personal — 🌐 Justin's Blog

Moving on from Bluesky

June 11, 2025

It simply lacks interaction, unless you only want to talk about politics.

The day that Elon threw out two Nazi salutes was the day I closed my Twitter account and went all-in on Bluesky. Honestly, to hell with that guy.

At first, things at Bluesky seemed encouraging. I noticed a lot of my contacts on Twitter were joining as well. There was a buzz of activity and a skyrocket of growth. It also didn't feel as toxic as Twitter, which was a welcome change.

But as time went on, that excitement dissipated. Turns out, those in my network who were joining also kept their Twitter accounts, and they went back to using it on the regular.

Not me, though. From the day I joined, I made a point to post something every single day (just as I did on Twitter). The difference was stark.

No One is There

Okay, that's an exaggeration. Specifically, no one is there to talk about anything other than politics. The posts with the most comments, likes, and reshares are all political. Full stop. That's what it is, a political echo chamber.

Look, I'm not opposed to political echo chambers. For me, that's what my Mastodon account is used for. I wanted to use Bluesky for something else. I wanted to talk about entrepreneurship, software, WordPress, and occasional life stuff. Similar to what I do here on this site.

So, that's what I did. And the engagement was very underwhelming. No one freaking interacts on the platform! It's like talking in an empty hallway. The occasional passerby will “look in my direction”, but that's about it. This isn't after a few weeks, but months and months of continuous posting.

Twitter is Better

The sad thing is, Twitter would have been way more enjoyable, and a better home, for these posts. There is an audience beyond politics. Actually, I had done a good job filtering out all political rage-bait posts from my feed before I left. I enjoyed the experience on the platform.

To me, this is the biggest downfall of Bluesky. If you're interested in interacting with like-minded political advocates, then it's a fantastic place to be (and so is Mastodon). Just know that there is a very limited scope of other popular topics beyond that.

Twitter is, and probably always will be, the best option for this kind of social media medium. But to be fair, I haven't tried Threads (I currently can't stomach using another one of Zuck's platforms).

LinkedIn for the Win

In my attempt to find a home for conversations around the topics I enjoy, I turned to LinkedIn. In one week, I had more social interactions, from ONE post, than nearly my entire time on Bluesky.

Think about that. Just one post.

For me, it's time I move on. The topics I like and the audience I want to reach are not on Bluesky. They are still on Twitter, but also on LinkedIn.

Going forward, I'll post now and again on Bluesky, but probably with the same frequency as my Mastodon account. If Elon ever sells Twitter (not going to happen), then I'd jump back there.

#personal

Four Years

May 31, 2025

Married for four years, but it feels like more.

Four years is not a very long time, but I've come to see that it's not the number of years but the memories within those years that make that ultimately makes it feel short or long.

Lorena and I got married four years ago today on a somewhat humid, rainy day in Austin, Texas. It was right in the middle of the pandemic, so the wedding itself was a “micro-wedding” (at least that's what the venue sold it to us as). I think there were 12–15 people there total.

That day feels like forever ago. Maybe it's because since then we've moved two times. We've been through the other side of a pandemic, health scares, professional transitions, countless family visits, vacations, and more.

Through it all, wehave grown closer. We've learned more about each other and about ourselves. I find that with each passing month, I love something else about her. I appreciate her for who she is and the qualities she exhibits on a daily basis.

Next year is the big “number five”. It's easy to get caught up in those obvious milestones, but I don't want to overlook these first four years and just how special they have been.

#personal

Hawaii

May 18, 2025

There's nowhere else in the world like it.

After eleven action-packed days in Hawaii, Lorena and I have returned to California. This also marks a temporary break in our travel for a few months, after a whirlwind of activity since February.

The trip was my idea. In January, Lorena asked me what I wanted to do for my 40th birthday. At first, I said “nothing.” But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do something special for reaching 40 years of life. I love the ocean, and I love the beach. I began to think about where I would want to go to celebrate with Lorena, and Hawaii came to mind.

An Activity Every Day

Something I enjoyed about our recent trip to Sedona was that we had a planned activity every day. Some days it was one thing, and other times it was two, but the nice thing was that we didn't have to figure out what to do when we were there.

