2022 (and much of 2023) was a massive period of change. I started the year off with the intention of writing code every day, and unfortunately, after several months of success, other commitments, hobbies, and life-events took priority. Despite failing at my 365-day coding challenge, I still managed to accomplish a lot on both personal and professional levels.

The "Challenge" (or lack thereof)

I started off the year with a 365-day coding challenge in hopes of building new skills that I don't get to otherwise refine in my day-to-day work. It began like most New Year's resolutions do: with a lot of motivation and excitement. I quickly entrenched myself in a few projects like FolderProcessor, but my small project (that started as a challenge) unexpectedly became applicable to my full-time job, and its development was forked and its source was closed. As such, my efforts were no longer tracked on GitHub, and many of the lessons I was learning weren't being made in repositories that I could share with the world.

As I was writing more code at work, I was finding it difficult to write large volumes of code at home. Instead of coding, I primarily explored my new hobby of 3D printing. I spent a ton of time learning to design and print 3D models, and I even managed to apply some of my coding skills to the hobby by writing a few scripts to automate some of the more mundane tasks. I continued to completely obsess over 3D printers until August 2022, when our first child was born.

The Real Challenge?

I cannot say the birth of our daughter was unexpected. We knew we were expecting by early November 2021, and we spent much of the next 9 months preparing for her arrival. We built a nursery out of the spare bedroom. We traded in the sports car for a more sensible (and safe) EV crossover. I 3D printed anything and everything we thought might be remotely useful. We bought every gadget, gizmo, and accessory we could think of. And if there was anything we forgot, the sheer amount of familiar hand-me-downs filled in the gaps. We were as ready as anyone could be, but as any parent with tell you, nothing prepares you for the arrival of a child.

I wish I could tell you what I spent the latter half of 2022 doing, but much like the post-Pandemic world of mid-2020, it felt I entered a parallel universe where time was no longer linear. Seconds, days, weeks, months. Those are all certainly words, but they do not describe the passage of time in the same way they once did.

Did I fold the laundry? Are the bottles washed? Baby down? Who has baby? Did we take her to daycare? Did I dream that? Wait did we sleep? We should teach the baby to sleep. Ugh, can you hurry and grow up. No wait, stop. Stop growing up! How are you growing so fast?

The Challenge, Challengers, and What's Beyond

I'd like to say that I aced every challenge I faced in 2022, but I took my fair share of losses. My 365-day coding challenge was not a success. I did not write code every day. I did not work on my website at all. I did not prioritize coding.

Despite my failures, my successes were numerous. My professional growth continued upward. I made many professional contacts that continue to help me grow. I invested a lot of time in my hobbies, especially 3D printing. I tackled a lot of home improvement, and learned a lot of new skills revolving around that. Most importantly, I became a father, and every day I'm tackling a life filled with brand-new challenges. Every day has given me the opportunity to experience life through a new set of eyes.

I started out 2022 with a list of my own plans, challenges, ambitions, and goals. I'm still working on my lists, but the challenges I face now take priority. I hope to continue working on my website, blog, and other projects, but I'm not going to promise any timelines or deadlines on my hobby projects for the time being.

As we celebrate our daughter's first birthday, I'm looking forward to the challenges that await us.