You paint a nice picture. How much of this have you accomplished? Obviously, you can't answer re: the last point, but, do you live near the sea? Is eating well a bigger focus for you than working long hours? Etc.

Well I'm trying to accomplish many of this things. I live near my son and managed to stay in Sicily even if with my work it was hard. I'm finally working at Redis full time, so I'm avoiding doing things I don't care, at least in the work side. Now I live with my woman, this was very hard and took two years of sacrifices where she was in Florence. I only live three months every year near to the sea, in the rest of the year I've to live at 15 Km from the sea, at 800 meters of altitude in the vulcano Etna.

Good point about working long hours. Unfortunately currently I'm working too much, but fortunately I'm working too much spending my time in things I like a lot. I need just to adjust how many hours I work every week :)

One thing that makes me happy and I noticed that works with many people I know is to go out for the two days of the week end, without bringing with me my laptop, so that I'm sure I'll enjoy other things.

Thanks for asking, this is a good exercise to do: what makes you happy? and what you still need to accomplish in order to be happy? It's better to fix what's wrong asap as life is wonderful but not infinite :)

Wow. Your life sounds like something out of a movie. Living near the sea, a volcano... finally living near the woman you love (despite sacrifices) and near your son.

It definitely sounds as if you have your priorities in a good place: the people in your life, working on only work you enjoy, creating environments that make you happy (physically and otherwise). Do you think you are common amongst the people you know? How much are you a product of your environment? i.e. Your family, Sicily (I assume this is home), programming community (I assume that's what you do for Redis).

Actually, given how colorful your life sounds, I would love to see more on video. Would you be interested in a Skype chat, and even shooting a bit of video with some sort of handicam, or whatever you have (still photos even)? It doesn't have to be now, but something to consider.

I'm glad you enjoy the exercise. I find it impossible to be happy without thinking about it once in awhile.

I like the idea of walking away from your laptop for a couple days every week. I do that for most of Sunday when we visit my in-laws, but if it weren't for that day I'd find it difficult to avoid.