So, I did the same thing for Hawaii. Each day I had an activity planned. I bought tickets in advance for the things that required tickets, so all we had to do was just show up. We did make one or two modifications to the agenda based on how we were feeling and the weather, but overall we stuck to it.

Some of the things we did:

Pillbox Hike
Koko Crater Stair Hike
Snorkeling at Shark's Cove
Waimea Valley Falls
Spiritual guide session
Kailua Farmer's Market
Massages
Lanikai Beach
Iolani Palace
Byodo-In Temple
Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden
Kualoa Ranch
Swam with dolphins in the open ocean
Waimea Bay Beach

And obviously, we took time to explore between the events that we had planned.

But we didn't love everything.

Overall, we enjoyed most things about Oahu, but there were a few things that started to become challenging.

First, we eat primarily vegan (except for fish now and again, which we enjoyed on this trip). Hawaii does not have a ton of vegan-only restaurants. In fact, they really only had one. We did find vegan meal options at the restaurants that we chose, but none of them were that great. Overall, we rated our food experience a 6 out of 10 for the trip.

Next, parking. My goodness, I've never seen a city that has been so poorly set up for parking. Living in the LA area, I'm used to hunting for parking. Honolulu is next level difficult. There is very little street parking, and also not many parking structures. We often needed to park several blocks away from where we were trying to go.

Finally, because the buildings on the island are a bit older, over half of the restaurants we visited didn't have bathrooms. This was annoying after some time. You usually had to walk around to find a public bathroom. Many of the restaurants did have one bathroom, but they were almost always “employees only.”

A Special Place

There is just something magical about Hawaii for me. I think it's because it's so isolated from the rest of the world, there's a sense of community and responsibility for nature. There is no arguing over climate change, what constitutes littering, pollution, and the like. Everyone just “gets it”. You just don't see this in many places.

Our trip was eye-opening on many levels. We have even started to talk about the possibility of living in Hawaii. Not anytime soon (we just moved), but we may take more trips to the islands to see if that's a feeling that grows. If that is indeed in our future one day, then it would certainly be the island of Oahu where there is access to Honolulu, the largest city. Oahu has about one million people on it, easily the most populated. Because of this, it has access to most of today's modern conveniences.

But for now, we are back in Culver City. I must admit, it feels great to be home. No trips are planned at the moment, but we have a few ideas – including a return to Hawaii.

#personal

Ending BJJ

May 2, 2025

Doing what must be done.

In April 2023, I signed up for Gracie Jiu-jitsu. I was nervous, but excited, to learn an art that so many people rave about. The Gracie approach, I learned, was a great introduction into the sport. Slow and methodical, without any hard rolling (sparring) until a little later.

The problem is, I never fully reached that “later” phase. And when I did, I had yet another injury setback.

The whole reason that I started BJJ in the first place was because of a bicep tendon issue I sustained from heavy lifting and Muay Thai (heavy bag work). I couldn't punch anymore, at least not regularly. So, I turned to BJJ. It was the perfect answer to my desire for learning martial arts. Or, so I thought.

BJJ Aggravated The Issue

While the slow pace of Gracie Jiu-jitsu allowed me to participate and learn, I was itching to do the fun stuff. The rolling. After 10 months, I actually left Gracie Jiu-jitsu to try other gyms where I could spar right away. I ended up really hurting my bicep tendon again, which sidelined me for five months or so.

I didn't want to give up, though. I slowly worked my way back through Gracie Jiu-jitsu. I came back and earned my third stripe and fourth stripe. When we moved, I joined a Gracie Jiu-jitsu affiliate in the area where I finally, after nearly two years, earned my Combatives belt.

But during my belt test, I hurt my bicep tendon yet again. I couldn't even do the easier classes without it flaring up, so I started rehab (again) with the goal of getting back as quick as possible.

Then things got worse...

As I was rehabbing my shoulder, an old soccer injury flared up: nerve damage from a herniated disc in my neck. Ever since 2013, I haven't had full feeling in my left index finger. I noticed that I was additional sensory loss in my thumb on the same side, and “zapping” pain when I would stretch my arm out too far.

So, off to the neurologist, who confirmed that my C6 vertebrae is impinging the nerve. The nerve is swollen due to some Lagree Method classes that I've been taking since January (and often what I chose to do while rehabbing from BJJ).

