I’m a little late in writing my year end review because unlike other years, I didn’t journal even a little bit. Getting my thoughts and memories into writing is definitely not an easy feat but I’ll go month by month and add what I can.

2022 started out quietly with me thinking about goals and life choices, none of which I actually achieved but surprises come in various forms and sizes. I decided to start a fruit plan as a way to improve my health habits but that ship didn’t sail for a long time 🤡. A shaky application to speak, gave me the chance to be on one of the largest stages in Africa. I traveled to Lagos, Nigeria to speak at OSCA fest organized by Open Source Community Africa. I can say without flinching that it was my favorite achievement of the year. It happened so early in the year that it seemed surreal. I had the opportunity to meet a good chunk of people and network.

Most of these might not be worth mentioning but I experienced what it felt like to resign/quit for the first time. Growth is definitely important and must happen but I found myself feeling a lot of guilt whilst changing companies but at the same time feeling so proud that I have come to a point where I’m sure that I need to move on. I like to think that was a great decision I made and it paved the way for better opportunities. This also helped me understand myself as a person. I learnt the importance of knowing when to stop, taking breaks and not feeling guilty about it.

I wouldn’t personally say there was an improvement in my technical skills as far as this year is concerned but when it comes to soft skills, I feel I have come a long way and I’m extremely proud of myself. I didn’t do alot of community work as I wanted to but I believe with my new found “planning” skills 😏, I can dedicate a lot of time to take part in improving the communities I’ve greatly gained from.

Ultimately, 2022 for me was the kind of year you don’t appreciate alone but a wealth of things come into perspective once you begin the "compare and contrast" strategy. Cheers to my 2022, with upgrades, achievements, new friends, old crows and a better mind.

Fun fact: Judging from past years, the data shows that December is a very social month for me.