Can I be honest? Have you ever looked in the mirror and been at a complete loss for what you saw? I don’t mean that I didn’t like what I saw or anything. I just woke up one day, looked at myself in the mirror and thought.. WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!? It dawned on me that I hadn’t really been living for myself in quite a long time. It wasn’t like things were bad.. I was doing what I “was supposed to be doing.” I had built an amazing career, was surrounded by a family and group of friends that loved me, and had invested in my future via continuous learning and investment. In spite of all of that, I wasn’t happy. I realized that I was not living the life that I wanted to live.

Unfortunately, often in life.. these types of realizations only come about when BIG things happen. For me, taking a step back and thinking about what I really wanted out of life and who I wanted to be only occurred after my brother died. It was excruciatingly hard. It was completely unexpected. He was only 31. It was an unpleasant, yet profoundly impactful reminder that none of us know how long we have.. and there I was running on the fucking hampster wheel in back-to-back meetings everyday in corporate tech. I was burnt out and completely disconnected from any semblance of mission or purpose. This was, of course, true prior to my brother’s passing, but DAMN it smacked me in the face after that. It took more time than I’d like to admit, but I quit (turned in my 2 weeks.. I’m not the bridgeburning type). I yearned for some space to think, travel, find myself again, and process the neglected parts of my mind. To be fair, I don’t have any kids or a ton of bills.. so my situation is certainly different than most. I just told myself “if not now, when?” and took the leap.

At this point of the journey, I feel like myself more than I have in at least a decade. I have and will continue to pull on threads of curiosity, travel to and learn from other cultures, and I will fail and learn through my mistakes. One thing I am certain of, and thankful for, is that I have found myself again. I am the Doomed Punk. When I look in the mirror, that is who I proudly see. I am here to learn, grow, and express my creative energy. I aim to do that transparently and honestly, so that others may benefit as I have (and am). So welcome! I’ll use this canvas to showcase my journey.. and I mean that genuinely. This won’t just be an Instagram-esque highlight reel, although I certainly hope there are many highlights to share. I will also share when I fail, when I hurt, and how I grow through it.. All in my own way. Thank you for being here.

Stay Doomed.
Stay Punk.
-DP