I still skate
Two things I can’t live without, skateboarding and tech. Skateboarding has always been my passion and unexpectedly, it’s led me to become a great software developer too. I started learning about software to build something for the skateboarding community and naturally, I wanted to test things out on my phone. The first questions I asked myself were:
- What software does my phone use? — iOS.
- What language can I use to build an app on iOS? — Swift.
From there, I taught myself the basics using resources from Apple and of course, the internet. I remember printing out “Hello World” for the first time and it felt just like my first ollie — which wasn’t pretty high at first! I knew learning how to develop was going to be difficult but I figured “Well if I can do this, what’s stopping me from learning how to do the next thing? And the thing after that? And so forth.” Failures and patience lead to progress so I just try to have fun with it.
At the moment, I specialize in JavaScript while dabbling in Python but learning the programming concepts and basics when learning Swift made it so much easier to learn. Just to be clear, I’m not saying Swift is the best first language to learn. Just like any other language, it takes time and patience to learn and even more to master! It just made it easier to pick up new languages because they have similar ways of doing things. The way I look at code now compared to when I first encountered it reminds me of the first time I watched a full length skate video. At first, I was a wide-eyed beginner with an appreciation I didn’t expect. As time passes by and I gain experience, my appreciation keeps growing, while understanding the art and the science.
In case you couldn’t tell yet — I love being a software engineer! I love learning new concepts while transforming my puzzled face into a cheesy grin. I should probably write more blogs about the tools I learn how to use. I never know who’s going to benefit from it. Plus, I’ve read so many blogs that have helped me a lot and it’s about time I return the favor.
Stay tuned!
