Now

Wondering what I’m focused on lately? Inspired by Derek Sivers’ Now page movement, this is where I share my current priorities—whether it’s work, personal projects, or new interests. If we haven’t connected in a while, this is the quickest way to catch up.

So what am I currently doing?

Last updated:

Since leaving GoDaddy, I have been focused on advancing my education and pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science. To make that possible, I've been freelancing, which gives me the flexibility I need to focus on my studies.

While I remain open to discussing full-time opportunities, I am committed to ensuring that any role I take aligns with my academic goals and does not require me to put my education on hold.

Recent wins

  • Switched website to Eleventy: I switched from Next.js to HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript to simplify my toolset, avoiding processors and bundlers. However, I missed features like markdown rendering and external data integration. Discovering Eleventy offered the ideal balance of simplicity while keeping the development experience enjoyable.

Working on

  • Master's Degree: I've begun my journey towards earning a Master of Computer Science at Arizona State University. Expected graduation: Autumn 2026.
  • Fitness Journey: I've been practicing yoga with greater frequency over the past few months. My goal is to return to my pre-COVID levels of fitness, where I could maintain a 10 min/mi running pace and bike at least 15 miles a day.

Currently Reading

  • Foundation (series) by Isaac Asimov

    My wife has been insisting for months that I read this series, and so far I'm grateful that she did. The series' sustained relevance astounds me to no end.

  • The Pragmatic Programmer by Andrew Hunt & David Thomas

    Every once in a while, I like to refresh myself on the classics of software engineering.

Miscellaneous

Important

In late June, a mother cat settled herself in my backyard with a newborn litter of 3 and I've been taking care of them since. I unfortunately can't keep them and have been trying to find forever homes for each of them.

So far, I've found a forever home for one kitten, but the other two (both males) and the mother are still in need of new owners. If you know anybody in the NYC tristate area that would be interested in adopting one, please reach out!

Contact: MarioVillacreses@outlook.com