I hadn’t realized the last time I blogged here was September 2022 after our trip to Lake George! A lot has changed in my life since then, which you may have picked up on in my most recent post when I mentioned attending a 19-week coding bootcamp. Time for an update.
The second half of 2022 upended my life in a couple of major ways. That July I was part of a mass firing when my former employer restructured the staff under the leadership of a new executive team. My entire department was axed along with what looked like half the company. We had no warning, and I had no savings. (Who can afford to have savings when you’re making less than $20/hour in this economy?) After 12 years I still hadn’t figured out what I would do for my livelihood if that job ever went away, and now the if had suddenly become when.
I talked to my partner, who reminded me of my love for tech and encouraged me to look into additional training. A friend had reinvented her professional life by attending a coding bootcamp, and she pointed me towards a few that offered repayment plans based on your salary once you started working in the field. I applied to two and was accepted into the one I am currently attending with a full scholarship, praises be. My cohort began in December 2022. I’m in Week 14 of 19 and am amazed with how much I have learned. It’s been like returning home to myself; I had forgotten just how much I loved working in tech before my most recent job.
Before I started the bootcamp I experienced another major loss: in October my mother died from metastatic breast cancer. This was her third bout with breast cancer over about 20 years, and she fought every step of the way. It was honestly a relief when that battle was over. I don’t know what, if anything, comes after death, but if there is anything at all for her, I hope she finds peace.
“Loss” is a word that usually has a negative connotation, because it hurts to lose anything or anyone. But those losses have reset those parts of my life and allowed me time, space, and energy to rebuild in ways I am thankful for. I’m enjoying returning to my tech roots and look forward to pivoting from hardware engineering to software development. I’ve always enjoyed my relationship with my brother and am enjoying the additional depth to our relationship this experience has granted us. Right now I feel thankful and am excited about where 2023 can go.
With all of that on my plate, it makes sense that I haven’t done as much blogging or photography over the past six months or so. But I still post to Instagram when I can. Check out my photos there to keep up with what I’ve been seeing through my lens, because I am far more present there than I am here. As much as I enjoy blogging, photography is my favorite way to share my life with y’all.
