As a casual owner of a human brain, I tend to overlook my accomplishments and instead focus on the negatives. I am writing this annual review as an opportunity to reflect on my journey.
I started documenting annual reviews after being inspired by a fellow developer, Jack Lyons (who apparently got the idea from James Clear of Atomic Habits).
Looking back at 2023, I will answer three questions:
- What went well this year?
- What didn’t go so well this year?
- What am I working towards?
1. What went well this year?
Personal development
This year was remarkable when it comes to personal development. Being in a comfortable financial situation allowed me to focus on this aspect. I’ve been struggling with social anxiety for quite a while now, and my goal was to let go of social fear.
After meeting different therapists, I finally found an outstanding one, precisely what I needed and sought out. Having this vital person to exchange ideas with, I slowly started climbing the “anxiety ladder”, putting myself in different situations from less to more frightening.
I started from being uncomfortable in public spaces to initiating conversations with strangers and even asking for phone numbers.
There is still some social fear lingering about. Regardless, I’m fond of this (terrifying) journey, and I am confident I can overcome it. Occasionally, I must remind myself that I’m still an introvert at heart.
Started my journey into Cybersecurity
Since joining the tech community, I had the opportunity to experiment with various flavors of it. Among them, Security was the thing that captured my imagination the most. Finding ways to set up a secure environment to protect against potential threats is an intriguing challenge that I find captivating. This year, I finally shifted my focus in that direction.
After meeting my Ruby mentor and now friend, Greg, I was pleasantly surprised to find out he’s OSCP certified and he’s already working in this field. He offered some invaluable advice, and we sketched a roadmap for me to advance in this new field.
I met Greg on firstrubyfriend.org, where I was a mentee for over a year. Recently, I also registered to become a Ruby mentor; this is my way of giving back all the help I received, so if you’re just starting out with this language, I’m open to answering your questions on Ruby and your career in general.
In 2023, I completed CS50’s Introduction to Cybersecurity course. This offered a comprehensive overview and was one of the best initial steps I could have taken in this field. During my final project, I analyzed SMS phishing attacks targeting UPS Canada Ltd and its customers.
I recommend this course to anyone seeking a solid introduction to Security.
Health
After suffering an accident, I “stepped” into 2023 with two broken feet. Only by March was I able to slowly start walking again; that was after around 4 months of being incapacitated. Working with a talented physiotherapist, I had a surprisingly fast recovery. As a result, roughly by May/June, I was back out there running, hiking, and camping.
Even if temporary, experiencing a loss of mobility can be a humbling experience, which puts one’s life into perspective. Therefore, I’ll be forever grateful for the gift of walking.
This accident made me push forward with my old dream, which involves backpacking in South America. The plan has been on the backburner for way too long.
Come 2024, I’ll take myself on a journey there.
2. What didn’t go so well this year?
Job instability
As for plenty of people (at least in tech), this year could have definitely been brighter regarding job stability.
The startup I worked at had the best culture you could ask for, a good company size with wonderful people, remote working, a very flexible schedule, and many learning opportunities.
This startup merged into a large corporation, which caused a lack of direction for several months. Lacking this sense of direction is something I need to get used to. As things are getting even more volatile in this field of work, I’m looking forward to getting more familiar with this sentiment. Becoming a freelancer could be a way to power through it. This idea used to intimidate me, but it grew up on me recently.
On the bright side, I met some excellent colleagues working in Security from the large corporation mentioned above. I also had more time and mental space to acquire Web Security skills.
Not being consistent with bouldering
This year, I started bouldering after I was kindly initiated by my dear friend Bea in Valencia. It is an engaging practice mentally, and it can be an intense physical exercise. Also, the bouldering community is the best part; everybody I met is friendly, open, and helpful.
Back in Lisbon, I constantly practiced at the bouldering gym for around two months, but I stopped after that. The gyms were 1 hour away by public transport, and I started getting weary of spending so much time on the transport. As a replacement, I was doing yoga at home and running.
I also regret not finding a group to go climbing outdoors with. But I’m looking forward to that in 2024.
3. What am I working towards?
Handling my social anxiety
Recently, I learned that you cannot be anxiety-free and that some anxiety is actually good (I know, right!?), so I’m focusing on accepting it in different situations. I always found it inspiring and commending when someone can overcome their fears. For me, that means being comfortable in social situations and connecting with various people without letting the anxiety intervene.
My mission for the future is to form more meaningful connections, improve the way I communicate my ideas, and expand my extroverted side.
Just half a year ago, becoming this version of myself seemed unreal, yet here I am. This reassurance that I can achieve numerous other things brings a sense of wonder, maybe even empowerment (to use a dangerous word nowadays).
Now, curiosity pushes me to experiment and discover what else is possible.
Continuing the Cybersecurity journey
I’m intrigued by this field and the community involved in it. This year, I’m working on building a good foundation in Web Security (maybe even getting certified) and getting some work experience.
I’m also continuing to connect with wonderful people who are already in this field or interested in this topic. Feel free to reach out if you’re among them; there will be cookies.
South America journey
Next, I will embark on an epic journey in South America. I’ve been dreaming of this travel for a long time. During my past travels in Mexico, I met many travelers who recommended South America.
Being in that traveling mode brings such a sense of freedom, which is quite addictive; there are endless routes you can take. Even if you make plans in advance, once you get there, you meet people, get better recommendations, and discover stunning places you did not even think of.
This travel means I’m leaving Lisbon (for the moment at least).
Lisbon has been my beloved home for the past two years. It’s a city that has warmly welcomed me and offered a delightful living experience. Here, I grew as a person, expanded my network, and got to enjoy the sun. There is so much sun in here; I love being able to stay for a coffee out in the sun almost year-round.
But the most significant part about Lisbon is the people I’ve met here; we formed strong connections and built a fabulous community.
I want to express my gratitude for meeting them.