False Starts and New Beginnings

2026-07-10T10:55:00Z

Well, after a good deal of thought, we've decided to relocate to South Korea. My partner and I have been talking about it for years, but we never seriously considered it, until recently.

Like many Americans (or, at least those that have been paying attention), I was partially motivated by the re-election of DJT, and more importantly what that portends for our democratic republic. And while I readily admit to being a pessimist, things do not look great.

But there were more practical concerns. Chief among them: my partner wanted to be closer to family. Also, when we made our decision, I was in the midst of a long unemployment cycle and there was no clear sense of when I would be able to find stable employment, unlike previous cycles. While we were able to cover mortgage payments and other expenses during my partner's busy season, things would get more difficult once her busy season ended.

We talked about what it might be like to cohabitate with eomeoni (my mother-in-law), since finding an apartment on our income was not going to be realistic, at least not for the foreseeable future. Assuming that arrangement would work for everyone, my partner ran through the numbers, and came to the conclusion that life in South Korea would be more affordable. Health insurance is cheaper, exchanges rates are favorable, and the cost of food and transportation are generally more affordable (although how long that will last, who knows…). Plus, if we could sell our house, that would give us a significant financial buffer while I search for employment.

Shortly after my partner's busy season ended, I somehow managed to land an offer for a fully remote Senior Software Engineer position in the US. It was a bit of a downgrade salary-wise compared to my last role, but it was an exciting opportunity, and it seemed to be a great fit. Even so, we decided to move forward with our plans to relocate. Though I was unsure if I could make it work with my new employer, having some income to finance our move in the interim was definitely going to help, so I decided to take the offer. Two months later… well, suffice it to say, it didn't end up working out.

Obviously this came as a disappointment, since I worked very hard to search for my new job, and I was finally starting to get my footing and contribute meaningfully. Plus, the job market for software engineers seems to be getting more competitive by the day, not just in the US but also in South Korea. But, such is life, I guess. Time to start thinking about the next thing.

I only have a vague idea about what that "next thing" is, and I am not entirely sure what's in store for me and my family as we start our new life in South Korea. My feelings on this big life change contain a mixture of apprehension, excitement, sadness, but also—dare I say—optimism.

Intro

2026-04-07T16:20:00Z

Hi there. This is my first blog post. Or, to be more accurate, my first published blog post.

The idea of a personal blog has been knocking around in my head for a while, and the code base for this website has been gestating since 2021. As in 2021, the primary impetus for starting a blog is the sudden abundance of time I've been granted due to recent unemployment.

I suppose a bit of an explanation is in order. I was laid off late last year, just prior to concluding a rather large project for a major casino and resort company. While there, I helped build a fairly complex web backend for a real-money online casino. The work was equal parts challenging, frustrating, and illuminating, and I definitely learned a lot. Alas, for reasons beyond my control, said company closed my division in October and I now find myself in that familiar place again.

But, I digress. The real reason I wanted to write today was to introduce myself and this blog. So without further ado:

My name is Dylan and, as you may have inferred from the above, I am a software engineer. As such, I will likely be writing about software engineering, technology and related topics.

But, to be honest with you, it may also serve as a vehicle for me to talk about life and bitch about the current state of the world. Which is to say: I may also write about current events and politics from time to time. So if you "don't do politics", consider yourself warned.

With that said, I hope to write a new post at least once a month. Though I am not holding myself to such a commitment, I think I can manage.

Until next time…

dtg

False Starts and New Beginnings

Intro