Extended Vacation (Aug 2024 - Aug 2026)
I took a much longer break from work because I had worked and saved up enough between college and university up until August 2024 to take a break and focus on family and personal matters. There was also a lot that I felt like I had missed out on not taking longer breaks away from work to overall distance from and experience outside of the tech field in general. This would allow me to return to work completely refreshed, socially fulfilled, and ready for more technical challenges.
Reconnecting with family and friends
I had been working a lot at Stack Overflow and a personal project that I did not see family or friends as much as I would have liked to, so I spent plenty of time catching up and being with loved ones.
Connecting with my city and community
I had lived in Seattle for many years but had not engaged with the wider community more, so I spent time at parks, libraries, and 3rd spaces meeting many new people and making lots of new connections. I also was able to help house people in need and give back by offering my cooking skills for a small community food prep event around 2-3 times a month.