Wow!
If I had to pick a quote that best summarizes my tech journey in mid-2023, it would be “Time flies by when you’re having fun”. I have learned and grown so much in my coding and open source journey since the year started that I just realized that we’re halfway through 2023. Now before I started getting misty, grab a snack, or your favorite drink, and join me as we reminisce about my triumphs, losses, and future goals.
Wins!
I had so many wins that picking one would be like picking my favorite cookie. However, if I had to, it would be this:
I was scrolling through Twitter one day when I saw a tweet about a blog writing competition, so I went to the CoCode Discord’s server to learn more about it. I saw that they had a DevOps category, I wanted to start writing posts that focused on technical concepts, so decided to use this competition to start that goal. When I learned that I was one of the winners, I was so surprised that I spit out my tea. I didn't think I'd win because this was the first time that I wrote an article about technical topics(click here to read my article). Talk about an unexpected plot twist! 😂 This win has increased my eagerness to write more articles about complex technical concepts. It's like eating a tall can of Pringles. I can't just have one! 😊
Now if I had to pick another win, it would be this one:
I still get giddy when I see that email from FreeCodeCamp. I mean, who would've thought that a non-technical writer like me, who uses pop culture references to explain technical concepts, would be picked to be a volunteer writer for one of the most popular sites for learning how to code?! It's an honor to be a part of this community and help others in their coding journey. Also, this experience has taught me how to create more SEO-friendly titles and to use different forms of visual aids when doing a tutorial. Curious about my content? Check out my article on doing effective code reviews. Now as the saying goes “With triumphs, there are struggles”, so bring out some more snacks and join me as I reflect (and cheer) on the struggles I have managed to overcome.
Triumphs
If I had to pick the challenge that stood out to me the most, it would be joining the tech community on Twitter. I’ve always heard how Twitter has a strong tech community, but I was hesitant to join because I had heard it was toxic. I mean, have you seen the replies to some of those tweets?! It's like a war zone in there! 😨 But I decided to give it a try after watching this video:
After hearing Eddie Jaoude point out that I should focus on the people that support me and to just simply create my own Twitter experience, I officially joined Twitter in January.
Since joining the Tech Twitter community, I’ve met wonderful people and so much about the different aspects of tech. If it was not for this community, I would have never discovered my interest in tech writing and fallen deeper in love with open source, become a writer at FreeCodecamp, and start this blog. Overall, this experience has taught me that sometimes it’s best to experience things for yourself.
The second roadblock that I managed to overcome in my tech journey was working with JavaScript and APIs. When I was taking SheCodes’ Plus course, I had to build a weather app and was required to implement these two components in my creation process. I did not have much experience with JavaScript and had little knowledge of APIs before the course, so learning these two concepts made me feel like a human learning how to speak the Naʼvi from Avatar(if you want to learn more about how I built this project, click on here to read my post). I eventually overcame this struggle through patience and the mini-lessons I received from technical assistants in SheCodes' online community and comrades from other online coding communities. Through this experience, I’ve learned that it is ok to ask for help when you’re struggling and to give yourself grace when you’re learning something new.
Alright enough with focusing on the past, come and let’s look forward to the future with me! 😊
Looking ahead
As 2023 continues, here are some goals that I would like to achieve by the end of this year:
Become a maintainer of open source projects
Explore maintaining software documentation via open source projects
Have a tech writing portfolio
Do paid tech writing gigs
I know there’ll be more roadblocks coming with these goals but I’m ready to face them head-on. I’m confident that I can achieve my goals with hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude.
The End?
Overall, continuing to learn how to code and immersing myself in tech has been a challenging but incredibly rewarding and life-changing experience. I’ve met great people, experienced wins, overcome obstacles, and more importantly developed great skills. I don’t know where the rest of 2023 will take me, but wherever it goes, I know it will be somewhere exciting. If you want to see how the journey continues, consider clicking on the follow button on top to receive updates. Also, don’t hesitate to connect with me on my other socials via Linkfree. I’m always eager to be your cheerleader in your tech journey! 😊 See you on Dec 31st! 🙂
Credits
3 2 1 Waiting GIF by Funimation
Continue To Be Continued GIF by Abitan
Countdown GIF by Giphy
Crystal Ball Animation GIF by Hey Pantarei
Level Up GIF by Microsoft Education