# Life Updates 2024

_Published: October 27, 2024_

Another year gone by since I last wrote here (although the
[phlog](gopher://alexkarle.com) saw some love for you gopher fans out
there). And what a year it has been!

## Hobbies

Since my [last update](life-updates-2023.html), the trend of taking on
non-tech hobbies has stayed. In fact, for the past few months, one might
say I haven't had time for hobbies at all... why, you ask?

## Life and Love

In July, Jennie and I welcomed our first child, our beautiful boy Wesley
<3. Parenting has been the hardest and most rewarding thing I've ever
taken on, and we've just begun! Words can't describe the rollercoaster
of emotions that have become my daily life, but I can say that I have so
much newfound respect for parents and Moms in particular. And that
Jennie is truly a superhero <3

I don't plan to blog much about it, as it feels too personal to
broadcast to the public. Likewise, I don't feel qualified enough to give
any parenting advice. Instead I'll stay on-brand and give some technical
advice for software-engineers-soon-to-become-parents :)

 _Always Leave a Note!_

Yes thats right! For the nerds like me who are constantly chasing new
technical rabbit holes and learning obscure software, its easy to think
that you'll forever remember the `cryptsetup(8)` command to mount your
homemade NAS' LVM-on-LUKS encrypted drive. Or that you'll know how to
connect that Plan 9 install to wifi (you've been doing it every day for
weeks!).

But alas, when the baby comes and these sit idle for months or more,
those chops do fade. So do yourself a favor. Leave yourself a note!

## Looking Forward

I won't fool myself like last year with a prediction of more blog
activity :) I expect it'll stay relatively quiet over here. But there is
oh so much to look forward to: first words, family time over the
holidays, rolling, crawling, walking! Life has just begun, and its
beautiful.