Understand before acting.
Listen to people who see the problem differently. Leave room to change your mind.
About & ethos / Chasing the Brass
A life behind
the field notes.
I’m Terrence Cabiao. Army service, work, and time with family shape the way I look at a useful life.
Chasing the Brass is where those parts of life meet: the lessons that stay with you, the curiosity that gets you out the door, and the practical things that help you show up prepared.
Read the field journal ↗
What shapes this place
Stay capable.
Stay curious.
Stay human.
My time in the Army taught me to value preparation. Working with a nonprofit during COVID also taught me that a well-organized plan is only useful if you understand the people and the problem in front of you. That lesson runs through the first entry in this journal.
I balance a full-time job and a part-time job. This site grows in the time between, alongside the family moments and small opportunities to get out and explore. It is built around real life, with all its competing demands.
I want this to be a place for useful perspective and thoughtful recommendations. A small outing counts. A better question counts. Gear earns its place when it helps with something you actually do.
The journal connects those experiences with practical takeaways for work, family, and time outside.
Make room for the small moments.
Time together and a little curiosity can turn an ordinary day into something worth remembering.
Buy for the job.
Start with what you already own. Choose useful tools, understand their limits, and skip what you do not need.
Useful things for actual life
Find what earns its place.
Explore researched picks for work, family outings, and everyday travel.