A quick time-travel

Here I write about what's on my mind right now. The idea

This must be the first time I'm writing an update at the airport. In a few minutes we'll be taking off and flying to Santiago. Costa Rica was a short stop on our journey and we didn't originally plan to stay here for long. Good thing we changed our minds. Even just the bus ride from the Nicaraguan border to Liberia felt like a breath of fresh air. The so-called chicken buses that connect the cities in Nicaragua were always a test of patience for me. Not only because the buses were designed for children and not adults, but also because of the security of our luggage. Every time someone could have helped themselves to it and we probably wouldn't have noticed. On top of that, it turned out that people at the bus stations always lie to you first and try to cheat you. That gets on your nerves over time, and even when someone tells the truth, you're still skeptical. To quote my partner: "It leaves a bad taste."

So we spent a little less time in Nicaragua than originally planned and enjoyed these days in Costa Rica instead. Of course it wasn't all doom and gloom. In Nicaragua we sledded down a volcano, visited sunken colonial towns, enjoyed the beauty of the volcano on Ometepe and its panoramic views, went to a beach party in Popoyo for the first time in several years, and went surfing. There was a bit of everything. My highlight in Nicaragua was the island of Ometepe. Exploring the island by scooter, the view of the volcano while lying on the beach, and the panoramic vistas were the reasons I would have liked to stay longer.

Time flies, however, and so we crossed the border into Costa Rica on foot. In La Fortuna we made our first stop to see the Rio Celeste – a river that changes color from brown to light blue at a fork. There are also a particularly large number of sloth tours in the area. We learned a lot about the animals and saw plenty of sloths. What surprised me the most was that sloths can attack very quickly. They are actually very capable of acting fast, which surprises not only people who approach them but also predators. You really don't want to get hit by their claws. Sloths are their own ecosystem, carrying bacteria that can do you serious harm within just a few days. But they do look super cute. :D

In Cahuita, our second stop in Costa Rica, we were able to unwind just like in Popoyo. The accommodation was simply fantastic. We could put our feet up and truly relax. The weather also cooperated. We spent most of our time in the national parks in the area. Various species of monkeys and raccoons roam around there. The locals refer to the raccoons as a gang, since tourists get relieved of something by the gang in the national park every day. They almost snatched a small bag from us too – but only almost. ;)

Boarding is about to begin. By the next update we'll probably already be in Patagonia.

...Time jump....

Well here I am now, sitting on the cold floor of the Los Angeles bus terminal, next to the only working power outlet. 27 days have gone by and we are already in Argentina. Chile was, in short: amazing. We visited La Serena in the north of Chile, because my significant other used to study there eleven years ago. Together we relived her favorite memories: drinking cheap wine, eating completo, meeting with ex-roommates and strolling through her old university. The town is also a great place for a beach vacation. We often spent our evenings relaxing on the beach. I really loved the climate in La Serena. While temperatures in Central America can stay hot throughout the night, it got nicely cool in La Serena. Personally though, the desert vibes of the surrounding area aren't a reason for me to come back. There aren't any nice mountains to hike on.

Next on our list was a short stop in Chillán where we both could meet old friends. Sarah reconnected with a friend she made through couchsurfing and I with an ex-Thoughtworker I had met in India in my first weeks at the company. We had a great day together and many stories to share. Although the time was wonderful, we had to move on to Puerto Montt where our ferry was waiting for the next big highlight of the journey: PATAGONIA!!!

We arrived in El Chaitén via the ferry from Puerto Montt and used our thumbs to travel to the trailheads from day one. North and south of the town are different trails that are worth the visit, although I preferred the volcano hike over the glacier mirador trail. I'm still reluctant about hitchhiking, but after several successful episodes covering distances of more than 100 km I have to agree it works – even if I do so grinding my teeth. Even in Chile Chico, where there seem to be no hikers, a family picked us up and spent the day with us. Not gonna lie, the people from Chile are truly awesome. They are as friendly and open as Canadians and even more supportive.

We are a bit sad we skipped Puerto Guadal after staying a few days in Puerto Río Tranquilo, as the sights we saw from the bus kept us wishing we could stay longer in the area. The mountains are just that captivating. Our next stop will be El Chaltén and then El Calafate, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas and then Ushuaia. We had considered traveling back on the Chilean side to see Puerto Guadal one more time, but after our research today that won't be possible given the time we have left in South America. Our current plan is to fly from Ushuaia up to Buenos Aires to save as much time as we can.

That's it for now. :) I'll probably have time to write again in Brazil.

📚🎧 What I'm currently reading

Staff Engineer: Leadership beyond the management track

I'm almost done with the book and would recommend it to anyone looking to take the next step in their career from a senior position. Not only do you learn what the path looks like to reach the Staff Engineer and Staff Engineer Plus level, but also what to expect once you get there. The chapter on communicating with the C-level helped me reflect on my experiences in Canada. I realized I had never thought about what style my contact with the C-level had. I think you should start with this book and then follow it up with Mesut Ayata's book "Three Pillars of Technical Leadership." I'm still missing examples for the other archetypes mentioned in the book: the PoC Pilot and the Architect. Next up for me is Level Up as Tech Lead so I can compare it with Mesut Ayata's book.

The Expanse Book 1

I need to read something other than career books and blog posts about AI. Both induce too much anxiety about my professional future. I watched the TV series and loved it but was wary of the books. I gave it a try and the first few pages have already hooked me. Now I want to know how Fred got converted to the OPA.

🎮 Video Games

The King is Watching

The downside of a Steam Deck is unfortunately that after two hours you're staring at a black screen with a dead battery. So I try to reduce power consumption mainly through my choice of games. Right now I'm still drawn to the grind in "The King is Watching," where I've now unlocked everything and am getting into the late game. I think I've reached the end of the road there though. I'm still standing in front of the mountain of content that Rogue Trader has to offer. Probably time I start climbing that mountain.