Year in review 2024 🎉

Highlights

As 2024 wraps up, I wanted to take a moment to look back at some of the fun projects, milestones, and changes from this year.

Projects 📝

Each project has contributed to my growth as a developer, and I look forward to what 2025 has in store.

1. Participating in the Advent of Code 2023 challenges
2. Modding my 20-year-old GBA SP console in February
3. Releasing the stable production version of the ramachandraw Python package in March
4. Building a platformer game called NinJump in April
5. Developing a Python package to parse Apple Health data in May
6. Consolidating my movie watchlist using the OMDb API in August
7. Curating a list of video games I have played using the IGDB API in October
8. Creating a simple Sudoku game in JavaScript, Python, and Rust in November

Milestones 🏁

I've reached a few milestones this year, both on personal and professional levels. Here are a few:

1. Switched careers from Bioinformatics to Software Engineering
2. Completed two long distance biking trips (50 and 80 km)
3. Started my journey into mindfulness and personal development

Items 📦

I also acquired a few items this year (including a suscription):

1. Acquired a Cineville card
2. Purchased a NAS for storage and backup purposes
3. Replaced my Apple Watch S7 with the new S10

Prospects 🍃

Looking ahead to 2025, I set up a few broad goals for myself, on both technical and personal levels:

1. Learn Rust: Dive deeper into the Rust programming language and work on small-scale projects to solidify my understanding
2. Bike more often long distances: Plan and complete more long-distance biking trips on my own to improve my mental wellbeing and fitness
3. Work on personal development: Further commit to mindfulness and personal growth, focusing on building healthy habits, ditching detrimental behaviours, and improving my overall well-being

Retrospective 🍂

This year has been rough, especially on the personal side of things. I feel and am mentally tired, and that naturally also translates in my body. On the brighter side of things, hitting the bottom of the well is also a prime position for renewal and rediscovery. And that's just what I intend to do, focusing on self-development and finding a new direction of my own.

Happy New Year