And here we are. I'm SO stoked. You're the best!

hobbies

• Winter camping alone in yurts.
• Tinkering with electronics.
• Experimenting with charcoal grilling and sous vide cooking. Sometimes both at the same time.
• Collecting stationery, and writing with fountain pens.
• Photography, in particular, finding abstract, romantic undertones within nature.
• Overcomplicating the process of coffee making.
• Loving.

career

I did my undergrad in aerospace engineering, with focus in avionics and systems. Worked a bit in the industry on the Joint Strike Fighter program, bla bla bla, faced my own moral dilemmas, etc...

But mostly, then got pressured to research for a professor, which was not really planned. Thus, I changed gears into a masters program in mechanical engineering. Effectively mechatronics. Designing robotics for gait rehabilitation of stroke patients. My thesis deals with fall-prevention devices for elderly.

My grad life is pretty different than most, I get pulled into contract work on the side with larger firms and startups, especially when research / contracts are going poorly and someone is needed to figure things out.

In my spare time I wrangle undergraduate students, mark depressing assignments, and write engineering course material which I tweak to make as engaging as possible.

travel highlights

• Recent highlight from my trip to Croatia:

There is a photo of me taken somewhere at a gas station. I had just stepped on a sea urchin in a town called Trogir. I limped across the coast until an Australian lady gave me an old needle, which she sterilized using a lighter, to pull it out of my foot.

Earlier that morning I decided to rent a scooter and begin a drive 3 hours towards a mountain called Mount Biokovo, to watch the sunset in the evening. The mountain overlooks Italy across the Adriatic. Turned out the route involved the Croatian highway, and my 50 cc scooter took 5 hours (consecutive) to reach there. The aforementioned picture was taken in the middle of that journey, after stepping on the sea urchin.

Never quite made it to the top of the mountain, but rode through it. Watched the sunset and felt incredibly alive and free. It was an intersecting moment of stupidity, and pure bliss.

travel plans

Iceland, because of Walter Mitty, and everywhere else.

I travelled heavily as a child, and I'm slowly working my way to re-experiencing each place again.

any charitable work or gestures

I once purchased a parking day pass, and it just so happened that my work was completed early (as I'm just that efficient). So I left the parking pass inside of the parking machine.

As I approached my car, from the corner of my eye, I saw a large gust of wind swiftly carry the piece of paper across the parking lot. But it is the thought that counts. This was a charitable highlight.

typical hanging out activities

• Engaging discussions about life and happenings.
• Exploring environments and observing behaviors.
• Finding the best pistachio ice cream in town.

favorite type(s) of alcohol

I have only consumed alcohol twice in my life, as a form of experimentation and documentation of the overall process.

My drugs of choice are Coke Zero and espresso (separately). I enjoy various teas, and Turkish coffee. I also enjoy Cup-a-Soup of the Cream of Chicken flavor.

unusual skills

• Acquascaping.
• Wiggling my ears.
• (Unusual hobby) Collecting niche fragrances that only I seem to enjoy.
• Starting journals and logbooks and only getting a few pages in.

a couple of unique observations you've made about the world around you

• You can access a hidden menu in most vending machines by pressing a specific combination of buttons.
• Excess happiness promotes a form of sensory fatigue and can lead to a lack of motivation. A melancholic approach to life is perhaps necessary to remain driven. Theory to be substantiated later.