Hello world!
07/10/2026
Hey, welcome to my blog!
I've been meaning to start this for quite some time and now I'm finally getting around it. I'm not quite sure what all I put on here; I expect the frequency of posts and their scope of content to be pretty variable, especially in these early stages. In any case, I should introduce myself:
I'm Arcana (still debating on using my real name or not).
As of this post, I'm 26 years old, live in rural Missouri, and work as a software developer.
On the weekends, I spend my free time volunteering as a conductor at a heritage railway near my hometown.
However, a lot of that is about to change. Next month, I'm returning to college to get a second bachelor's, this time for civil engineering. And this time, in New York City.
Going into college the first time, I studied computer science mostly because that was what was expected me of. I was good with technology, enjoyed tinkering with video game mods, and most importantly: it was a way to make a good living for myself. I bounced around a bit post graduation; I taught English in Japan for a year, worked as an IT tech at my hometown library, and a couple years ago I got a job working at a local software company. Over the past couple of years, I've started to realize that I just don't really find any fulfillment from that kind of work. I never really know if what I code is actually really all that useful--it's all so immaterial.
Looking around my site, it probably comes as no surprise that I have an interest in transit and urbanism. Maybe it's in my blood. My father is a transportation director for a school, my grandfather was a bus mechanic, and a whole bunch of my earlier relatives worked for railroads. (Or maybe it's not--I didn't really discover my interest in transportation until I started volunteering at the heritage railway.)
Aligning my disillusionment and interests, I've decided to pursue Civil Engineering. Will it be a mistake? Or will I never look back? Who knows? We'll see!