Res Gestae
In Latin, Res gestae means "things done" or "things transacted", in reference to the surrounding facts, events, and statement (the context) of an inchident (don't quote me, I'm not a lawyer). This Res Gestae is more similar to the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, or "The Deeds of the Divine Augustus".
While I am certainly not divine, I like the idea of having a first-person running record of my life and accomplishments (though most will appear insignificant to a bystander). This page is that. It is generally factual (though for the sake of friends and family, past and present, I may not include everything). It serves as a record and reflection on my life, written on my own initiative and at my own expense.
First Tennis Tournament
Mountain View, CAI played in my first tennis tournament ever. I began playing tennis when I moved to San Francisco because a lot of my friends from college who lived in SF played tennis. I played in this tournament with a good friend of mine, Max, who lives in the South Bay, whose racket I also used. Note that I am not short; he is just 6’6”.
In the tournament, I won my first match in a tiebreaker, and my second match, I lost 6-0 against someone who actually knew how to play. Though I can lull myself to sleep by reminding myself that I play tennis for fun and not to win, which is what I will say until I win some random tennis tournament.
Moving to San Francisco
San Francisco, CAI was just about to start my first real job and move into my first real city after a year of travel with some of my good friends from college. We had what essentially became a frat house, in the sense that it was disgusting, and I wanted to move out pretty quickly, but it was cheap and in a decent location considering I was supposed to move to New York. I was very, very grateful to be moving to SF and to be starting a job in an industry that I frankly prefer, which is software engineering or engineering generally. Considering for a majority of my year off I had believed I was going to be doing consulting specifically, like consulting in high finance in New York, I was honestly just grateful to be in California and San Francisco, living a life that is more aligned with who I am.
Chinese Car Ad
Munich, GermanyI appeared in a Chinese car manufacturer’s video and advertisement. I feel like Regina George. Just one day off, I guess.
Northern Lights
The NorthWhile flying to spend time abroad (technically, I’m a German citizen, so I don’t know if living in a city in a country you’re a citizen of counts as being abroad. Considering I was not raised there, I would count it as abroad), I saw the Northern Lights. I was quite surprised to see them from a plane because I honestly just didn’t realize this was something that could happen.
I was also a little bit excited from a phenomenon perspective because seeing the Northern Lights has always been a dream of mine. However, in this dream, it normally involved a couple’s retreat to Norway or Sweden and staying in an igloo and seeing the Northern Lights from a hot tub, not in an economy seat out the window at 2:00 a.m. Even being able to see the Northern Lights from an economy seat is frankly a level of privilege that a majority of people who have ever existed will not be able to experience, and so for that I am grateful. I would like to see them again, though.
Stanford Graduation, part 2
Stanford, CAMy second time graduating Stanford. Despite completing my Classics minor the year before, I decided to walk with the Classics department. This was the correct decision. It was much smaller, more intimate, and fun, and I knew the people there. The CS commencement was so large that, once the Classics one finished, I left, snuck into the back of the line, and walked with my CS friends as well. If I had to choose, I’d choose Classics every time.
First Chess Tournament
Menlo Park, CAI started playing chess over the pandemic. I played in a classical tournament at a local chess club where I drew, lost, and lost. Some of those Palo Alto kids are sharp! Honestly was a good experience despite getting like 41/43 or something. I’d do it again.
Getty Villa
Getty Villa, Malibu, CAAfter graduation, I did a mini road trip down the California coast and stopped at one of my favorite museums of all time, the Getty Villa in Malibu.
After studying classics and visiting Rome and Italy in general, I feel like I have a much greater appreciation for how nice this museum actually is. It’s so cool to be able to walk around and experience what it would have been like to be in something similar, or at least a very close representation of a Roman villa. I have been meaning to put up wallpaper cutouts like the ones they have there because I think they’d be very cool. I’m hesitant because I have a landlord currently, but eventually I will do this.
Genuinely, one of my favorite museums. I love going here. I love going back here. I’ve flown down from Stanford during college. I have flown down to LA for a day trip purely to go to this museum. It was definitely worth it. I often think about doing it again. I think currently it is closed because of the LA fires in 2024 or early 2025, which is honestly super disappointing. I visited LA once in 2025, and I was genuinely a little bit sad that I didn’t get to go to my favorite museum.
Stanford Graduation, part 1
Stanford, CAMy first Stanford graduation. I remember this one less vividly because I stayed on campus to do research in the Knowles lab, then the year after to complete my MS in CS.
Winter Quarter 2021
Park City, UTOver COVID, I was blessed with the opportunity to live in some pretty cool places. For Winter Quarter, I rented a house with a group of friends in Park City, where some of us worked and some of us took online classes. I was in the online classes group, but we honestly spent a good amount of time skiing. This was definitely, for a bunch of personal reasons, one of the strangest quarters of my life. It also dramatically shaped who I was and who I’ve become. I think a lot of my personality and my strong beliefs come from some of the things I learned about myself and some of the things I learned watching others during this quarter.
Looking back, while COVID was very tough for a lot of people, I am lucky to say that I was able to take advantage of the unique circumstance and get an experience that very few other Stanford students have gotten: the ability to live in different places and take classes online with friends from college. It was certainly very different than any of the other “abroad” programs which I had been eyeing. I can honestly say I would not do this quarter again, but to have done it was, in all, good for me.
Diving with sharks in Tahiti
Moorea, TahitiDiving with sharks in Tahiti. I also stayed in Bora Bora during this trip, in the iconic spot where Kim Kardashian lost her earring. Had I seen that episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians I would not have gone looking for it, as she actually found it. How I regret not watching as a child.
Surf Magazine Cover
San Diego, CAI wrote an article (and was on the cover of a surf magazine) with some of my friends as part of a program called Intercession. It was essentially where students could choose a not explicitly academic field of study or topic and focus on it for a period of time. I believe it was two weeks right before spring break. Mine was, of course, surfing. I did it with some of my friends, and we wrote a magazine on surfing, surfboard design, the process of building a surfboard, surf culture, and a bunch of other things.
Looking back, in the moment, this felt very cool, and then I was quite embarrassed by it in high school. Now, looking back from further in the future, I can see that it was, in fact, very, very fun.
First Major Surf Trip
Costa RicaThis was the first major surf trip I did and the first one where I felt comfortable truly surfing. I had my first real shortboard. I actually had Brett Simpson, Mick Fanning, and Chris Ward sign the nose of my board. It was a 5’0” swallowtail quad that I got from South Coast Surf Shop in San Diego, and I was hooked. It was so electric and felt like a professional. It was the first board I could truly duck dive on. This is definitely when I went from being a beginner surfer to being someone who “surfed.” It’s the first board I truly competed on. A bunch of firsts for me on this trip. Also, it cut my head open surfing, which was less fun for my mom, who watched me come in with blood on my face. At the time, I thought it was the coolest thing ever to be surfing in a way that I thought was “good.”
Met Andy Irons
Huntington Beach, CAMe getting Andy Irons’s autograph. This was one of his last major surf contests before his untimely death, which was honestly more influential on me than I’d have thought. I still think about it. When he died I rewatched his “I surf because” short film over and over.