About Suwal

Who I Am

I'm Suwal — a cloud engineer based in Seoul, South Korea, and a part-time CS lecturer on the side. I hold a Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect certification, and I've spent the last five years designing, migrating, and maintaining production infrastructure — across AWS and GCP, mostly for remote clients in the US and EU.

Most of my work is remote; the last time I was physically in the same room as my coworkers, they were in winter clothes. I'm in short sleeves now. That's just how distributed infrastructure work goes in 2026.

Working independently across engineering contracts and teaching means I think a lot about things that salaried employees can take for granted: income variability, contract negotiation, how to stay focused without a team around you, and how to invest when your cash flow isn't predictable. I started writing about these topics because I kept finding that mainstream advice — aimed at someone with a stable salary and a 401(k) match — didn't apply to my situation.

This site is where those notes live. You can find my open-source infrastructure work on GitHub.

What I Write About

The topics here come from what I actually deal with: cloud engineering careers (certifications, contracting, cost-aware architecture), variable income (taxes, cash buffers, equity offers),remote work mechanics (async communication, client relationships, home-office setup), andwellness and recovery for knowledge workers whose job is sustained thinking. I don't cover topics I haven't lived or can't cite — the library is intentionally focused.

Writing Standards

I write the way I'd explain something to a technically literate colleague — specific enough to be actionable, honest about what's uncertain, and short on filler. I include implementation steps because theory without practice doesn't help anyone. I cite published research where I've drawn on it. I say when I've tried something myself and what actually happened, which is different from what theory predicts.

No newsletter, no course, no sponsors. Writing forces clearer thinking. If it's useful to someone else, that's a bonus.

Disclaimer

Everything here is for informational purposes only. I'm a cloud engineer and lecturer, not a doctor, financial advisor, or licensed professional of any kind. Wellness articles summarize published research and personal practice — not medical advice. Do your own research and consult qualified professionals before making significant changes to your health routines, financial plans, or legal arrangements.