Moving to the Bay Area

In early 2020, I made the move to the Bay Area with the assistance of a moving stipend from Google. Initially, I lived in Sunnyvale, near the Google Cloud campus. I enjoyed the autonomy that came with living there, but being hours away from anyone became isolating. After three months, which was the maximum duration Google would cover for corporate housing, I decided to relocate to San Francisco, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to impact the world.

Moving to San Francisco and COVID

I moved into a house in the Mission neighborhood with three roommates, including my younger cousin Drew, as well as Chris and Tarek. We quickly formed a strong bond during the months we spent together in lockdown. Despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19, I adapted well to living in a new city because everyone else was also confined to their homes. Maintaining long-distance communication with old friends became easier, and my girlfriend Maggie joined me in San Francisco, living just a few blocks away in the Castro neighborhood. Having her by my side made the transition and life during this time much more enjoyable.

I lived with these roommates for two years, appreciating the youthful energy they brought into my daily routine. However, by August 2022, I felt the need for more privacy and moved out. I truly loved the Mission neighborhood.

The Richmond and Maggie

In August 2022, my girlfriend Maggie, our beloved dog Winnie (a delightful border collie), and I embarked on a new chapter in our lives as we moved into our current home in the picturesque Richmond neighborhood, nestled close to Clement Street. This area turned out to be the perfect location for us, offering a unique blend of tranquility and urban convenience. With Golden Gate Park and the majestic Presidio nearby, we found ourselves surrounded by natural beauty, providing endless opportunities for leisurely strolls and outdoor adventures.

One of our favorite pastimes is exploring the vibrant streets of San Francisco together, hand in hand, with Winnie happily trotting alongside us. We relish the simple joy of taking long walks, embracing the city's captivating energy, and uncovering hidden gems in its diverse neighborhoods. We mostly enjoy venturing across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge into the serene landscapes of Marin County, where we can immerse ourselves in nature and indulge in breathtaking hikes and stop by some of our favorite restauraunts (Sol Food and Flour Craft Bakery) while we're there.

Traveling has always been an integral part of our lives, as we both possess an insatiable wanderlust and a shared desire to explore the world together. Whether it's a weekend getaway to the enchanting coastal towns of Northern California or embarking on international adventures to far-flung destinations, we find immense fulfillment in broadening our horizons, embracing diverse cultures, and creating unforgettable memories.

In my free time, I am constantly driven by an insatiable curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. I find immense satisfaction in tinkering with new technologies, diving into the depths of emerging fields, and expanding my skill set. From programming languages and software development to cutting-edge innovations in artificial intelligence and machine learning, I actively seek out opportunities to challenge myself and delve into the frontiers of technology. Whether it's experimenting with building blockchain wallets from scratch, building demo projects for friends with ambitious "what-if" ideas, or immersing myself in online courses and tutorials, I relish the process of learning and honing my skills. This continuous quest for knowledge fuels my personal and professional growth, empowering me to stay at the forefront of the ever-evolving tech landscape.

I also enjoy learning about tech business and self-improvement as well. In my time off between jobs I've embarked on a data analytics journey where I catalog what I worked on every day, what media I consumed every day, and the activities I filled my time with. I score each day between a -2 and a +2 and cross-reference how I filled my time with how fullfilled I was in that activity. It has given me a much greater appreciation for how important spending time satifying my curiosities are, but also spending increasiong amounts ot time with friends and family as well.

Overall, life in the Richmond with Maggie and our adventurous pup Winnie has been an immensely rewarding experience. Whether we are relishing the scenic beauty of San Francisco and Marin County, embarking on exciting journeys around the globe, or delving into the intricacies of new technologies, our lives are enriched by the joy of shared experiences and the pursuit of personal growth. As we continue on this journey together, we eagerly embrace the possibilities that await us in the next chapter of our lives.

The Coder School

Key Technologies

• Scratch
• Python

Description

In my free time while I'm not working on my bootcamps, I've been spending time teaching kids age 9 - 15 how to code at the Coder School. I believe that it's incredibly important to pass along knowledge, and I couldn't think of a better way to do that than spending time with kids and hopefully teaching them about how wonderful and powerful the ability to code can be.

Typically students will start with Scratch, a drag-and-drop no-code platform built by MIT that I've found to be an incredibly engaging way to teach children the core concepts of beginner computer programming, such as variables, loops, and objects. I'll typically have the kids build games or stories for themselves and their friends. We can usually finish the projects in an hour or so; they aren't too complicated. Most of the time, I focus on ensuring that the students are enjoying themselves and having a positive experience with computer programming. Some of our favorite projects to build are a competitive game of Snake, Galaga remakes, Pong, and Dodgeball (yes, I have a soft spot for old video games).

As the students get a bit older, we transition them to learning Python. In most cases, the barrier for a student to move from Scratch is not actually their understanding of programming, rather, it's the student's ability to type that is the main barrier. I find that concepts are also usually pretty easy to teach to students; they intuitively understand the need for conditional statements, variables, and even functions. Syntax, however, can become a significant issue, which is why Python is so great with its minimal syntax (tabs and spaces are very difficult for them to understand though). We start with learning about data types and variables, aggregate data types like lists and dictionaries, then we move to conditionals, while loops, for loops, and functions in that order. I've found you can really get quite far with just these core concepts, building projects like a game of Hangman, memory matching games, slot machines, and choose-your-own-adventure text-based games.

We typically don't ever get past this point, but the next concepts I start to teach are classes and object-oriented programming. Python offers a great interface for teaching these concepts in particular because every core data type in Python is implemented as a class under the hood, providing many great examples to draw from in teaching. My favorite projects to do with students doing OOP are building a deck of cards with multiple different games to play with them, and simulating Pokemon battles.

Proposal, Wedding Planning, and Getting Married

After nearly two years living together in the Richmond in San Francisco, I proposed to Maggie in early August of 2024. She said yes, and that was the happiest I've ever been. We're planning to be married outside of San Luis Obispo on September 20, 2025. Until then we will be hard at work planning the best party California has ever seen!