On January 1, 2026, I officially left my position as Director of Engineering at Houzz. This came four and a half years after a successfull acquisition of ConX

Why? Well, I want to focus on my health and fitness. I’ve been quite unwell the past few months - a bad dose of influenza coupled with bronchitis; it wasn’t a good time. It felt like I was sick for the past few years continuously. My stress levels were sky-high, my sleep patterns disturbed, and frankly, I was perpetually exhausted.

So what next? I don’t know. Initially, before I handed in my notice, I had some vague idea of trekking, working out, and reading over the next 12 months. This has recently been expanded out with some specificity.

I’ve been living in Nepal since 2015. I see the foothills of Kathmandu almost every day. And yet, for the last few years, the only mountains I’ve been climbing are metaphorical ones: technical debt, organizational scaling, and quarterly engineering targets.

I turned 43 recently, and I had to face a harsh reality: I found myself thriving within a major software organization by all accounts successful yet I am arguably the most unfit I have ever been.

There is a strange irony in living in the trekking capital of the world while spending 10 hours a day sitting in a chair in Lalitpur. I realized that if I didn’t focus on my health soon, the crash was going to be permanent.

So, I made a decision to press pause.

I have left my role to take a dedicated break. This isn’t a holiday; it’s a course correction. My goal for the next few months is simple but brutal: fix my body, expand my mind, and slow down.

To do that, I’m finally using the backyard I’ve neglected. Here is the plan.

Sometime this month, we’re starting with Australian Camp. For those who don’t know, this is a beautiful spot near Pokhara, sitting at around 2,000 meters. It’s not “Australia Base Camp” (though the confusion happens), and it’s certainly not Everest. But right now, for the unfit version of me, it’s exactly what I need.

This is the soft launch. It’s about getting the legs moving again, breathing clean air, and remembering what it feels like to walk on something other than flat pavement. It’s low stakes, high reward - panoramic views of the Annapurna range without the oxygen deprivation. I’ll be with my wife and kids, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Once the legs remember how to work, I’m heading to Pikey Peak.

This takes us up to 4,065 meters. This is where the real work begins. It’s a lower Khumbu trek that offers what Edmund Hillary claimed was his favorite view of Everest. It’s steeper, harder, and less commercial than the main drag. This will be the first real test of my lungs. It’s the bridge between “going for a walk” and “trekking.” My wife will join me on this one while I leave the kids behind with their grandmother.

I added an amended stretch goal last week to accompany a friend to Everest Base Camp. This has become the anchor of my sabbatical at 5,364m. Living in Nepal and not doing EBC feels like living in Paris and refusing to look at the Eiffel Tower because “it’s too busy.” It’s time to go. This isn’t just about the altitude; it’s about the duration. It’s weeks of disconnection, tea house living, and walking day after day. It’s the deep reset I need to shake off years of startup burnout.

If trekking is the training, then this year’s final exam will be the Fishtail Half Marathon. Running on trails in the shadow of Machhapuchhre (Fishtail Mountain) is a different beast entirely from hiking. It requires cardio fitness and agility that I currently do not possess. But having this date on the calendar forces me to stay honest. I can’t just stroll my way through this break; I have to train. Thankfully, I have many friends who are also signed up to run this race, so I’ll be in good company.

Between the climbs and the recovery days, I’m finally attacking my reading list. Physical books, audiobooks, epubs. I’ve lined up a mix of speculative fiction (because I miss getting lost in other worlds) and resilience - focused non-fiction. I’m aiming for 30 books this year. Let me know if you have any recommendations.

Leaving any role after such a long time is scary; the anxiety of all of this has definitely hit me early on. There is always the fear of stepping off the career treadmill. But right now, the risk of not doing this is higher.

I’m taking this time to be a better father, a better husband, and eventually, a better person. But for now, I’m just a guy trying to get up a hill with a book in my bag.

See you on the trails. You can follow my fitness journey at /fitness

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