masenf.com

Life is meant to be lived! And it's so much sweeter sharing it with someone who reminds you of that. The ups and the downs are par for the course, but at the end of the day, love is what truly matters. Strip everything away, but our love we'll always have.

Professionally, I'm a principal software engineer working in validation for Isilon Systems, a subdivision of Dell Technologies. I work with a great team, focused on ensuring our end users have the best possible experience using our product to run their mission-critical operations. Our customers are some of the biggest names in media and entertainment, finance, manufacturing, security, and government. And the work I do every day ensures that they can continue to change the world.

In 2018, my lovely wife and best friend, Samantha, made me a father! It's a radical change from the freewheeling adventurous rambling lives we lived so recently. But, it's an experience unlike anything I've found out there in the world. Even though this is the about me section, I'm starting to learn that it's not about me anymore. Every decision that I make now affects my son, and I need to consider him in everything I do. But the payoff is endless love and lessons, and ultimately making me a stronger, better person than I ever imagined. Student and Teacher, our roles switch by the moment. It reminds me that there's always more to learn.

I find my artistic outlet in the form of music. While I've been playing guitar since 2003, I'm only just beginning to find myself as a musician. When I'm composing, I feel free. I hear the ideas in my head and in my heart, and it's inspired me to invest the time to better learn the tools to take those ideas and feelings and render them into physical existence. Practice is the only way to improve. And 2017 showed me that years mean nothing -- it's about challenging oneself and deliberately choosing to grow.