If you want toreview last years recap/goals post, you can, but it isn’t necessary.
How did I do on my 2023 goals?
- I saw me weight jump as high as 193 in the stress of helping care for Randi’s dad in his final days, I am guessing that had a lot to do with the place he was living had a ton of access to candy and junk food. I would like to see that drop down to 175 again. I am going to accomplish this by the following.
- Run 5 miles with out walking 1 time thought out the year. I didn’t do this but I did some long hikes
- Continue using my timer between firsts and seconds for meals. I did this until I reached my goal of 175, then I went back to normal eating habits when it is just Randi and I, which is good enough to maintain weight
- My current blog is built using a piece of software I wrote that uses google drive to get articles from. This worked well, but was reasonably brittle.
- I was pretty close to journaling everyday in 2022, I would like to keep that going in 2023 and do Daily Stoic every day. Journaled every day and read/wrote about the daily stoic as we traveled.
- I would like to either get a remote job in 2023, or apply to grad school. I got a job working for Memfault as a designer. The job is based in Germany, but they seem comfortable with me traveling a bit
General recap of what happened in 2023
Starting the Year: Colorado and Early Travels
We started the year in Colorado with some car troubles.
We were lucky to experience a few counties Malta(part 2), Portugal, Turkey, Romania, Budapest, Macedonia, and Germany. We stayed in most of them for at least a month. At the begining of the trip I was doing some hard core detoxing. I meditated for large blocks of time, and trying to do the andrew hubermane perfect morning routine. It was hard socially but ultimately helpful.
Intellectual Pursuits: Chess and SICP
I focused some effort on getting better at Chess, and programming this year (I read and did exercises from first 1/3 of SICP)
International House Sitting: Life in Budapest
In 2022 we used Pet/House sitting for our road trip as a way to stay stationary a bit longer then normal. We did our first international house sit this year. It was a ~1.5 months in Budapest. I loved the dogs, but they were absolutely a handful. I started most days with a 2 hour walk that involved chilling at 3 dog parks. The Hungarians I got to talk to were very interesting. The independence of the country was relatively recent so some people had stories. It is also very well connected to the UK so the people who speak english speak it really well.
The Big Decision: Career vs. Education
I went back and forth about going to gradschool OR doing a new fulltime job. I decided on fulltime job, but it was really close to going to gradschool for AI. I also did a few small contracting jobs earlier in the year.
Digital and Physical Detox
I did detoxed from pop(soda) and YouTube for almost 2 months. During that time I meditated, journaled a bit more detailed then my normal. I also reset my sleep pattern by waking up before the sun every day and going outside so I caught the first rays of sun as they went over the horizon.
Community and Connection: Making Friends Abroad
In 2023 I got better at making friends as we travel. I realized doing activities that have a forced communication piece is key. BJJ as an example was very fruitful for me. But I also put myself out there on couch surfing and had pretty good success.
The Pressure of “Not Enough”
The feeling of “not being enough” hit really hard being retired. There was a near constant self imposed pressure that I wasn’t learning enough of the languages of the places we traveled to. I wasn’t making enough friends and learning enough about the local cultures. I wasn’t spending enough time learning programming, or meditation. Even in my games I wasn’t advancing as far as I would like, or being as impressive as those I saw online.
The Career Pivot: Joining Memfault
The middle of the year brought a major shift from retirement back into the workforce. After weighing grad school for AI, I accepted the role of Founding Designer at Memfault. The interview process was intense—culminating in a 4-hour final round on my birthday—but the excitement of joining such a smart, capable team outweighed the nerves.
In August, I flew to NYC for a team offsite. It was a high-energy, exhausting introduction to the company, followed by a brutal travel day back to Europe where I learned firsthand the cost of “persisting through the discomfort” of long-haul flights. This period was also marked by my first deep dive into Factorio, reaching space and hitting an organizational wall that felt oddly similar to refactoring code.
The Move to Berlin and the Blue Card Battle
The fall was dominated by the logistics of moving to Berlin. We navigated the “Red Tape” of German bureaucracy, from the elusive Anmeldung to the high-stakes Blue Card appointment. There were moments of genuine fear about being deported or failing to secure a future for us in Germany, but finally receiving the Blue Card approval was a massive weight off our shoulders.
Living in Berlin has been an adjustment. I’ve started working from the office, finding that the social engagement and “office banter” significantly boost my productivity (or at least keep me off YouTube). We’ve explored the city—from the “Festival of Lights” to local Christmas markets—and started building a life that feels more “original” than our nomad days.
BJJ: A New Physical Challenge
I started Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) in Skopje Macedonia and continued it in Berlin. It’s been a lesson in “conscious incompetency.” I’ve dealt with rib pain and knee injuries that forced me to practice patience and recovery—traits I’m still developing. The morning BJJ crew in Berlin has become a core part of my routine, providing a physical counterbalance to the mental load of work.
Reflections on Growth and Relationships
This year has tested my relationship with Randi as we navigated the stresses of the move, her own intense German language studies (she finished A2.1!), and the transition from spending 24/7 together to a more “normal” work-life balance. We’ve had our “Practicable Moments,” working through tensions and rediscovering how to be a team in a stationary life.
My Stoic practice has been a constant through the year. I’ve moved from the goal of “reaching FIRE” to “living a good life now,” realizing that “my actual needs are small” and that the act of “rescue” starts with my own daily choices.
My Brother in Law got married.
Related posts from 2023
https://tymerry.com/blog/2023-favorite-movies-and-tv https://tymerry.com/chess
2024 Goals
- Get better at chess.
- Work through SICP
- Stay consistent with BJJ and avoid major injuries.
- Secure more permanent housing in Berlin.
- Continue the “Founding Designer” push at Memfault, focusing on deliverables and scaling the design system.