an apology for not updating in months. I recently finished my first term at Cambridge, and after moving around so much last year, it was a  relief to be able to stay in one place for more than a couple weeks. The classes I took were generally interesting and challenging, the people I met absolutely extraordinary, and the Oxbridge culture just as decadent as I remembered. But that's not what I really wanted to write about today. A few weeks back, I visited some former colleagues at the Google office in London, and heard really encouraging news about the project I used to work on. Since it was secret and un-launched for my entire time at Google, I never really got to talk about what I was up to, but now I can!