Summer is in full swing.
Despite facing challenges, I’m comforted by my clear goals and direction. Connecting with new people, diving into Android app development, and putting in extended work hours have made the past months rewarding.
“We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Diary
Hey everyone, it’s been some time since my last post. How’s everyone been holding up? The summer of 2023 has been quite a disaster in various aspects, hasn’t it? The United Nations made an announcement that the era of global warming has come to an end, and we’re now entering the era of global boiling. Unfortunately, Covid cases are on the rise once again in many parts of the world, including my home country, Japan.
Me? I’ve been through quite a rollercoaster lately. My job really takes a toll on me, but amidst it all, I’ve had a bunch of experiences and picked up quite a few lessons along the way. But you know how it is, life keeps moving forward, and I’m right there in the mix. Here’s a glimpse into how things have been going for me over the past couple of months.
Joining a meetup group:
I recently did something I hadn’t done since the pandemic began – I joined a meetup group in the nearby city of Fujisawa. One of the main motivations behind this decision was the continuous decline in my mental well-being. With the current work-from-home setup, opportunities for genuine face-to-face interactions have become quite scarce for me.
If you’ve been keeping up with my blog, you might be aware of what’s been going on in my life. Struggling with depression and anxiety, I’ve been dealing with some significant interpersonal challenges. My focus has mostly revolved around my online presence, where I primarily engaged with my international friends through platforms like Zoom, Signal, and other social apps. I had grown accustomed to that kind of interaction.
However, I found myself unsatisfied with this arrangement. One by one, my online friends began to gradually fade from my life – mostly due to their own individual issues. As time went on, my communication with them became almost entirely reliant on text, which felt rather bland and lacking in the human connection I craved.
I found myself with no alternative but to rejoin a meetup group. Before the pandemic, I used to be quite active in attending meetup events, forging new friendships every week, and relishing authentic conversations. I yearned to reintegrate that experience back into my life, as I longed for genuine interactions with people in the tangible world.
My choice proved to be a fantastic success. Thanks to the warm and welcoming individuals, I found real delight in conversing with new acquaintances. What truly stood out about these interactions was the ability to openly share my thoughts with others. You see, during the period when I secluded myself from the world, I dedicated time to immersing myself in various subjects. I not only acquired new programming techniques, but I also expanded my understanding of the world around us through sources like YouTube videos, books, and news articles.
They were genuinely impressed by my extensive knowledge in several of these subjects, and in turn, I gained valuable insights into their perspectives on our world. We delved into discussions about how we’ll navigate through the complexities of this tumultuous era and how to thrive amidst the challenges of the 21st century. We also shared hearty laughs over my own silly and embarrassing past experiences. This is precisely what I longed for, and it’s exactly what I aimed to reintegrate into my life. It underscores one of life’s most remarkable facets – the exchange of ideas, kindness, and thoughts among one another.
Android app dev in Kotlin:
My aspiration to become an Android app developer has played a pivotal role in driving my coding journey. Over the past year, I exclusively worked with Java to create my very first Android app – an experience that has proven immensely valuable for me. This journey wasn’t just about enhancing my coding skills; it also involved reaching out to coding Q&A platforms during the development stages. Through these interactions, I had the opportunity to connect with experienced developers who offered intriguing perspectives on Java coding. Additionally, I even had the pleasure of encountering someone genuinely impressed by my coding prowess.
However, it was time to tackle the obvious challenge – yes, you guessed it, Kotlin, the official language for Android app development. Given that I had focused exclusively on Java for my initial Android app, it became clear that I needed to create at least one app using Kotlin to decorate my portfolios.
One of the interesting aspects of this language is that it’s constructed atop the JVM, essentially making it a Java framework. When you compile an app built with Kotlin, the code is translated into Java – quite fascinating, isn’t it? Consequently, having hands-on experience with Java makes coding in Kotlin considerably more straightforward than the other way around.
This time, my intention is to launch this app on the Google Play Store. While I can’t divulge too many details about the app’s specifics, I’m hopeful that this experience will help pave the path toward achieving my goal of becoming an Android app developer.
Workaholic:
Coding, debugging, and testing – throughout both May and June, my working hours each exceeded the 200 mark. Our primary language is Java, and we work within the Spring Batch framework. The volume of tasks I’ve tackled has been remarkably substantial.
Admittedly, it hasn’t been without moments of anxiety, yet the coding experiences I’ve gathered along this journey have proven to be highly fulfilling.
Selling my old gadgets:
In the past few months, I went ahead and sold off all those gadgets I no longer used – the Xbox Series S, Amazon Fire Tablet, and Chromebook Duet. I believe I had written some reviews of these gadgets back when I got them a couple of years ago, but the time has come to bid them farewell!
Surprisingly, those gadgets were sold at a relatively good price on an app called Merkari – a Japanese version of eBay.
Afterthoughts:
All things considered, my current life has presented its fair share of challenges, yet I find solace in the fact that I have a clear sense of direction and a grasp of what needs to be done to reach my goals.
Engaging with new individuals, delving into Android app development, and dedicating long hours to work have collectively contributed to a fulfilling past couple of months.