A Decade of Changes: Catching Up with Jo
Hello friends and family! It's been awhile! Cuanto tiempo! Ezer éve!
I haven't written a newsletter update for over a decade, since 2012, when I stopped writing on my own website in favor of using Instagram. But recently I've felt that social media is no longer a reliable way to stay connected with friends and family, most of my family isn't on social media, and for the ones who are, the algorithms limit whose posts we see. So, I'm reviving this personal newsletter to share my experiences, life updates, and upcoming plans with the people close to me.
Disclaimer: I’m writing here for friends and family. My thoughts, feelings, and experiences here don’t represent my professional associations (clients, employers, etc).
What's Happened Since My Last Update
My last update was over 10 years ago. Since then, a LOT has happened both personally and globally. I feel like a different person in a different reality, as if a few lifetimes have passed. As a result of that, one change you might know is that I started going by Jo instead of Josiah.
Here are some other highlights of my life from the last 10 years:
- In 2013, while living in the Dominican Republic, I left Evangelical Christianity and became an atheist.
- After a couple years working remotely as an app developer, I started traveling with digital nomad communities in 2016.
- I briefly moved to Washington D.C. in 2017 to work for NASA for about a year, until I got fired.
- I traveled to Cuba twice in 2017 to volunteer for a Cuban Open Source Software conference.
- I quit drinking alcohol in 2018, faced a mental health crisis, and redefined myself as someone who doesn't drink and lives a healthy, active lifestyle.
- I traveled to Hungary in 2019, connected with my roots, and started learning Hungarian. I stayed there through the pandemic and got citizenship in 2021.
- After having COVID, I struggled with severe digestive problems and the toll that took on my mental health for most of 2021 and 2022. I still struggle with digestive sensitivities, but they're more manageable now.
- In 2023, I got a long-term visa to live in Thailand. I established a home in Koh Phangan, surrounded by an international community of relationship coaches, personal trainers, and tantra gurus. I live an active lifestyle here, spending most of my time in nature.
What I'm Doing Now
In November 2024, I was laid off from the climate science non-profit where I did app development after the project I was working on failed and lost funding. Since then, I've been living on savings while looking for work. This time has been marked by uncertainty as global upheaval and AI rapidly change how the world works.
I've been building side projects, exploring AI, creating art, learning massage, hosting personal-development workshops, leading connection events, attending tantric spirituality retreats, and developing myself as a men's mentor helping men grow in healthy masculinity. But none of these have started making money.
Koh Phangan is my current home, but it's rapidly changing and becoming over-developed. I'm considering other places to live in the coming years. The US is off the table for various reasons. Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Canary Islands) are on my radar, and Australia or New Zealand too, if I find a company willing to sponsor a visa. I was offered a job in China, and while it's more appealing than the US, I'm firm about not wanting to work on-site in an office again.
What I'm Going to Write About Here
I'm writing this newsletter for friends and family to update you on my life. The updates here will focus on sharing stories about my personal experiences, life updates, and upcoming plans. I also have a professional blog on JoSprague.com, where I write about technical topics related to software development and AI.
You Won't See My Life On Social Media
I'm still making posts on social media, and you might see them if the algorithm wills it. But they are increasingly NOT about my current life. If you want to stay connected and updated about my life, this newsletter is the place for that. Here are the best ways to see my posts:
Get my newsletter via email: https://iamlocaljo.com/#/portal/signup
Add this newsletter to your RSS reader: http://iamlocaljo.com/rss
Follow this site on the Fediverse: @jo@iamlocaljo.com
Or, just come back and visit this site often.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you come back for more!