Beyond the lab
A few things that keep me busy when I'm not designing circuits.
The "Push" — Biological Overclocking
In early 2025, I realized my physical hardware was severely under-optimized for a 16-hour-a-day "staring at a monitor" schedule. I initially hired a trainer, but after three sessions, it felt like I was running a basic `while(true)` loop: repetitive, low-impact, and honestly, a bit boring.
So, I did what any engineer does: I became my own coach. I started researching hypertrophy, mechanical tension, and progressive overload with the same intensity I apply to PCB trace routing. Now, the gym is my favorite way to debug my own stress. There's something incredibly satisfying about hitting a PR—it's like finally getting a clean build on a complex project. 10/10, would recommend for any fellow code-monkeys.
Hydrodynamics & Mental Health
My family often tells a story from a childhood trip to Puri, Odisha. Apparently, I didn't just walk toward Chilika Lake; I practically tried to merge with it. My obsession with water has always been... a little extreme.
Since then, I've turned that obsession into a decent freestyle stroke. Swimming is where I do my best thinking. When you're underwater, there are no Slack notifications, no compiler errors—just you and the fluid dynamics of a 25-meter pool. It's the ultimate low-latency environment for the brain. Plus, it's a great excuse to wear goggles and look slightly more like a cyborg.
MUNs — Competitive Talking
My MUN (Model United Nations) career is essentially a record of me learning how to sound like I know what I'm talking about. Between Harvard MUN (2023 & 2024) and IIT Techfest MUN, I've spent an embarrassing amount of time debating things I barely understood at first.
But here's the secret: MUNs are just high-stakes verbal engineering. You have a problem, you have constraints (other countries' interests), and you have to architect a resolution that doesn't cause a global crash. It's where I learned that communication is just another interface to master. If you can explain nuclear non-proliferation to a room of sleep-deprived teenagers, explaining a Kalman filter to a peer is easy.
Digital Sandbox — The Legacy of a Legend
I firmly believe that Minecraft is the greatest engineering tool ever created for children (and adults who refuse to grow up). It's where I first learned about logic gates, resource management, and why "creeper" is synonymous with "unplanned hardware failure."
A huge part of my digital worldview was shaped by Technoblade. He taught me that being "good" at something—even a block game—requires strategy, dedication, and a healthy amount of self-deprecating humor. He showed us that the internet is a tool for building community and telling stories. May his legend never die.
When I'm not in a Minecraft world, you'll find me playing Trackmania (because who doesn't love pixel-perfect driving lines?) or Overwatch (because sometimes you just need to blow things up to relax).