I Climb Mountains.
I Run Long Distances.
I Build Systems to Stay Focused.
And I’m trying to live a life that means something to me.
This site is where I write, reflect, and document what I’m learning — from the mountains to the mindset, and everything in between.
The Goal?
The internet’s loud. Fast. Addictive. I built this site to slow down. To write things that actually matter — and to share what I’m learning while pushing my mind, body, and life further.
No hacks. No hype. Just real effort, tested systems, and reflections from the road — whether that’s a 5AM journal session or 4.000 meters up a peak in Türkiye.
Most of what I write falls under two themes:
Inner Performance — habits, discipline, focus, and building systems that hold under pressure.
Outer Exploration — endurance, travel, mountains, Ironman training, and testing limits in the real world.
If you’re into consistency over shortcuts, clarity over noise, and showing up over showing off — this place is for you.
Who Am I?
I’m Deniz — born in the U.S., raised everywhere else.
My parents were tour guides who took me across continents before I could speak. I’ve slept next to tarantulas in the Amazon, climbed ruins in Peru, and nearly passed out from fever in Machu Picchu.
I’ve always been moving — and I’m still not slowing down.
I spent ten years chasing a basketball dream. I played at a national level, shared the court with names you’d recognize, and nearly let my academics go off a cliff for it. Then I flipped the script, studied hard, aced my SATs, and earned my place at Bocconi University in Milan — where I built my second life from scratch.
These days I’m a consultant, a mountaineer, a marathoner, and a reluctant swimmer training for Ironman 70.3. I journal obsessively, build systems in Notion and Obsidian, and treat my own habits like a long-term engineering project.
This blog is where I share what I’ve learned — and what I’m still figuring out.
Want the full story? Read more about me →
Start Reading With These:
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Türkiye’nin en güneydoğusuna gidip, uzun yıllar terör nedeniyle kapalı kalan bir dağa tırmanma fırsatı karşıma çıktığında hiç tereddüt etmedim. Dağcılığa başlayalı yalnızca bir yıl olmuştu ve daha önce 3.300 metrenin üzerine hiç çıkmamıştım. Yine de içimde bunun hayatım boyunca yalnızca bir kez yaşayabileceğim bir deneyim olacağına dair güçlü bir his vardı. 4.000 metrede nefes almakta…
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When the chance came to travel to Turkey’s most southeastern tip and climb a mountain that, until recently, was closed off due to terrorism, I didn’t think twice. I had only been mountaineering for a year. I had never gone above 3,300 meters. But something in me knew this would be a once in a…
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Zanzibar wasn’t just a trip — it was a feeling. In this post, I reflect on the moments that left a mark: sunsets at Kendwa, dolphins near Mnemba, and quiet stories hiding in Stone Town’s carved doors. It’s not a guide — it’s a glimpse into how the island made me feel, and what I’d…
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