Code, Clusters, and Gelato: A DevOps Summer Story

It’s 3 PM on August 12th, and I’m sitting at my desk. Outside, the summer heat is intense, but my shutters are closed, creating a cocoon of coolness around me.

Suddenly, my sister bursts into my room. She sees me with a Raspberry Pi in my hands and my diary open, covered in scribbles (yes my handwriting is terrible).

“Why aren’t you at the beach?" she asks.

“This is my summer!"I reply.

I can see the confusion in her eyes, and I get it. Don’t misunderstand me - I do enjoy going to the beach, exploring new places, and meeting new people. But how can I explain to her the thrill I get from every hour spent wrestling with my mega rocket cluster, trying to make things work?

Being a DevOps engineer in southern Italy often means being seen as someone who doesn’t know how to enjoy life. But the truth is, I love every moment of building my homelab, every instance of sharing my passion with the community, and every minute spent writing about the things I love.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend part of my vacation doing what brings me joy. Being true to yourself is the most beautiful thing you can do. There’s no need to imitate others or conform to their expectations of how summer should be spent.

I’ve included a small picture of my cluster (still a work in progress) to share a glimpse of my summer project.

Remember, the key is to enjoy yourself, whatever that means for you!