Change is weird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve never liked the question \u201dWhere do you see yourself in 5 years?\u201d First of all, I don\u2019t even know where I see myself later today, making and sticking to plans is way too hard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a more serious note, \u201cthe future\u201d is wildly unpredictable. Be it 5 years, 1 year, or even a few months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5 years ago I was finishing up college in Charlotte, NC. I wasn\u2019t 100% sure of my desired career field, but I felt strongly about game development and AI\/robotics. My only experience with a pandemic was playing the board game with friends. I\u2019m now living and loving life in Brooklyn, working as a data analyst for an e-commerce company, and the pandemic has definitely changed my outlook on life and public health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year, I was certain that I would only work my current job long enough to find a new one, but over time grew to appreciate my position and created tools used daily company-wide. I had a stable group of friends that I\u2019d known for years that I would regularly hang out with, but that group has largely disbanded and moved on. I\u2019ve since made new friends and, while still early on, they\u2019ve been great people and I feel welcomed and appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even just over the last few months it seems my day-to-day has shifted (for the better luckily). I\u2019m spending less time on the internet and more time exercising and focusing on other hobbies. I\u2019ve finally been able to make a sizable dent in my backlog of movies and shows and I\u2019ve started playing guitar again — as much as my fingers hate me for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think the main reason for my behavioral shift has been corporate greed reducing the usability of the internet for me. Be it the Reddit API changes and their new aggressive stance towards 3rd-party apps and services, Netflix\u2019s new policies on \u201caccount sharing\u201d asking users to pay significantly more for the experience they\u2019re used to or Twitter\u2019s\u2026everything. I now see the benefits of decentralized websites, and I have begun to spend more time in smaller, tighter-knit communities<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This has mostly been a mindless, stream-of-consciousness ramble just so I could say I wrote something to post on my website, but putting it in writing has really given me a more clear perspective on how I feel. I like the idea of having goals and long-term plans, but the way I\u2019ve lived my life I believe having more vague concepts of my ideal situation works better. That way it\u2019s easier for me to adjust to whatever happens and still maintain the same momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regardless of where life takes me next, I\u2019m ready to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-K<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Bonus Reading:<\/p>\n\n\n\n