Setting Sail on the Digital Sea
I jolted awake as the plane hit the runway, pain radiating through my neck. It had settled in the most suboptimal position while I was asleep. The kind of crick that I’d be feeling for the next few days.
Somewhere behind me, Carlos and Esan dozed in half-slumbers. Together (along with Sid, who departed on a separate flight), we’d traveled through several cities in Europe over the last ten days. We. Were. Pooped.
Eventually, we deplaned, trudged away from the terminal, and exchanged the nonchalant goodbyes reserved exclusively for friends who’ve known each other too long.
For them, this was the end. A layover in Barcelona before their flight home to San Francisco.
For me, it was the beginning of something stupid and awesome. I was staying here, in Europe, for the next thirty days, by myself (awesome). I had no plan - no flights, no hotels, no tickets (stupid). I was excited (this is gonna be awesome) and scared shitless (I am stupid).
What followed was a vagabonding journey that led to countless adventures with incredible humans. I hope to share some of these stories with you as I continue writing this newsletter, but for now, I’ll say this: I left in search of certainty, and returned with the confidence to navigate uncertainty.
I’m going to be brutally honest with you guys. It’s been two and a half months since I quit my job, and I still don’t know what kind of business I want to start. Startup or lifestyle business? Indie hacking? Tech, or maybe another industry? Dunno.
But that’s part of navigating the pathless path. And for what feels like the first time in my life, I’m comfortable not knowing exactly what's next.
Here’s what I do know: I will achieve the highest levels of physical health I can. l will relentlessly pursue my passions and interests. And, most excitingly for you, my dear reader, I will be building in public.
Why share online?
- I’ll become a better writer and thinker. I love to write, and publishing serves as a forcing function to polish up and think critically about my ideas.
- I’ll get real feedback on my projects. I can post progress or milestones and get real-world reactions quickly.
- I’ll join the online scenius. Some of the world’s smartest and most talented people are on the internet, and posting online allows me to connect with them. I might find future friends, employers, employees, or even co-founders. Some of my most talented coworkers at my previous employer were hired because of their forum posts and YouTube videos.
- Also, I just want to bring you, my reader, along for the ride - to sometimes lean on you for encouragement, and other times, inspire you with feats of great passion!
I can’t tell you where this leads. I don't know where I'll end up. But as I set sail on this great digital sea, I’m confident I’ll figure it out.
Some housekeeping:
- These newsletters will be coming out twice a week (lucky you) for the foreseeable future. If you’d ever like to reference them, they’ll be published on…
- aamir.me. My brand-spanking-new official home on the internet! (Bonus: Check out my now page to see what I’m up to right now)
- My Twitter account is my public journal. I’ll be sharing daily thoughts and bite-sized progress. If you’re active on Twitter, reply to this email with your @ so I can follow you.
- For my previous writings, check out my old Wordpress blog (2012-2018) and my Substack (2021-2023). They will no longer be updated. All future long-form writing will be published here, on aamir.me.