The Column
TL;DR - this may be my last post for a bit, then when I do start up again, everything will look different and my ~1.5/month cadence will probably slow down some for a while.
Someday I’ll…
I’m not sure what’s inspired everything below. Perhaps it’s the “hard” effects of 75 Hard. Perhaps it’s turning 36 soon. Perhaps it’s the cumulative pent up “some day I’ll ____” which have finally achieved activation energy. Maybe it’s all of the above. Maybe it’s the input and support from my friends who’ve inspired me to just do the thing. Thanks guys.
I’m Going to Master Something
I was just accepted into a Masters in Data Science program at a local college1. I’m going back to school. This ends the decade of:
Someday I’ll get a Masters Degree
The current plan has me both starting and ending in 2025… but that may change. I’m pumped to finally have the excuse I need to do some cool stuff outside my data comfort zone. Also I’m pumped to put into practice my much more highly refined notetaking and general productivity capabilities. Going back to school with actual questions and implicit desire to learn specific things will be sweet. Now I am learning for the sake of doing, not learning for the sake of someday having a job.
Coming Site Changes
In anticipation of my free time quickly going away again, I’ve been inspired to do another thing that’s been on my list:
Someday I’ll rebuild my website
This website as it has existed for the past 5 years as a fork of a pre-existing blog template hosted using the Jekyll blogging framework. Jekyll is written in Ruby. I don’t know Ruby. Clearly this works, but I’ve always had quibbles and annoyances with it, and I can’t fix them easily cause I can’t get under the hood. My next blog will be NodeJS+TypeScript-based, and will enable me to do my writing in Obsidian. Obsidian has really started to become my go-to app for nearly everything.
Ramifications
This is my last intended post on this version of the website. I’m planning to migrate all my posts and do some surgery on things. This may take time. Things will look different soon.
Art.
Art is going to be more prominent in my life.
Someday I’ll get another tattoo
I’ve never regretted getting my first one. I’ve wanted to get another for the past 15 years. For the past 5 years what that will be has been stable. It’s happening.
Art Part 2
Most importantly of all, I finally executed on a long-held desire to draw a particular thing.
Someday I’ll draw that thing I keep picturing
That day was today.
I drew the giraffe doing curls because I’ve never seen a giraffe curl before, and to be honest with you, I wanted to see a giraffe curl.
The Jacked Giraffe (let’s call him Jack) is my new spirit animal2.
…also, no, that’s not the tattoo.
Top 5: Things that are My Jam
5. Ice
I recently started using ice in my water at home. Game changer. I carry a giant insulated bottle around, and now the contents of said bottle are literally ice cold. Makes drinking way more refreshing. If “water” sounds boring to you, “ice cold water” can help. Ice is my jam.
4. Exercise
75 Hard has us doing 2-a-day exercise. That’s overkill in the long run, but I’ll be honest it sort of rocks. I’m never far away from the endorphin rush that comes from moving my body. I’ve been pretty dedicated to exercise for well over a decade now. I can truly say it’s my jam.
3. Geocaching
We have recently picked up geocaching. It’s essentially just treasure hunting. Puzzles and hiking and stuff. It’s my jam.
2. The Bullet Journal Method (book)
I’m re-reading the book “The Bullet Journal Method”. Even though I have no bullet journal annd essentially don’t do the “BuJo” system - I couldn’t recommend reading this book more. It’s 100% my jam. If I weren’t so digital-first, I’d absolutely be the guy who carries around a book and writes all the time.
1. Walking
It turns out walking is definitely my jam. I like to take 2-to-4 mile walks around my neighborhood, ideally NOT partaking in any form of content from my phone while doing it. I struggled deeply for years to incorporate any form of cardiovascular training into my fitness regiment. It turns out once I lowered the bar for what constituted cardio I realized the bar wasn’t actually that low, and I was successfully clearing it all the time, rather than never actually making it over the high bar (i.e. going out to do sprints). Long walks are perhaps going to be the best thing that happened from 75 Hard.
Quote:
I also just read your column it was a really good one although I still hate you and you suck but good column Nick