8 min read
Published on January 05, 2025
This was the highlight of the year. I've never been particularly excited about traveling to another country. But when my friends suggested a trip to Thailand, I didn't hesitate to say yes. Oddly enough, the idea didn't spark much excitement in me initially, but I agreed—perhaps because of my friends.
That lack of excitement lingered until I reached the airport. Then a thought hit me: "I'm about to set foot in a different country, on new land, immersed in a new culture", things that I have not done yet. Just a few centuries ago, this journey would have required braving the sea. Now, it's just a four-hour flight away. The realisation of stepping onto foreign soil filled me with excitement. And it was worth every bit of it. I was struck by how Thailand felt both familiar and completely different. It's hard to put those feelings into words—I've tried to write about it several times but still can't fully capture it. Maybe I'll revisit this later.
This trip is a golden memory etched in my heart. Whether it was the people, the place, the timing, or all of the above — it was truly special. Traveling with my closest friends also made a huge difference. Despite facing several challenges, we managed to get through them together.
I miss the 7-Elevens—walking for kilometers, tired and sweaty, only to find one just around the corner. Stepping inside, the door chime, the blast of air conditioning, the smell of food, and the bright lights. Argh, I can't seem to write all this without being sunk in nostalgia.
More than anything, this trip helped me learn a lot about who I am. Recently, I read how Tim Ferriss enjoys traveling—he calls it "slow pace traveling." I think this resonates with me. I don't enjoy rushing from one place to another, trying to check off an imaginary to-do list of sights. Instead, I enjoy strolling through a new city, exploring local markets, observing how people behave, expanding my taste buds. For me, a slower pace is key. I'll keep this in mind for future trips.
Bangkok was a paradise for photography. I'm sad I didn't have more time to explore the city. From the taxis, I visualized hundreds of frames. I could see them in my head. If only I had the time to stop and capture those frames. I'd love to go back to Bangkok just to wander the urban areas for street photography.
Even six months later, I still think about this trip and can talk about it for hours. It was truly unforgettable.
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes"
Marcel Proust
I never thought I'd be so affected by friends moving away. But man, it hit hard. This year, I had to say goodbye to several friends, whether they moved to different countries, took new jobs, or embarked on other journeys. It still feels a bit cringe to write about this, but I had to include it.
Beauty of a song is in the fact that it is limited and that it ends. Beauty of life is in the fact that we are mortal. Time goes. Things end. That is fine. That is life.
I picked up kickboxing last year, and this year, I competed in a few amateur bouts—one in kickboxing and another in sambo. For sambo, I had to learn some grappling, which introduced me to Jiu-Jitsu. I was surprised by how intellectual Jiu-Jitsu is—it's like a chess match, full of strategy and traps. Although I don't have the time to train regularly, I hope to delve deeper into Jiu-Jitsu this year.
I have been watching combat sports since I was 15, and actually going out and competing just unlocked a whole new side of combat sports for me. The actual fight is just 10% of the struggle. Weight cutting, dieting, training, and dealing with pre-match nerves are far more challenging. Cutting 8 kilos was a painful process, especially the last 1.5 kilos through dehydration. The pre-match nerves were overwhelming, but once in the ring, everything else faded away. The fight felt like an eternity, yet it was over in a flash. It's hard to explain unless you've experienced it yourself.
This year, I started lifting weights more consistently. I always found weightlifting to be too boring. I mean, you're just moving weights in a really static manner. How can that be fun? But this year, I discovered what the mind-muscle connection is. It clicked for me. Now, I am excited to lift weights and get stronger. I'm glad I found this connection with weightlifting. I've heard countless health experts suggest that weightlifting should be an integral part of one's fitness goals.
Back in college, when I started learning web development, React clicked with me instantly. I loved how it worked. Since discovering React, I hadn't done much server-side rendering (SSR), primarily sticking with client-side rendering (CSR). But this year, I had the chance to work with Hotwire, built by the Rails team. It was a whole new experience that required me to completely rewire my thinking. My brain had been wired to think in a 'React' way. Working with SSR through Hotwire has been eye-opening. Now, for small projects, I simply spin up a Rails project and start coding—no need to worry about bundlers, transpilers, or JavaScript build tools. Side projects have become much more fun with SSR and Rails.
In the latter half of the year, I dabbled in several side projects. I worked on a few Go projects, two Rails projects, and one Electron project. The Electron project is the closest to an MVP, while the others are paused—not abandoned, just waiting for the right energy to pick them up again. I'm glad to be back into side projects. I've even figured out a framework for tackling them, which I plan to blog about later.
Another shift that came in my mindset was that I got curious about the entire product launching pipeline. Previously, I only ever thought about developing a product. But right now, as my electron app is close to an MVP, I'm required to think about the other aspects such as marketing, copywriting, deployments, etc.
I was always a kid who liked playing physical games/sports. I've looked down upon people who enjoy board games. Like it felt too static for me. But this year, I've got opportunities to play some board games and I really enjoyed it.
I played Taboo this year with a few friends and it was so much fun. Then later on I played Uno, Mafia, and Monopoly. Monopoly is so much fun. I really enjoyed playing it.
This year I plan on playing more board games.
A recurring theme this year was the struggle to find peace on weekends. I felt torn between the need to be productive and the need to relax and recharge. Doing one often made me feel guilty for not doing the other. This year I should figure out how to tackle this problem.
This year, I bought a new Windows laptop for gaming and creative work. Despite initial hesitation, I have no regrets. I'd forgotten how beautiful and fun gaming can be. It's been 4-5 years since I played story mode games, and the advancements in graphics and storytelling blew me away. Relaxing on the couch, playing games on the TV, feels therapeutic.
Some notable single-player games I enjoyed this year include Red Dead Redemption, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Last of Us Part 1.
This year I wrote a total of six blogs—the most I've ever written in a year. I'm proud of that. I should keep writing more and sharing my perspective. Maybe no one will read it, but that's fine. I want to have a corner of the internet for myself and my thoughts.
I want to travel more, but at a slower pace.
Do more go-karting? I went go-karting in Bangalore in December, and I really enjoyed it.
Become a better engineer.
Read more. The only way to fight against brain rot and mindless consumption is mindful consumption.
Meet more people.
2024 went by really fast. Perhaps it was because every month brought something major—a trip, a meetup, something work-related. It all passed by so quickly, which feels a bit scary. But it is what it is.
As with every year, the aim is always to strive for improvement: to be a better engineer, a better son, a better brother, a better friend, a better person.