On Our Online Lives
For as long as I can remember I've resisted the urge to put my life on the internet. I signed up with Facebook just about six years ago, when I was a freshman in college. Back then I delayed signing up while nearly every other college student was signing up. Then when the Twitter craze hit I resisted even more adamantly, deciding that I already spent too much time hunched over a computer or phone.
I subscribe to TechCrunch, a very busy tech blog whose posts I read about 5% of the time, and a recent post inspired me to reconsider my aversion to the online life that so many of my friends have embraced. The post talks about quitting social media, and in the process of reading I realized how much value there is in social media. Today I'm announcing that I will start blogging again, will start using Twitter, and have connected all of these social services together (along with Yelp, TripIt, and others). I know, you can't believe that this blog--idle for just about two years now--will come back. To be honest I've missed writing and am genuinely excited to return to it. Hopefully you feel the same way. And maybe you're wondering what's behind this sudden urge to catch up with the times ...
It all started at the Hadoop Summit this June, where 1000 Hadoop community members got together to chat and listen to relevant talks. Cloudera's product manager, Charles Zedlewski, was giving a keynote announcing the cool new products Cloudera had been working on. All of my coworkers were constantly checking their Twitter searches to see what people were saying on #hadoopsummit, whilst freaking out about the live demo's progress. I was completely intrigued with the real-time aspect of tweeting in this context. I was amazed to see, immediately, how the community reacted to our product announcement.
From that point on I decided that I like to share two types of information: information interesting to one person; and information interesting to an unknown group of people. In the case of the former I'll send a SMS, email, or Facebook wall post to the person or group that would be interested in said information. However, previously I had no good way to communicate the latter case. Twitter and Facebook let us share information with others in such a way that lets the audience decide what to read, watch, or listen to. And I think that's pretty neat.
So wish me luck with my new internet life. May it be valuable to you, the audience, and a learning experience for me.
In other news I've moved my site to alexlod.com (proper redirects are in place), and added a brand new theme. Oh and I'll never do 4square. At least not yet 
.
So Much For Secrets
I've been keeping my lips zipped about what I've been doing in San Francisco, but today VentureBeat broke the story. I'm doing engineering work at Cloudera, a Hadoop-based cloud computing company.
It's super exciting to be at a small startup, working on a relatively new and innovative product. I'm excited to be a part of the Cloudera team 
.
San Francisco
I'm settled in San Francisco! I arrived Saturday evening after a six-hour drive from Los Angeles. The drive wasn't bad at all; I had the stereo blasting, singing along like there was no tomorrow.
Eric, Eric's friend, Nick, and I took it easy Saturday evening in preparation for a long Sunday. In summary, Sunday consisted of a trip to IKEA, the assembling of furniture, a visit to Matt, and dinner with Sierra. It was a rather eventful day.
Eric and I are living in the Castro Haight, which seems to be an awesome neighborhood, though I haven't had much time to explore yet. My first impression of San Francisco is that it's an awesome town, with plenty to see and do. What's exciting me the most now, though, is my settlement in one place for an extended period of time. I've mentioned before how drained I have been from hopping around Europe, Los Angeles, Cape Cod, and China; I am so, so happy to be staying in one place for a long time -- to not have to pack and unpack my life.
Hello, San Francisco, you have much exploring to be host to.
San Francisco-Bound
There's been a change of plans! I'm flying back to Los Angeles on September 21st, only to be leaving a few days later to move to San Francisco, permanently.
A few factors have influenced this decision, the leading factor being visa complications along with a few other things.
I'm sad to be leaving Shanghai after just a month, but I'm insanely excited to be moving to San Francisco. After over four years, I am finally returning to California, the land of milk and hunny, my adolescent stomping ground, my home. I'm a short drive to Los Angeles, a short drive to some surf, a short drive to Tahoe snowmobiling, a short drive to Mammoth snowboarding, a short drive to canyoneering, a short drive to river rafting, and a short drive to all the other adventures that I've had in this wonderful state. Mmmmmmm.
I've even considered turning into a wilderness man with a scruffy beard and long hair, though I've retired the idea for now. Instead I decided to post some photos of great California memories.
California, here I come!!!
Goodbye, Redfin
This past Friday was my last day at Redfin. Sometimes I wonder why I'm leaving such a wonderful company, but I think I've made the right decision. I had a really hard time saying goodbye to all my awesome coworkers, and my insane happy-hour-turned-to-long-night-of-drinking made things even more difficult.
It's going to be hard to find a company that is filled with such wonderful people and work. Goodbye, Redfin. I miss you already 
.
Sushi after a long day's work.
McGarty Party.
Sign conversations. I'm good at drawing.
Loki, one of the many Redfin doggies.
UW CSE affiliates day. Also Halloween.
Yay IT Party.
Me and Mose.
Bahn. Look at the dude on the right!
Scientists.
