About me – the person behind the keyboard

So, enough about programming.

There is actually a person behind all the code on this website.

I am married, have a daughter, ride a motorcycle and spend a surprisingly large amount of my free time trying to figure out how things work.

And yes – I am a bit of a nerd.

But the funny thing is: I don't really know where the IT part came from. I never studied computer science and I don't have a formal IT education. I simply started programming because I wanted to know how things worked.

One thing led to another.

And somehow, many years later, I am still doing it.

The same thing happens outside the computer

I have always been a "I'll give it a try" kind of person.

Something broken in the house?

I'll have a look.

Something needs to be built?

Let's see if I can do it.

Something on the motorcycle doesn't work?

Take it apart.

Usually, I have some idea what I am doing.

Sometimes I don't.

But that's part of the fun.

I learned most of what I know about programming by doing it myself. The same applies to woodworking, repairs, renovations, electrics, mechanics and all the other things I have somehow managed to get myself into over the years.

I don't necessarily need to know how something works before I start.

I just need to be curious enough to find out.

And then there is the motorcycle

The nerd also rides a motorcycle.

And not just rides one.

I have a custom bike that I have built and modified myself. I enjoy the mechanical side just as much as riding it. Taking things apart, changing things, repairing things, making something fit that probably wasn't designed to fit in the first place...

There is something very satisfying about standing back at the end and thinking:

"I made that."

It is probably the same feeling I get when I finish a piece of software.

Different tools. Same addiction.

I like making things

That might actually be the simplest way to describe me.

I like making things.

Software.
A motorcycle.
Something around the house.
A presentation.
An idea.

I like starting with a problem and ending with something that works.

And I don't particularly mind not knowing how to do something at the beginning. In fact, that's often the interesting part.

I learn by doing.

I make mistakes. I break things. I fix them. I try again.

And occasionally I even get it right the first time.

Life away from the screen

Of course, life isn't all about building and fixing things.

My family is at the centre of it. Being a husband and a father is a much bigger part of who I am than anything I do professionally.

I enjoy spending time with friends, riding, travelling, discovering new places and simply getting away from the keyboard.

After spending hours staring at a screen, there is something wonderfully refreshing about putting on a motorcycle helmet, starting the engine and going somewhere without having a clue where the road will take you.

Maybe that's why I like both technology and motorcycles so much.

One gives me endless things to explore.

The other gives me a very good reason to switch the computer off.

So, who am I?

Not just a programmer.

Not really an IT guy either.

I'm a husband, a father, a biker, a tinkerer, a problem solver and someone who is still curious about how things work.

I don't always know the answer.

But I usually want to find out.

And if something looks interesting enough...

I'll probably take it apart.