Location: Galicia

I am back in Galicia after an amazing month working remotely in Cagliari, Sardinia. I had the pleasure of exploring several places in the area, including Alghero, and enjoyed a boat tour around the stunning calas on the east coast. I can definitely say that Sardinia has the best beaches in Europe, although I should probably plan another trip to Greece soon to triple-check that claim.

Summer has always been my favourite time of the year. I usually spend it in my hometown in Galicia, reconnecting with family and friends. It is when I feel most grounded and give myself permission to slow down.

I am also in the middle of a social media detox after spending a few months trying to promote Wanderpass, the travel app I am building, on Threads. I set myself the goal of growing my account to 1,000 followers mainly to experience firsthand how difficult distribution and marketing really are. Building products is only half the job. Learning how to get them in front of people is a skill I want to develop.

Work

I got promoted to Principal Engineer last June, which feels like a significant milestone. I started at Thoughtworks in 2014 as a graduate fresh out of university. Over the last twelve years, I have steadily increased my impact while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I wrote about the biggest lessons from that journey in this well-received Medium post.

Beyond that, I have been helping our clients modernize their data platforms so they can scale AI powered products and agents. I have also been experimenting with coding agents and how they are changing the software delivery lifecycle.

Making

These days, I am deliberately focusing on one side project at a time. In the past, my attention was scattered across several pet projects. Wanderpass has my full attention now.

Over the last month, I revamped the landing page and put more effort into distribution. The app is now approaching 50 users.

I am also working on bringing the app to native platforms and shipping the next major feature, which I hope will engage new users and increase engagement.

Thinking

This month, I want to spend some time reflecting on what I want next across different areas of my life. I feel like big changes are coming, so my intention for the month is simple. Slow down and reflect.

I like feeling that I have a say in how I design my lifestyle. Disconnecting life's autopilot from time to time gives me that sense of perspective and control.

I am also spending time planning my next travel adventures. It looks like I will be taking a month of unpaid leave in Q3 to explore Australia and Indonesia. I might even do another surf camp so I can finally improve my surfing.

Highlights of the month

Three things I really enjoyed this month:

• Kelsey's interview on his journey in tech really inspired me. He is a fantastic communicator, and his idea of "freedom tokens" and retiring early strongly resonated with my own belief in continuously striving for freedom.

• I have been enjoying the videos Sergio Hidalgo shares on his YouTube channel. As an aviation enthusiast, I find every one of them fascinating, especially this one about the Spanish fire brigade.

• This quote reminded me how important it is to seek serendipity by putting yourself out into the world and connecting with people, both online and offline.

  The older you get, the more you realize luck is just exposure. If you sit in the same chair, same routine, talking to the same people, nothing new happens. You have to touch the world to win. Travel more. Talk to strangers. Try a new coffee spot. Post on social media. Start a side hustle. The world rewards motion. You don't find opportunity sitting still.