I Don’t Regret Coming to Seattle
Here I am, on a small, turbulent, propeller-driven plane, flying to Tahoe/Mammoth to snowmobile with my Dad and close family friend. I'm returning to the state that I've always called home – that I've always talked so highly of. It was Robert, a classmate and friend of mine, who motivated me to write this post. He and I were catching a quick sandwich before a long night in the CSE labs when he casually asked me, "So do you regret coming to Seattle?" His question struck me and made me realize something – that for the four years that I've spent in Seattle, I've always complained about it – complained about the weather, complained about the people, complained about the school. I realized now that most people probably think that I regret coming here, but that's definitely not the case.
I've started getting the "holy shit I'm graduation" feelings; they started with my last long night in the labs. These feelings have gotten me to reflect on my time spent in Seattle, and I've realized that I've loved my college life. I wanted to write this post for those of you that I've grown close to and that I've spent time with. I will greatly miss Seattle when I leave.
My freshman year was spent in Lander dorm, where my soon-to-be best friend and I would ponder the strange drinking habits of many of the residents. The two of us were still attached to our high school friends and family, but we had a good time on Lander 2. Academically I strived for good grades in hopes of being admitted to the CSE department at the end of the year. Socially I met a lot of good people and had a lot of fun with those people.
I was ecstatic when I received my acceptance email to the CSE department at the start of my sophomore year, and I began classes that autumn. I fell in love with my major, and, as many of my friends will tell you, was consumed by it. I would spend long nights in the labs during the week and weekend, and I loved it. I would always have a half-delusional vision while leaving the labs early in the morning of me breathing little ones and zeros of fire. Jim's delusion was slightly different, though. He saw us sitting on a large green hill with a wand, summoning bits of code in the sky to fit into place. I loved this year and learned so much. I was also exposed to one of the most beautiful areas I've ever visited – the Olympic Peninsula. Some friends and I took a backpacking trip to an isolated half-moon beach, where we woke up to warm temperatures, crashing waves just feet away, and blue skies. The experience was absolutely stunning.
Junior year wasn't much different. In fact, it was even more consuming. I begin senior-level courses this year, which made the previous year look like kindergarten. I learned all sorts of things about databases, operating systems, compilers, and distributed computing – all nerd things that I'm still intrigued by. I also grew closer to many of my newly-discovered CSE friends, and my non-CSE friends narrowed only slightly. I had a blast my junior year, especially while living in the neat town of Fremont.
Senior year, this year, was/is similar, yet also very different than junior year. Having just come off a summer internship at Redfin (also in Seattle), I had a new appreciation for Seattle. I was finally exposed to the wonderful Seattle summers that everyone speaks so jubilantly about. Again, I've been consumed by my studies, but I've managed to get out a lot more on the weekends. I've managed to snowboard over 30 days so far, and I've grown even closer to my coworkers and friends. Being the president of the Husky Snowboard Team, I've gotten a chance to meet a lot of fun boarders.
To those of you that I won't be seeing as often - friends, classmates, coworkers, mentors, instructors - I will miss you dearly. I know that this goodbye is premature, but I wanted to make sure that you knew that my time spent with you was/is unforgettable, regardless of how much complaining I have done. I'm going to spend my last three months in Seattle reflecting on the wonderful experiences that I've lived and on the exceptional friends that I've made. I plan to have as much fun as possible for the last three months of my Seattle life.
Google Shanghai Here I Come
Well it's officially. I've decided to work for Google in Shanghai with a friend of mine, Christophe Bisciglia. I had to choose between Redfin in Seattle and Google in Shanghai, and the decision was not an easy one. Check it out:
Redfin
Pros
Insanely awesome coworkers. Unbeatable coworkers. Incredible company. Radical work. Great learning experience.
Cons
Located in Seattle. Won't get better at engineering.
Google
Pros
Super challenging engineering work. Managerial experience. Located in Shanghai. Resume booster. Awesome boss.
Cons
Won't get better at wireframing or specing.
This was a really hard decision. On one hand, I have a company that I truly love in a place that I really don't like much at all. On the other hand, I have an insane opportunity with a prestigious company and super technical work. I decided on Google mostly because it would be a great segway into the Bay Area. I'd much rather start my life in the Bay, and Google in Shanghai is a great way to start that goal. I'll get killer experience in Shanghai, which should make job hunting in the Bay much more easy. Shanghai is a crazy town as well, so just being there a few months will be an experience in and of itself. Redfin would also be a powerful experience, but I'm not willing to spend a few more years in Seattle. In fact, I'm scared of working in Seattle for a few more years.
I interned this past summer for Redfin in Seattle, and I found myself having a killer time at work and a boring/depressing time at home for the most part. I was limited a lot by the weather, and many of my college friends were home for the summer. I'm scared that if I were to stay in Seattle, the happiness gap between work and my personal life would grow too large. One could say, "Well why don't you just leave Seattle if you get depressed?" My response is that I'm worried I might push myself to stay in Seattle until my shares at Redfin vest. Knowing me I'll want to just stick it out and get my shares, and I don't think that's a healthy thing to do.
