A Preview into Chapter 2

On January 1st of this year, I wrote my first post about diving into web development.

And when I say "diving" - I really mean pinching-my-nose-and-squeezing-my-eyes-shut-while-jumping-out-of-a-plane-over-the-ocean.

I had this hunch, this innate desire to do something so very different (though tangentially related) to what I'd done before.  It was a pretty big risk, to be honest.  And I couldn't be happier or more proud of myself for taking it.

I said I was green, and boy was I ever!  When I started out, I couldn't handle CSS, I barely knew what HTML could do, and I wrote JavaScript like it was C++.  Looking back, I'm almost embarrassed - but that's how I know I've grown so much ;-)

Knowing what I wanted to do, I didn't spend too much time thinking about how to get there - I just went for it.  I met with the CEO of the coolest web development company in town and asked him what it would take for me to work there.  He said I needed to learn node.js, so I did.  (No, really, right after that conversation, I went ahead and started reading up on itand hacking around.)  I must have done something right, because they asked me to be an intern in their first-ever official internship program.  And then I must have continued to rock someone's socks off, because they brought me on full time as a Junior Developer after 5 weeks!  Since then, I have been swimming in a sea of code - and it's been truly, undeniably awesome.

I have absolutely loved my time at Skookum - the team is top notch and they have so many cool projects going on, it's like being a kid in a web-based candy store.  The Skookum family has also grown immensely and only gets more awesome with time - I am truly honored to count myself among its members.

Unfortunately, my first year as a web developer is coming to a close.

It is with this post that I bittersweetly announce that next year, I will be leaving Charlotte (and, sadly, Skookum :-() and returning to the great West Coast: I will be joining the incredible Storify team as an Engineer in San Francisco at the end of January!

At Storify, not only will I get to work on one of the first fully node.js applications on the web, but I will also get to help define storytelling and journalism in the 21st century.  I just know that I'll be learning even MORE over the next year, and I can't wait to tell you about all of my sure-to-be crazy adventures as they happen!  (And believe me, I've already got a few lined up!)

With that, I wish every one of you a wonderful holiday and a very Happy (Mayan!) New Year - thank you for an amazing 2012 :-D

2013? Let's do this!

On a more personal note, we are really going to miss our friends and family in Charlotte.  We're also really excited to hang out with our friends out west, so.... boo/yay?