~{TechXero}~

Step 1 - Dubai, UAE

Every adventure needs an origin story. Mine starts in Dubai, UAE, where I spent three years working at iStyle, an Apple Premium Reseller - getting hands-on with tech, dealing with customers day in day out, and learning the ropes of an industry I'd stay close to for years to come.

Step 2 - Beirut, Lebanon

After Dubai I moved to iStyle Lebanon, giving Lebanon a shot - it failed miserably, and that's when the next leg of the adventure kicked off: Ireland.

Step 3 - Cork, Ireland

From there I set off for Apple in Cork, Ireland - the dream on paper, a brutal test in practice. Then COVID-19 hit, and with family back home in Lebanon, I made the call to leave and come home worn out but not done.

Step 4 - Beirut, Lebanon (Again)

What came next read like a survival arc: an economic collapse that wiped out over 90% of the currency's value, salaries turned to dust overnight, and war - more than once. On August 4, 2020, I was on the phone with my father when the Beirut port explosion tore through the city - I heard it live. Years later, war found us again, closer and louder each time. Blackouts, food scarcity, a country in freefall - I lived through all of it and kept moving.

Watch: Life in Lebanon

Step 5 - Serbia

Then the Linux community stepped in, and their generosity became the bridge that got me out and into Serbia, buying me the time and stability to plan the next leg.

Step 6 - Thessaloniki, Greece

The search finally paid off: a job offer landed me in Thessaloniki, Greece, and I got my own rented apartment here - first real foothold in ages. New city, new country, new page, and for the first time in years the road ahead actually looks like it's going somewhere good.

Step 7 - Teleperformance

The job itself: Teleperformance, one of the world's largest customer experience and BPO companies, with a site right here in Thessaloniki. It's not the endgame - it's a foot in the door while I scout for something better paid - but it's steady work in a new place, and training kicks off soon. One level at a time.

Here's the plan: get settled, build real stability, and keep scouting for a better opportunity here in Greece. And through it all, XeroLinux keeps moving - being in a steadier place means more energy to throw at it, not less.

Do or do not. There is no try.

If you want to help fuel the next leg of this journey, joining a monthly tier on Ko-fi goes a long way. This isn't about survival anymore - it's about building something solid, and every bit of support pushes the story forward.

To everyone who's helped along the way, whether with money, a share, or just a kind word - thank you. This road's been long, and none of it would've been possible without people showing up for me. Here's to the next chapter of the adventure.