After 30 years of steady employment in the tech industry I’ve gotten the family on board with my taking a one year sabbatical. My employer didn’t offer extended unpaid time off as a benefit, so I resigned in June and am now two months into a year’s leave. I’m hoping to return to the tech industry re-energized and with some new perspectives. I’d be kidding if I didn’t say the current tech job market is concerning relative to when I first made this decision, but I’m counting on a large network of past coworkers and some AI-resistant skills to smooth my reentry in 2026.

Already, with just a few months’ distance, I’m finding myself diving into personal tech projects that I’ve been wanting to do for years, but couldn’t summon the energy to start. So far it’s all small stuff like a blog revamp, but I’m ramping up on hobbyist-grade home automation stuff.

I became an EMT in 2024, and now with more time and energy on my hands I’m picking up a few ambulance shifts each week. As a hobby and side-gig it’s fun and rewarding. I get to meet new people each day, see into a lot of strangers' homes, and work with young, energetic coworkers. I start paramedic training in September, which at 14 months will overlap my return to tech, but at the end I’ll have a much wider scope of practice to use on night and weekend shifts.

See you back in the pixel mines in June 2026!

Ry4an in front of an Ambulance