The Bay Area is still far from the people I love, but it's much closer than Seattle. The Bay is also pretty close to Mammoth, which is a place where my friends, family, and I congregate all the time. It's also my favorite place to snowboard. The Bay is also way closer to the ocean, making surfing much more accessible.
I believe I'm making the right decision, and I know that Shanghai will be an adventure to say the least. I just know I'm going to cry when I say goodbye to the rock-solid friends I've made at Redfin. I'm gonna miss you guys.
Friends and Family in High School, College, then Real Life
I’ve gone to school in Seattle for three-and-a-half years, and I’m originally from Los Angeles. This past summer was my first summer away from home; I worked (and still work part-time) for Redfin in Seattle. Lately I’ve been spending tons of time thinking about where I want to spend my life. On one hand, I can work for Redfin in Seattle, and on the other hand, I can work for Google in China for a few months and then look for work in the Bay Area.
I think Seattle and the Bay Area both offer similar benefits – outdoor activities, fun nightlife, snowboarding, interesting people, etc. The largest difference between Seattle and the Bay Area, at least for me, is their distance to Los Angeles and to the people I love. While trying to figure out if I want to live in Seattle or the Bay Area, I did a lot of thinking about friendships and family relationships and how they’ve changed over time for me.
High School
Friends
I had insanely good friends in high school. There were seven of us including me, and we did everything together. We road tripped, camped, surfed, snowboarded, played videogames, watched TV, saw movies, and did just about everything else together. We cried when the first of us left for college. We saw each other at least once or twice a day in high school, and we all shared insanely strong emotional connections. We had the same interests, the same personalities, and the same values. I love those guys, and I’ll always remember the awesome times we had.
Family
I loved my family in high school, but I wanted to spend more time with my friends. I enjoyed spending time with my family – snowboarding with my brother and dad, cooking with my mom and sister, and doing all the other things we would do. I cried when I left home for college, and I cried a lot when I said goodbye to my mom in her hotel room in Seattle. When I think of high school, I don’t really think of family, but that’s not to say that I didn’t love my family and spend lots of time with them.
College
Friends
In high school, my friends and I would call one and other most days to figure out what was going on. In college, I find that there are only a few friends of mine whom I speak with regularly about what is going on. I’ve made lots of good friends in college, but I only see most of them every few weeks. Perhaps this is because I’ve become so involved in my work and my schooling. Perhaps this is because I let my high school memories consume my thoughts to the point that I don’t make a large enough effort to see my college friends more.
I’ve found that I’ve grown apart from many of my insanely good high school friends -- one moved to London, another broke up with me, and two others changed their interests a lot in college. On the other hand, my bond between the other two of my high school friends has gotten stronger. We act exactly how we would act in high school when we’re home for break. We call each other every day to get a game of soccer going, session the half-pipe, drive to Mammoth, or hit the surf. We miss each other when we’re away from home, but we always look forward to seeing each other when we’re back for break. We talk every few weeks over the phone, and we visit each other once every year or so.
Family
My relationship with my family has gotten insanely stronger since I’ve been at college. Spending time away from home really made me realize how incredible my family really is. My sister and I stopped fighting over stupid things like the toilet seat being up. I find myself wanting to spend more and more time with my family as time goes on, and I find myself getting slightly more homesick the longer I’m away from home. I miss them when I’m away, and I want to spend lots of time with them when I’m home.
Real Life
I’m not in “real life” yet, but I feel like my descriptions here are accurate because I spent a summer away from home. The summer away from home is probably a good preview of how life would be after college.
Friends
You see your friends on your vacations. In real life, you probably have two or three weeks of vacation, and the chances are good that unless you make a large effort, you’ll see your good high school and college friends only during those vacations. That sucks! There are no more breaks where we’ll all be in town together. No no. Instead we’ll have to coordinate trips and vacations to make sure that we’re all in town together at the same time. You have to try hard to see your friends if you’re away from them.
Family
Same thing goes with family. You no longer have room in your schedule to automatically go home for break. You have to make an effort to plan vacations and head home if you're away. You have to take weekend trips. Seeing your family and friends if you're away from them isn't an automatic thing anymore.
I believe that we’ll all come across some people that become our best friends, and I believe that those friends can be found at any point in our lives. I know of some people that have made life-long friends in college, and I for sure made life-long friends in high school and in college. I also know of some people who have made life-long friends after college. I believe that as we grow older and begin to commit ourselves to our work, life partners, and family, we have to make a large effort to never lose touch with our friends and family that we once would kill to see. I’ve realized that the chances of me being away from my friends and family after college are very high, so now I know that I’m just going to have to make an effort to frequently call and visit. I find that most of my motivation comes from my family and friends, and I’m now making a promise to them and to me that I’ll never lose touch with them, even if we’re hundreds of miles away.
Maybe I'm being too dramatic here; maybe I should go to the city with the best opportunity and make new friends. No. I will make new friends, but I will never lose touch with my old friends and my family.