by Nick
Posted on May 3, 2024 at 10:40 PM
My goal with this blog is to capture what I am working on for my own benefit and for anyone else that may be interested. I've had some pretty unique experiences and think that my struggles may be helpful to others. I have gone from growing up in a small town in Texas to traveling the country working on pipeline projects, to college in Ohio, to working engineering roles, to who knows what else the future may hold. I have made many mistakes and learned countless lessons along the way. I hope to be as forthcoming as possible with these things and hope that someone finds it valuable.
Second, writing is therapeutic for me. I love the idea that I can communicate my feelings and perspectives in a way where others can experience them. Additionally with a web based blog there is the opportunity to use other media types such as photos or video to better tell a story. I guess that you could technically do the same thing with social media but to me the short form feels too rushed and artificial. Almost like there are a few million people standing in a crowded room fighting for each other's attention. That isn't really what I am hoping to do. I hope this is an opportunity to convey my authentic self in a way that is more nuanced and less narcissistic than what I think is typical of a social media post.
Writing out my thoughts helps me to be consistent, measured, and intentional. I tend to be pretty rushed and impulsive and potentially frantic if I'm not careful. I like the opportunity for customizable organization in formatting that a blog allows forl. I can basically structure this in any way that I think is appropriate. I can see this becoming a sort of assembly of project notes and progress, notes on things that I come across that I think are interesting or valuable, trip and travel pictures and documentation, productivity and accountability, and anything else I want to share.
As I mentioned, I am not much of a fan of social media. I have honestly resisted doing this for a while because I feel that it is too self-aggrandizing. That is not my intent. I feel that I have silenced my thoughts and perspectives for much of my adult life. I have done what I needed to do and feel like I am finally in a place where I am comfortable enough with myself that I don't need to do that anymore. I have learned the skills to navigate almost any situation and put myself in enough uncomfortable situations and survived that I feel like there is very little that I can't do. I want everyone to feel that way and hopefully I can communicate the things that have helped me get here.
Lastly, one of the cool things about the internet is that this has the potential to exist forever. This is something that is very interesting to me. Even after I am dead and gone I am hoping that this will still be around for anyone that is curious about what I was thinking about and what my life was like.