Hi, I'm Nate. I taught myself how to code before college, and I entered the University of Michigan last fall, where I took classes in writing, philosophy, and pure math. I learned a lot, but my biggest takeaway (especially after the math) was the realization that I needed a break from school.

I was an avid student of Spanish in high school, taking four years and earning a 5 on the AP Exam, so I began planning my dream gap year in Barcelona: becoming fluent in the language, immersing myself in the culture, and supporting myself through contract software development.

Somehow, though, after that first year, I was able to land an internship at Google, so in May, I flew out to San Francisco and moved into a place in the Mission District. I soon realized that a lot of what I was looking for was right where I was in San Francisco: the limitless opportunity to improve my craft, the unparalleled personal growth that comes from living on my own in an iconic, bohemian city, and a hungry market for entrepreneurial software engineers.

In mid-August, I officially disenrolled from my sophomore year of classes. I spent September traveling across America, visiting ten states and staying in Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Boston, Philadelphia, and Chicago before heading back to San Francisco by way of 52 hours on Amtrak.

I'm now at Jupiter as a full-time software engineer. I joined as their first hire, shortly after the founders completed YC S19, and it's been an amazing journey so far.

I write monthly here about leaving college and living in San Francisco. I hope you enjoy.