It’s 1pm as I’m writing this, and I’ve just completed one of my 4-hour focused work blocks.

I recorded a few personal videos for students in KubeCraft who were stuck and needed some help.

After unblocking them I continued working on the new cloud course I’m creating.

This morning I had to put on a sweater because it’s much colder here in the Netherlands than it was in France.

I’m still adjusting because I’ve just returned from a 3 week trip to the French Riviera.

I was working remotely while exploring the country in my camper van.

(right after I wrote that sentence, I had to pinch myself)

Because this is exactly what I set out to do 5 years ago.

I had been working as a nurse for several years.

Every day I had to commute to the hospital and stand on my legs for 10 hour shifts.

Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful work.

Every day I was able to make a difference in the world by making the lives of my patients a little better.

But deep in my heart I wanted to have the freedom to work wherever I wanted.

And now this has become a reality.

I make much more money than I could ever make as a nurse.

And I don’t even have to work night shifts anymore.

I used that money to buy a camper van.

I call it my “Freedom Machine”.

Because that’s what it represents to me: complete freedom to work where I want with the people I want.

Here’s a picture from my “mobile office” that I’ve been working from these past 3 weeks:

I was building Kubernetes clusters and getting a tan at the same time.

Life can hardly get any better right?

Here’s something I want to impress upon you:

Don’t be afraid to set ambitious goals and strive relentlessly to achieve them.

Working as a nurse, it seemed like a ridiculous goal to land a tech job and start working remotely.

I ignored the naysayers. I knew I could do it if I just worked hard enough at it.

It took me many attempts, hundreds of rejections, but eventually I made it.

It’s the best decision I ever made.

For me, landing a DevOps job isn’t just about the money.

It’s about freedom.

Freedom to work from home. Or from a camper van.

If you have the same goal, please don’t give up.

You can do it.

Have a great week,

Mischa

P.S. if you’ve tried landing a job for a while but you feel stuck, I can help you. You can apply for my mentorship by clicking here. I checked this morning and the slots for October are filling up quickly.