Personal

2019 In Review

A photo of me (and some cool lady with sunglasses on) visiting the Art Institute in Chicago this summer.

I wrote down a few of the things I accomplished this year and a few things I could have done better.

What I did

I got more serious about my fitness and health this year than I ever have before. In April or May I decided to make working out a priority and stick with it. Instead of doing pilates maybe twice a week like I did for years, I learned from an expert and started a weight training program customized for me. I started faithfully hitting the gym 3 or 4 times a week. Lifting weights has made me feel strong and I love the changes I see in my body. I’ve always been quite thin but now I actually feel muscular and I gained about five pounds. I’ll continue my fitness routine going into 2020 and ideally gain 5-10 more pounds, which would put me at a more healthy weight.

I was lucky enough to attend several Egghead workshops this year as an Egghead Learner Advocate. With instructors teaching live and answering questions in the moment, I was able to learn so much more efficiently during these workshops than I likely would have on my own.

I was able to attend Bradfield. Bradfield teaches computer science to professional developers with classes that usually include hands-on exercises and discussions. I learned so much more computer science fundamentals than I could have just learning on my own. I got to learn from a smart and passionate teacher and I got to learn with other curious software engineers. After growing up homeschooled and leaving college, I never realized how amazing learning in a classroom can be. Bradfield was very challenging for me but not too overwhelming. I hope to take at least two more classes there in 2020.

I left a job and a serious relationship. Not sure if I would call these accomplishments at all, but sometimes you know when something isn’t going anywhere and you have to make a painful decision. I also went from working remotely and visiting Pennsylvania as much as I could to planting myself back in California, and I’ve felt so much happier now that I’m not trying to live in two states at once.

What I could have done better

I wasn’t consistent enough in different areas of my life this year. With this blog, I was very inconsistent with posting. I started building different projects and abandoned them before completion. I also spent a fair amount of the year feeling stuck in a situation and I could’ve worked more on figuring out how to change it rather than feeling resigned to it.

2020

Going into 2020, here are some of the things I want to focus on:

Continue to advance my JavaScript and React skills at my job and through my weekend projects. I’m excited to learn from the awesome developers I work with.

Continue to write daily and blog twice per month about JavaScript or anything else that interests me.

Keep reading about cryptography and gain a deeper understanding of it.

Start my coding book club and continue my book club with my dad.

Continue working on my fitness and health goals, as well as my cooking goals.

Go on some sort of adventure every month. I feel like I spent so many weekends in 2019 just working in my room and turning down fun opportunities. My close friends Amanda and Ryan are a good example of people who work hard but also take the time to experience life. They are always exploring somewhere new or trying something new. I want to spend more time doing this in 2020.

Happy 2020!

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The CodeBookClub is a club for new and intermediate developers. We host live events such as a bi-monthly book club meeting and group programming. Sign up to become a member of the club and learn with us.