"What I achieved in the following 10 years went beyond my wildest dreams. In 2013, I landed a job as a software developer for a content marketing agency. I'd been coding as a hobby since I was young, and had relevant volunteer projects under my belt, but this formally kick-started my career in technology. By 2021, I was the head of technology for the UK government's official website."
"In 2022, at age 42, I took a six-month break from work. It turned into 3½ years, and I traveled the world, but I found that I couldn't slow down. It unearthed hard truths about myself that I had to address. At first, I was anxious about explaining my career break on my résumé, but I realized that people often take long career breaks to be parents, and I had reparented myself."
Himal Mandalia had a difficult childhood and missed much school, and in his 20s he floated between jobs until reaching a low point by age 32 in 2012. In 2013 he began coding professionally and rose to head of technology for the UK government's official website by 2021. In 2022 he took a planned six-month break that became a 3½-year world trip, during which he struggled to slow down and confronted hard truths. He was diagnosed with ADHD and autism. The diagnoses and the break helped him reparent himself, learn to be present, and accept himself beyond external achievements.
Read at Business Insider
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