Maikelology is an independent publication launched in August 2025 by Maikel Frias Mosquea.

What this site is about

This is my personal blog where I write about the things that matter to me, the problems I’m solving, and the experiences I’m having. I’m a 39-year-old programmer, freelancer, and someone who’s been navigating life with recently diagnosed ADHD. I write honestly about my journey, share technical solutions I’ve figured out, and document what I’m learning along the way.

ADHD and Personal Health

A significant portion of what I write about centers around my ADHD diagnosis and the ongoing process of understanding how it affects my life. After 39 years of functioning without medication, I was diagnosed in 2025, and it’s been a transformative experience. I write detailed posts about medication experiences (particularly with Elvanse), the challenges of adapting to medicated life after decades of developing workarounds, and the insights I’m gaining about how my brain actually works.

I’m open about my health journey, including my experiences with:

• ADHD: Medication trials, daily life adjustments, the “Sargent” (my internal voice/scheduler), and the differences between medicated and unmedicated states
• Hidradenitis suppurativa: A chronic autoimmune condition I manage with strict routines
• Sleep disorders: Including Non-24-Hour Sleep–Wake Disorder, which was part of what led to my ADHD diagnosis

My writing about health comes with clear disclaimers: I’m not a medical professional, and I’m sharing personal experiences, not medical advice. But I believe in being transparent about these experiences because they shape how I work, think, and live.

Technical Writing

As a programmer and freelancer, I write extensively about technical topics, particularly around:

• NixOS: Configuration management, system setup, and the challenges of running a declarative Linux distribution
• FreeBSD: Virtualization, server deployment, and working with FreeBSD in development environments
• DevOps and Infrastructure: Setting up tunneling solutions (Pagekite, HAProxy), managing services, and solving infrastructure problems
• Development Tools: Evaluating tools like Cursor and LLMs in software development, automation scripts, Fish shell configurations
• Security and Privacy: Bitwarden integration, environment variable management, and practical security solutions

My technical posts are usually born from solving real problems I’ve encountered. If I’ve spent time figuring something out and there aren’t good resources available, I document it here. I focus on practical, working solutions rather than theoretical discussions.

Programming and Software Development

I write about software development from a practical perspective. This includes:

• Evaluating development tools and their real-world usefulness
• Building prototypes and testing feasibility (like my work with React Native and the Nostr protocol)
• Code quality, architecture, and the limitations of AI-assisted development
• Freelancing experiences and the realities of working as an independent developer

I’m particularly interested in the intersection of ADHD and programming—how medication affects my coding, memory, and ability to maintain focus on complex problems.

Other Interests

Beyond the technical and health-focused content, I also write about:

• Fitness: How exercise interacts with ADHD medication and mental health
• Real Estate: Practical guides about the Spanish housing market, particularly in A Coruña (where I’m based)
• UK Culture: I’m an anglophile with particular interest in British television (like Emmerdale) and culture

Writing Style

I write in a personal, detailed style. I don’t shy away from the messy realities of life, the struggles, or the failures. When I write about technical topics, I include the full context—what didn’t work, why I made certain choices, and what I learned. When I write about health, I’m honest about both the positives and negatives.

My posts are often long-form because I believe in providing complete context. I want readers to understand not just what I did, but why I did it and what the trade-offs were.

Following Along

You can follow updates from this blog on Mastodon at @maikel@blog.maikel.dev. I’m active in the fediverse and appreciate interactions, questions, and discussions about the topics I write about.

This site is built with Jekyll and hosted independently. It’s a space for me to think out loud, document solutions, and share experiences that might be useful to others navigating similar paths.