#76: Dynamically Typed Hiatus

Hey everyone, Leon here. I don’t have a regular edition of Dynamically Typed for you today, because, as you can probably guess from the subject, I’m taking a break from writing the newsletter.

I’ve written a DT every second weekend for nearly three years now, for a total of 75 issues. During that time, I went from MSc student at Edinburgh University, to intern at Adyen, to deep learning engineer at Plumerai, and finally to machine learning engineer at Dexter Energy. Many of you reading this already knew this, but what fewer of you know is that I’ve also been rowing at the same time: in Delft at Proteus-Eretes (as “Ringvaartroeier”), in Scotland at Edinburgh University Boat Club, in Amsterdam at Willem III, and a bit in Breda at Dudok (for ringvaart round two). Two months ago I joined a new rowing club in Amsterdam called Skøll, where I’m now training five times a week and trying out for their first-year mens lightweight 8+ boat (“EJL”). It’s pretty exhausting and takes up three to four hours after work almost every day, but it’s also been very rewarding seeing our pre-selection boat (and my own erg times) improving from week to week.

Writing DT on top of all this — and putting enough time and energy into it to be proud of every issue I send out — has already been difficult for the past few issues. And soon, when the clocks change, we’ll switch from rowing in the evening to rowing three times during the weekend, making it nearly impossible.

So that’s why I’m taking a hiatus from writing Dynamically Typed until at least the end of 2021. By then I’ll know whether I’ve made the boat; if I make it I’ll go to rowing six times a week and having races on weekends, in which case I’ll extend the hiatus until the end of the season next summer; if not, I’ll probably pick DT back up in winter or spring already.

Finally, I want to say thanks to all of you for reading (and all your replies and feedback!) over the past three years. I’ll leave you with this gif of my most recent race. See ya next year!

My 8+ finish the 2500m race at the Heineken Roeivierkamp in Amsterdam last weekend; we’re the closest boat with the white/red blades.