A Year of Resilience and Growth

Looking Back at 2024: My Year of Ups, Downs, and Everything in Between

You know how they say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger? Well, 2024 really put that to the test for me. It's been a rollercoaster of a year - from crushing it at work to spending way too much time in hospital waiting rooms. But hey, I'm still here, and I've got quite a story to tell.

Starting Fresh (Sort of) - January to March

January was supposed to be my "new year, new me" moment. I had all these grand plans and was feeling pretty optimistic. Then boom - one Saturday morning after hitting the gym, I ended up in the hospital with a chest infection. Not exactly the fresh start I was hoping for, right?

But February got things moving in a better direction. As the lead engineer on my team, I had my hands full with frontend work and mobile development. One of my proudest moments? Recommending this super talented backend developer I met online. He ended up joining our team, and it turned out to be one of my better decisions this year.

March was when things really kicked into high gear. We were interviewing people left and right for the tech department, and I was juggling a new mobile project at work. My new teammate and I were mapping out our battle plan for the year's features - we were ready to take on the world (or at least our project backlog).

The Plot Thickens - April to June

April threw me a curveball with my health starting to act up. But that didn't stop me from taking on a cool project for Miss Cookie Ghana - helping bring their natural spices business online. Shoutout to my old colleague for that connection!

Then came May, and oh boy, did I have my hands full with this animation-heavy project for Undisciplined.xyz. If you've ever worked with complex animations, you know what I'm talking about - it's like trying to choreograph a digital dance party. My skin decided to join the drama too, getting super sensitive. Silver lining? I finally learned to cook properly instead of relying on takeout. Also started my own little photography project - because sometimes you need reminders of how good you look, even when you're not feeling your best! 😄

June was all about planning my portfolio redesign while juggling other projects. Weekends became my meal prep and portfolio planning time - not exactly wild and crazy, but hey, it worked for me.

The Summer That Tested Me - July to September

July started out great - more photoshoots, good health, crushing work goals. Then mid-month hit, and everything went sideways. Hospital visits became my new normal, with different doctors giving different opinions. Family drama decided to join the party too. I'm not going to lie - I hit a really low point. Buried myself in work just to keep my mind off things. But you know what? I also started forcing myself to go to events, trying to find little pockets of joy wherever I could.

August brought the scary news - early-stage high blood pressure. Between hospital visits, lab tests, and work leaves, I was barely keeping it together. My coping mechanism? Cooking up a storm and snapping photos. My colleagues probably thought I was crazy - being sick but still meal prepping like a chef on a mission.

September brought a plot twist. This amazing physiotherapist basically called BS on my HBP diagnosis, saying it was mostly stress. Finally, someone who made sense! Also wrapped up those February projects - both clients were over the moon with the results. Small wins, right?

The Home Stretch - October to December

October brought us all back to the office (bye-bye, WFH life), but I managed to land another cool project with 7even Sports Group. November was rough with health and family stuff creeping back in, but my manager stepped up big time, showing me what real workplace support looks like.

And December? My birthday month brought some much-needed calm. Knocked out my work tasks early, wrapped up my last project without too much drama, and - finally - no medical emergencies or family chaos. Keeping my fingers crossed it stays this way till New Year's!

Real Talk: What 2024 Taught Me

Look, I won't sugarcoat it - this wasn't my easiest year. But sitting here writing this, I realize it's taught me more than any "good" year probably would have:

• I'm way stronger than I thought (seriously, who knew I could handle client projects while basically living at the hospital?)
• Work achievements are great, but health (mental and physical) has to come first
• Sometimes the worst situations bring out the best in people (shoutout to my manager and team for having my back)
• Cooking isn't just about food - it's pretty therapeutic when life gets messy
• Taking pictures isn't just about memories - sometimes it's about reminding yourself who you are on your worst days

The tech wins were sweet - building Miss Cookie Ghana's platform, crushing that animation-heavy project, and launching 7even Sports Group's site. But the real victory? Making it through all the health scares, family drama, and stress while somehow keeping my coding game strong.

To 2025, I'm coming in wiser, stronger, and with a killer recipe collection (silver linings, right?). And while I'm hoping for fewer hospital visits and more smooth sailing, I know now that whatever comes my way, I can handle it.

Here's to another year of coding, cooking, and hopefully way less medical drama. 🚀