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Konnichiwa

Hi, I’m Austin— a software engineer and occasional freelance web developer. I started building this site to document my travels, and it gradually evolved into this delightful digital chimera.

After a decade in engineering, I took a step back. I went on sabbatical and traveled the world. That decision changed everything— from how I think, to how many times I’ve eaten questionable street food.

Even while abroad, I couldn’t stay away from code for long. I built throwaway projects, collaborated with developers I met overseas, and occasionally debugged things from trains, tombs, and Wi-Fi cafés.

These days, I write, build, and occasionally overshare about:

• Code and architecture
• Solo travel mishaps
• The state of AI
• Philosophical tangents

Why “Navigator”?

When I started traveling, I didn’t want to be a tourist. No offense to comfort, but five-star resorts and guided tours aren’t my thing. I’d rather be lost in the woods or haggling over the price of a rug in a country where I don’t speak the language. I thrive on the unexpected.

And weirdly, that worked. Even when I was clueless, I kept finding myself helping other travelers navigate through the day’s fiasco— hiking trails, Tokyo subways, open-air markets, and the occasional abandoned ruin.

Someone jokingly called me a professional navigator.

Not because I always knew where I was going, but because I figured it out anyway.

The name stuck. And, honestly, it fits.

Have Code. Will Travel.

I’m happiest when I’m creating— whether in an office or an Airbnb somewhere in Southeast Asia.

Now I’m looking for meaningful work again— the kind where I can dive deep, build fast, and wear a lot of hats.

I’m open to both full-time positions and select freelance projects. I work best with teams who value clarity, momentum, and the occasional bad pun in their commit messages.

My experience spans startups and larger orgs like Disney, Markit, and Raytheon— so whether we’re building something from scratch or scaling something huge, I know how to adapt.

Especially if the mission is compelling, the problems are complex, and the stakes are real.

I’m particularly interested in:

• Distributed systems and event-driven architecture
• High-performance APIs and real-time data pipelines
• Products and organizations that make people’s lives better

If you’re building something interesting, I’d love to hear about it.

Want to connect? Email me or check out my resume.

Core Skills

Prefer a quick summary? Here’s the short version:

• Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript
• Frameworks: FastAPI, Django, Spring, Express, Next.js, Hugo
• Frontend: React
• Data: Postgres, MongoDB, Redis
• Infra: AWS, GCP, Terraform, CI/CD
• Patterns: Event-driven, distributed systems

That’s me. Reach out before I disappear into another jungle.