Gear

Looking at my desk, I notice how many things I’ve gathered over the years.
Some are purely functional. Some feel almost unnecessary. Yet I care about all of them.

Does that make me materialistic?
I don’t think so.

Every object here has a story. Some were gifts. Some I bought with my own money, with my own work. Each of them, in its own way, carries a memory, a reason for being here. And maybe that’s enough to make them valuable.

On My Desk

1. Desktop PC

i5-10400F and RTX 4060

I built it in 2021 with my first salary. That alone makes it special. Before upgrading, it had a GTX 1660, which I gave to a friend who needed it more than I did. It wasn’t a big upgrade for him, but it meant something. Helping someone with something that once meant a lot to you feels good.

It’s still my computer. It’s been with me through so many late nights, so many games. Now it’s aging. Some games push it too far and it struggles. I accept that. Maybe it’s not the hardware’s fault but the way the industry keeps pushing things forward carelessly.

I don’t code on it anymore. It’s just for games now. Heavy titles stay here. Everything else, I play on the Steam Deck, which I’m slowly making my main gaming device. It feels right to separate work and play.

2. Monitor

HP 22xw

Bought with my dad 10 years ago. Our first family monitor. We chose it because it looked clean and simple, something that would last. And it has.

It’s scratched now. Once, I tried cleaning it with alcohol that was too strong and burned the plastic. It sometimes suffers from mild burn-in, though it always fades away. Every time it does, I feel relieved, like it’s fighting to stay with me a bit longer.

I won’t replace it until it completely fails. It has earned that.

3. Mouse

Logitech G305

Simple, wireless, cheap. Works perfectly. No complaints.

4. Keyboard

Keychron K2 (Brown Switches)

My first mechanical keyboard. The feel of it still surprises me sometimes. It makes typing feel… intentional.

5. Headphones

generic JBL

A gift from my girlfriend. They’re not fancy, but they’ve survived everything: pockets, accidental drops, even me sitting on them by accident. I like that. Something simple, unpretentious, still doing its job perfectly. Maybe that’s why I appreciate them so much.

6. Other headphones

Apple AirPods

For work calls and when I’m moving around. They work well for what they do.

7. E-reader

Kindle (11th gen)

I read a lot. Having something light, simple and focused on reading makes it easier. No distractions. Just words.

8. Watch

Apple Watch SE (2nd gen)

I use it to track calories, check messages, small things. Sometimes it cheers me on, telling me “Today is your day.” It’s silly, but I smile when it does. It believes in me, even when I don’t.

Other Devices

Steam Deck – one of my best purchases. I wrote about it in another post.

Coding laptop – MacBook Air M2 (2022). I’m writing this post on it. I like the Apple ecosystem. I’ve never cared about OS wars. A good developer can work on anything.

Other Things I Care About

My guitars – a classical, an acoustic and a Squier Stratocaster, the only one I bought myself. I play every day, even if just for a few minutes. It keeps me calm, focused.

I use a small Fender Mustang portable amp. It sounds great and lets me play with headphones, which means I don’t bother anyone. Playing an instrument feels like having a secret language. It makes you appreciate music in a different way.

Gifts and photos from my girlfriend – scattered across my desk. I look at them often. They remind me of how lucky I am.

Fewer Things, More Meaning

If I had to move somewhere else, I think the process would be simple.
I’d take all of this. And clothes, of course.

Everything you are should fit in a suitcase.
Having many things is fine, but having a few things that truly matter feels more honest. More human.

In the end, we’re simple creatures.
And maybe that’s something worth remembering.