| layout | page |
|---|---|
| title | About |
| description | Ruby on Wheels: The story of a developer living on the road. |
| header-img | assets/images/IMG_3036.jpg |
👋 I'm Jakob, a German software engineer. I call an old Mercedes truck my home, while [working remotely]({% post_url 2017-10-21-working-productively-in-a-van %}) for GitHub. On this website, I share my insights and adventures related to building, maintaining, and working from vehicles.
At GitHub, we utilize Ruby on Rails, a web application framework for the Ruby programming language. I playfully replaced "Rails" with "Wheels" in the title of this blog, reflecting [my life on the move]({% post_url 2017-10-08-the-first-150-days-of-van-life %}).
In early 2017, I [bought]({% post_url 2017-02-04-the-first-ride %}) an old [Mercedes-Benz 209D camper]({% post_url 2017-01-11-my-future-mobile-office %}), [ordered a solar system]({% post_url 2017-03-06-ordering-my-solar-system %}), [transformed the camper into a mobile office]({% post_url 2017-05-06-turning-my-van-into-a-mobile-office %}) and [learned how to fix it]({% post_url 2017-05-18-a-crash-course-on-mechanics %}).
After over a year of traversing Europe and [Northern Africa]({%post_url 2018-03-11-exploring-the-saharan-dunes %}), I sold the Mercedes 209D in June 2018 to embark on a new venture – [converting an old military ambulance van]({% post_url 2018-09-05-moving-into-an-old-military-ambulance %}) into a [perfect mobile home and office]({% post_url 2020-11-26-presenting-my-mercedes-508d %}).
For over four incredible years, I [lived]({% post_url 2020-09-04-answering-22-questions-about-van-life %}), [traveled]({% post_url 2021-03-16-starting-the-new-year-on-the-canary-islands %}), and [maintained]({% post_url 2021-07-15-maintaining-my-van-in-germany %}) my 508D until I [decided]({% post_url 2021-10-10-buying-an-old-mercedes-1113-truck %}) to start yet another building project – a mobile house atop an old Mercedes 1113 truck.
Since [abandoning my apartment in Berlin]({% post_url 2017-05-11-leaving-berlin %}) on May 11th, 2017, my journey has led me through diverse places across several countries, introducing me to numerous amazing people.
I thrive on connecting with others. Interested in meeting up? Shoot me an email!