About

Hi, welcome.

My name is Marco Valeri. I'm a software engineer by day and a writer in the time I carve out of the world.

I created this space several years ago, when, tired of my routine in Rome, I packed my bags for London. It was a choice that changed my life—not because it was easy, but because it forced me to start from scratch.

I arrived here with the illusion that everything worked better abroad. I quickly discovered that things are neither better nor worse: they are simply, incredibly different. The first few years were a school of humility. To make a living, I worked as a dishwasher in kitchens where chaos reigned, but where I learned the most important lesson: it's never too late to become who you want to be.

At 33, while working full-time, I decided to pick up the books again. I enrolled at Birkbeck, University of London, chasing two seemingly opposite passions: the logic of computer science and the freedom of writing. At 37, I graduated in Computer Science, and today I work as a Software Engineer in this city that never stops running.

But if code pays the bills, it's the stories that nourish everything else.

Today, I use this blog and my newsletter to write about life in London, the challenges of changing career paths as an adult, and my journey towards publishing my first novel. I firmly believe there is a "third way" between duty and dreams, and that's what I try to explore every day.

If you see yourself in these words, you're in the right place. I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter to receive my thoughts directly in your inbox, or to follow me on Instagram for a more informal hello.

I look forward to getting to know you better.

See you soon,
Marco