At the end of 2022 I decided to take a sabbatical. 

I wanted time for myself, with no responsibilities, to explore my own mind, the world, to reflect on the last 37 years on earth and to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life. My friends say it’s not a sabbatical when you don’t have a plan for returning, it’s called early retirement. Call it what you want, I’m on a break from any formal work right now and my days are filled with the following:

• Sleep. Minimum of 8 hours a night, naps whenever I need to. Never waking up with an alarm clock.
• Time with my mind: I take a cold shower, meditate and journal every day. I’m also reading a lot – books on AI, the brain, happiness, purpose and meaning.
• Training: I started doing crossfit last year and although I’m still a beginner, I’m having so much fun doing it. Also lots of yoga, running and cycling (I bought myself a new gravel bike and it’s by far one of the best investments I ever made).
• Crypto: I’ve been spending a lot of time learning about crypto and understanding it better. I believe 2024/2025 will be huge years for crypto and positioning yourself correctly now, will lead to massive returns in the years to come.
• Writing. I’m writing a lot, reflecting on life and also starting this website again.
• Spanish: I’ve been living in Barcelona for almost 2 years now and my Spanish is still not great, so I’m spending time learning the language and doing in-person classes every day.
• Meeting new people. I’m new in a foreign country/city, so I’m trying to meet as many people as possible. This is by far the most challenging thing to do, for various reasons, but it’s a big priority.
• Travel. Since my sabbatical started, I’ve been to South Africa, Scotland, did a 10 day silent meditation retreat in India, explored Europe (Netherlands, France, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia), Southeast Asia (Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand) and traveled extensively in Spain. Although I love the idea of being a nomad, I realized that I still want a base where I can spend most of my time (and that’s in Barcelona at the moment).
• I’m also working on one of my biggest dreams: to be a dad. While the process is unfolding, I decided to get my first dog, a black mini-Schnauzer puppy named Bobby. It’s been such a treat spending time with him, learning from him and exploring the world together.

For someone who’s been working and hustling all my life, it’s been a challenge to step back and not feel guilty about not doing anything “productive”. But these things are keeping me busy (really busy) and they are all contributing to me figuring out who I am and what I want to do next.