Deciding To Move On

I'm 40 now. And while not old, I'm not young, and part of being at this stage of life is knowing your body's limits. My spirit wants to do BJJ, but it's not a good choice for my long-term health.

I'll admit, it hurts. I am not just giving up learning a new, useful skill, but also giving up on an entire community that I enjoyed. That part sucks, and now I'm left feeling a little misplaced. I grew up with team sports and community around athletics. I wanted it so bad with BJJ, but I never could gain any real momentum. I'll miss the gym culture and the anticipation of learning something new.

For now, I rest and heal up as I search for something more sustainable for my body.

#personal

A Week in Mexico

April 25, 2025

We made it back to Mexico City for a visit, possibly the only one this year.

Typically, by this point in the year, Lorena and I have already traveled to Mexico City to visit her family. However, with the move, selling our previous home, and going to Connecticut and Sedona, we just haven't had the time.

Until now!

We recently returned from a week visit in Mexico City to see Lorena's parents. We actually saw them a couple of weeks prior to the trip as they came to visit us in Culver City for four days. It was nice to see them in the heart of Mexico, a place that I've really fallen in love with over the years.

No Plans are the Best Plans

We didn't have any major plans for this trip. I went to Las Luchas (Mexican wrestling) with my father-in-law on one of the days as a delayed birthday present. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. These guys are true athletes. More akin to gymnasts than the stereotypical wrestler.

Aside from that, we went for walks in the forest (yes, there is a huge forest in Mexico City), at some good vegan food at a restaurant that we like, and just pretty much relaxed.

Hasta Luego

These trips to Mexico City always hold a special place in my heart. Even though I've been going for years now, they always remind me of some of my first visits. I remember how special it felt being there. I loved seeing where Lorena grew up, and discovering the depths of the culture. Now that I'm fluent in Spanish, it's even more enjoyable.

The downside to the trip was that on the second to last day, Lorena came down with something. She was achy and had a fever. That put a little damper on the trip as she tried to recover before the big travel day. Then, on the travel day, I came down with something similar... except I was puking on the plane. Yeah... that wasn't fun. Turns out, we had COVID. Our first time.

At this point, we don't know when we'll be back. I'd venture to guess it'll be sometime in 2026.

#personal

Visting Sedona

March 22, 2025

A soul's journey in the desert.

Lorena and I just got back from a five-day trip to Sedona, Arizona. It was our first time visiting, and I have to say, it was really nice!

The last time we were in a similar landscape was when we went to a wedding in San Carlos, but this was also right next to the Sea of Cortes. Admittedly, I didn't take the time to really appreciate the surroundings as we were rushing around a bit and the trip was only for a few days.

I'm typically not one for desert landscapes as my preference leans towards beaches, while Lorena likes the mountains. Our trips up to this point have incorporated one or the other. After this trip, that remains the same, but I think it's safe to say that we both have an appreciation for the beauty of the desert!

Working on our Higher Selves

While we took time for some small hikes, the major reason for this trip was for us to participate in a handful of self-discovery activities. Each day we had something scheduled.

We had some sessions together and individual ones revolving around meditation, mindfulness, inner-healing, and spiritual guidance. It was a unique and new experience for me – I really enjoyed it and would definitely do it again! For example, we did some “life purpose” sessions, massages, mini-hikes to see places of spiritual significance (called, “vortexes”).

I'm realizing at this point of my life that doing self-work should always be a priority, and it never ends. We are constantly learning and evolving over time who we are, and taking moments to set aside the noise of life to focus on yourself is always worth it.

I can't say if we'll be back. Not because we didn't like it, but we'll likely choose other places to visit for a new experience. If you haven't been to Sedona, then I highly recommend it, especially if you're into hiking and nature.

#personal

Baby Shower in CT

March 3, 2025

A new addition to the family is almost here.

Lorena and I just visited Connecticut, this time the trip was for her older sister's baby shower. Our visit was short, a little less than a week.

It was great to see everyone, including her cousin and her family, who came from Chicago. What's wild is that I realized this is the first baby shower I have ever been to (it only took me 40 years).

I have this weird way of noticing “ends” and “beginnings” in life. Once the baby is here, it marks the end of an era in a way, and the beginning of a newer, bigger family. Our nephew is happy too for the changed because it means that he finally gets that younger brother that he has wanted.

