Photo by Leslie Cross on Unsplash.

It is hard to believe that 2026 is only about halfway over.

The year has been intense, busy, and genuinely fun. I have worked more than I ever have before, run more than I ever have before, traveled all over the United States, started flying a drone, and still found time to enjoy life at home with Joy and the cats.

I am not completely sure how all of that fits into six months. Somehow, it does.

Working at Cerebras

Working at Cerebras has been a lot of fun. It has also been a lot of work.

I have never worked this much in my life. Seventy-hour weeks have become normal, and some weeks have gone well beyond that. The pace is high, the problems are difficult, and there is always something else that could be done.

Strangely, this has kept me motivated rather than draining all of my energy.

The work is exciting. I get to operate close to fast-moving AI technology, solve meaningful engineering problems, and work with people who care deeply about what they are building. There is a big difference between being busy because a job creates pointless friction and being busy because there are too many interesting problems to solve. This year has mostly been the second kind.

That does not mean every day is easy. Long weeks are still long weeks. There are moments when I am tired, when the context switching adds up, and when I realize that I have spent almost every waking hour working, running, or traveling.

But this is a season of my life when I want to focus heavily on work. I have the opportunity, motivation, and environment to learn quickly and contribute to something ambitious. I do not want to waste that.

Work Keeps Me Running, and Running Keeps Me Working

I am at around 900 running miles for the year already.

That number is a little ridiculous, especially considering the work schedule. But running and work have developed a surprisingly good relationship. Running keeps my work up, and my work keeps me running.

When I spend long hours thinking, writing code, talking to people, and switching between problems, I need something physical to balance it. Running clears my head. It gives me time to process decisions, organize thoughts, and release the tension that builds up after sitting in front of a computer.

At the same time, work gives the running purpose. After an intense day, going outside feels like getting part of my brain back. I can move, listen to music, look at the mountains, and let the day settle into place.

The two activities feed each other. Running gives me the energy and mental stability to work hard. Meaningful work gives me the motivation to stay disciplined and keep moving.

I know that balance sounds strange when both sides involve pushing hard. But for me, the alternative to intense work is not necessarily relaxation. Sometimes it is restless energy. Running turns that energy into something useful.

A Very Mobile Work Year

The work has not kept me in one place.

So far this year, I have traveled to Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Sunnyvale, Miami, New Orleans, and Bend. Some of those trips were for work. Others were opportunities to meet good old friends and spend time with people I do not see often enough.

What is difficult to believe is that I traveled to all of these places while continuing to work 70-hour weeks, and sometimes more.

I am genuinely not sure how that is being done.

There have been laptops in airports, calls between activities, early mornings, late nights, and runs squeezed into unfamiliar cities. Travel can easily disrupt every routine, but it can also make life feel much bigger. I get to see new places, reconnect with people, and then return to work with a different kind of energy.

New Orleans was one of the places I already wanted to visit this year. Miami brought sun and a completely different atmosphere from the Pacific Northwest. Sunnyvale connected naturally to work. Bend offered the kind of outdoor environment that immediately makes me want to run.

The schedule has been full, but it has not felt empty.

Flying the Drone

I also got a drone and started flying it.

This has become a completely different kind of hobby from running. Running puts me directly inside the landscape. The drone lets me step back and look at it from above.

The Pacific Northwest is a particularly good place for that. Mountains, forests, lakes, clouds, and long summer evenings all look different from the air. Flying also gives me a reason to keep learning: airspace, weather, privacy, planning, and the discipline to know when not to take off.

It is fun to have a hobby that is technical without feeling like work. There are controls and regulations to understand, but the reward is visual and immediate. The drone goes up, the landscape opens, and a place I already know suddenly looks new.

Life With Joy and the Cats

Home life has been ultra fun.

Living with Joy and the cats gives everything else a center. No matter how much I work, run, or travel, coming home to them makes life feel grounded.

Now that the weather is better, it is even nicer. The Pacific Northwest changes when the dark and rain finally lift. The evenings get longer, the mountains become more accessible, and it feels like the entire region comes outside at once.

Joy makes ordinary life fun. The cats make ordinary life less predictable. After weeks full of hard problems, flights, hotel rooms, and running miles, there is something very good about being at home together and not needing the moment to be productive.

Work might be the main focus of these years, but home is what makes that focus possible.

America Has Been Great

America continues to be a really good place for this phase of my life.

People are nice. Things work. Opportunities appear when you take initiative. It is easy to move between very different cities and still feel a shared openness and optimism.

I like being here.

This year has reminded me how much variety exists inside the country. Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Miami, New Orleans, Sunnyvale, Bend, and home in Washington barely feel like parts of the same place. The landscapes, weather, food, and local cultures change completely, but people are consistently welcoming.

There are many countries I love visiting, and Germany will always be part of me. But the United States feels like the right place to build my current life.

Family, the World Cup, and a Short Trip Home

Now the World Cup is happening, and I am flying home to Germany for two important family events: my mom’s 60th birthday and my niece’s First Communion.

I am excited to be there. These are moments that matter, and work should not make me miss them.

At the same time, I am sad that Joy is not with me. Travel is always less fun when she is missing from it, especially for a family trip. Fortunately, it is a short visit. I need to celebrate with my family, spend time with my mom, and then return to Joy, the cats, and the job that currently occupies most of my attention.

That is the honest balance right now. I want to show up for my family, and I also want to stay focused on my work. Both matter. Sometimes the solution is not a perfect balance but a short, meaningful trip and then getting back to it.

The Rest of 2026

I am excited for summer.

There will be more work, probably a lot more. There will also be hikes, long runs, and a little backpacking. I want time in the mountains, but I do not need to turn every weekend into another giant objective.

The plan is to keep it relatively chill.

That might sound funny after writing about 70-hour work weeks and 900 running miles, but I know what I mean. I want the outdoor time to support the rest of my life rather than become another list of achievements. A good run, a night outside, or a hike with people I care about is enough.

These coming years are going to be focused heavily on work. I am excited by that. I have found a place where the intensity feels connected to opportunity, and I want to see how much I can learn and contribute.

But I also want to keep running, flying the drone, exploring America, spending time with old friends, visiting family, and coming home to Joy and the cats.

So far, 2026 has been a year of doing a lot and somehow feeling energized by it. I am working harder than ever, running farther than ever, and appreciating home more because of both.

It is intense. It is slightly unbelievable. And right now, it is really good.