Whew! What a year!

Supposedly should have written this article way before the new year started, but I just could not bring myself to do so, and then I was trying to think of the perfect title to use. Now that we are here, Let's go on a little trip down memory lane on how the year went. Shall we?

First half

I began the year on a very sad and depressing note, I remember calling my friend Deji on the 2nd of January to talk to him, I was so unsure of how the year was going to go. I had lost my job in December of the year before. I was broke. I had exams looming and I was just practically scared. I went to school regardless, wrote exams for the whole month of January, saw plenty shege, and by the time I was done. I ran home immediately after exams. Which had never happened before. I had my birthday in February and at that point, it felt like I was going through a mid-life crisis.

Immediately after my birthday, I went to cut all my hair and went on a total low cut. For anyone that knows me very well knows how I like my hair very full. It was weird but I did it regardless. I was back to school by February ending and I started grinding back to back. I got a gig that was keeping me afloat. In the same February, I tried out Altschool, I got in and at some point, it didn't work out. March came and the strike started and at the same time OSCAFEST was approaching, I decided I was going to go to that event which I did, and that was the beginning of my stay in Lagos. I had an amazing time at OSCA and it was my very first time attending a big tech event in Lagos. It was an amazing experience and I met people from tech twitter and I made friends. After the event, I decided to stay back in Lagos and keep grinding. I stayed at my grandparents so life was pretty easy. I just wake up and head to my laptop and stay on my laptop till the end of the day. That was mostly my life for most parts of the strike.

I was doing mostly freelance projects and managing communities. I got my first international client, worked for 3 months and then in between that, I got a software engineering internship role with a company in the UK. For the first time, I withdrew physical dollars out of the money I was earning. I got another freelance project again, this time it was not paid but it was fun building with them. And lastly, I was working with a company that teaches kids how to code. I was doing all of this simultaneously. Let's just say I practically didn't have a life outside my laptop. I worked on so many projects but I couldn't say I did this lol.

Asides from work, I was eating a whole lot, trying to gain weight lol. Managing friendships and keeping in touch. I also got to visit Cowrywise HQ on several occasions as we had ambassadors hangout which was super fun and I got to meet the amazing people who work at Cowrywise and learn from them. The first half of the year ended with me changing my phone. Which was a good start. The plan was to change my laptop by the end of the second half, but that didn't happen anyways. But moving on.

Second half

I stopped writing this article for like 24 hours and I can't remember my thought process again, oh well, the second half of the year came with a different vibe entirely, sapa came to show me a bit of shege after I got a new phone, I kept grinding, I met a few new people I attended events. I was working on a few projects with other people. In July/August, my tenure as a GDSC Lead had come to an end.

Google Developer Student Club Leads (GDSC)are passionate leaders at their universities who are dedicated to helping their peers learn and connect.

It was nice handing it over to a new person. I picked up another thing, I started managing another tech community within Ado. I got to work with someone I had always admired. Mind you I was still at my grandparents, eating and adding weight, I visited Ibadan on a few occasions to see my parents. And boom! School decided they wanted to resume in October or when sef, my plans scattered and I began to panic, my life was already planned out without school involved, Regardless I had to move to school when it was time and I must say that as stressful as the semester was, it was the softest semester I had so far, I'm not sure how I managed my time but my work/school schedule worked fine, It wasn't all rosy as I am making it sound right now, but you get my point. I realized I could do work, and school and still have a bit of fun grateful to Geek and Tobi for making me realize that. In November, I traveled twice while school was in session, How I did do it? I have no idea, to be honest. In the same November, I volunteered at Devfest Ado Ekiti and DevFest Lagos, I also helped organize the Microsft Student Ambassadors Community lunch in my school I was stressed but it was worth it, It felt like I had superpowers at some point. I remember I had DSA exams that same day of Devfest Ado Ekiti, P.S: I honestly do not recommend lol.

My Rollercoaster Journey

In all honesty, 2022 was a long year, I took a lot of L's as much as I had W's, the L's took a lot from me, and there were days I would do nothing all day. I got burnt out, I made silly ass mistakes(I'm always making one mistake or the other) I hurt a few people mostly unintentionally, I made new friends, I made money and I lost money. I didn't hit most of my goals. I cared less and had a nonchalant attitude. I got so many rejection emails, at some point I got tired of applying. While some interviews went well, I got feedback on my technical tasks

On speaking engagements, I gave a few talks this year all virtually. I hope to do physical speaking engagements in 2023 If my social anxiety does not kick me so much.

Amidst career building I had to save my academic life with my terrible memory and several work engagements

In 2022 was the year I opened up to new relationships, mostly platonic, I did things slightly differently. Some ended before they began, and sometimes we just stopped talking maybe because it was hard to keep up, was tuff tho maybe because I am someone who finds it hard to let go. Maybe I do suck at managing friendships, it got hard to keep up with conversations, half of the time I don't even have anything to say. I try though I try to check in whenever I can. I'm grateful to the friends and acquaintances that stuck with me all through. Big shout out to Geektutor by the way, That guy is the real MVP

2022 thought me two major things, firstly I can do anything I put my mind to, I can achieve a lot of things and I should stop limiting myself, secondly, I can work and have fun while working, there's no harm in doing both. For 2023 do I have plans? Honestly, I do not know yet. My goal is just to do x2 better than I did the previous year and to push myself beyond my limits. I am a superstar!

Wrap-up &2023

I'm thankful for all the people who helped me throughout the year, In 2023 I'm shooting for the moon. I am working towards getting the good things I deserve in this life. I'll try to ask for help more often this year.

"Tomorrow is not promised, but the hope we've got makes us work towards it anyways."

I came across a tweet while reading a Twitter friend's year-in-review article and that's what I plan on doing

The tweet is saying getting competence and esteem is better than popularity. 2022 wasn't the best year but it gave me hope and opened my eyes to the possibilities of what can happen. It is just the beginning of greatness. To a better and more prosperous 2023!!

(Can I add this as checked-off 2023 goals? I need some endorphins for the new year abeg)

If you read this far, I love you

Safe.