We are now getting ready for our trip to Sedona, Arizona. It's the first trip of the year, and first one in a long time, that is just for us.

#personal

40

February 22, 2025

I made it.

I considered not even writing anything today, I think in part because I wish to just treat today like any other day. I feel old, not in spirit, but in the eyes of my younger self.

I remember quite vividly being 22 years old and meeting someone who was 30 when working an internship in college. They seemed so old to me. Like, they were married and well into their career... and they were only 30!

Never did I think I'd make it to this point. It was always a “grown up” number. The “you're officially old” age. Yet, here I am, and If I'm honest, it freaks me out that there is now a “4” in front of my age now, because I don't feel old.

I am Grateful

One of my favorite quotes is by Mark Twain:

“Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.”

I see just how much weight these words carry now, especially as I think about the people in my life that are no longer around, but should be.

I am so incredibly grateful to be alive. I am grateful for the life that I lived in my 20s, because by the time I reached my 30s, I felt like I was ready to enter into adulthood. My 30s had both the absolute worst days and best days of my life. I am grateful for both, because they have given me the growth and perspective that only come with age.

The Future

I don't know what the future holds for me, but that's nothing new. In fact, that's one of the lessons I've learned: stop planning life because ultimately we control nothing. My life to this point has gone a path that I would have never predicted.

What I do know is that I will continue to grow and learn. I'll live with an open heart, compassion & empathy, and love – for both myself and those around me. Every day is a reminder of just how lucky I am.

So here's to another decade. I hope that I'm lucky enough to reach 50.

#personal

Passed Gracie Combatives

February 4, 2025

It was a long journey, but I finally hit my first milestone.

In April 2023, I enrolled in a Gracie Jiu-jitsu gym. Now, after almost two years, I finally took the test and passed their Gracie Combatives program! This means I'm eligible for the Master Cycle which includes a lot more rolling (sparring), and an infinite number of new techniques.

The journey to this point has been a long one, and it was my own fault. I got bored with the program after about six months or so, and I was still a long way off from being permitted to take the test (I needed four stripes, and at that point I only had two). So, I left the gym to try some others.

I liked the other gyms, but the first one was way too intense. So, I decided to switch to a Gracie Barra location and I really liked it. However, I injured my bicep tendon again and after two classes, I had to stop all training, of any kind.

Returning to GJJ

While I was injured, I exchanged emails with my instructor who was super cool in answering my questions and addressing my concern. The injury ended up bringing me back to GJJ as it was a place that I would experience the least number of injuries. This is especially important as I get older yet plan to continue doing this activity for years to come.

The way GJJ is structured meant I could continue to learn, even with my injury. I began to participate as some of the pain subsided, and then I slowly incorporate private training sessions with the instructor around the July or August timeframe. I was about to take my test, but we ended up moving.

Once I got settled in the new place, I found another GJJ gym, and jumped right into the classes. I was ready. I took two private sessions to sharpen up some areas, and then I scheduled my test, which I took last night.

The test is broken up into five sections (guard, mount, side mount, standing, and light sparring). The point is to demonstrate all the techniques as they are called out on a passive opponent, and it all has to be done within a 25min time period. I ended up getting a 94 out of 100 (you need to get a 90 to pass). I was hoping to do better, but I made some silly mistakes. I still have some things to clean up. Nonetheless, I still passed, and I move on!

Moving to Master Cycle

Now that I have passed, I no longer have to take the slow-moving technique classes. I probably will still take them from time to time, and if I ever have a flare-up of my injury, then they are always an option.

Now I move onto Master Cycle. This class is about 30 minutes of instruction and drills, then 30 minutes of live sparring. More pressure testing, and a lot more tapping out.

I'm excited for this next stage as I continue my march towards achieving my blue belt.

#personal

I Shut Down My Twitter

January 21, 2025

I had no choice.

During the post-inauguration rally for his boy toy Trump, Elon Musk threw up not one, but TWO, Nazi salutes. On MLK Jr. Day, no less.

That marked the end of Twitter in my life. I simply can't continue to use the platform in good conscience.

Going forward, you can find me on Bluesky and Mastodon.

#personal