Hello, world! 🌍✨ We’re about a month into the term, and so far, things have been going pretty well. In this post, I’m diving into the technologies I’ve been working with—my favorites, the ones I’m using for my Crowd-Sourced Travel Planner project, the trickiest ones, and the ones that had the steepest learning curve but ended up being worth it.
React Native: A Surprisingly Smooth Ride 🚀
The biggest technology I had to pick up for this project was React Native, and at first, I thought it was going to be a lot. Mobile development felt intimidating, but after some research, tutorials, and hands-on experience, it’s actually been way more manageable than I expected. Since I already have web development experience, the transition hasn’t been as difficult as I thought. The learning curve wasn’t too steep, and the huge amount of documentation and tutorials out there have been lifesavers.
Plus, my team is using languages I’m already comfortable with—TypeScript, JavaScript, and SQL—which has made the process smoother.
Expo: My Favorite Technology Right Now ✨
If I had to pick a favorite tech at the moment, it would be Expo. We’re using it as the framework and platform for our React Native app, and honestly, it makes everything so much easier. The pre-built APIs for native features like the camera have been super helpful, especially for adding functionality that lets users upload images.
Next on my list? Figuring out how to integrate a map and use location services within the app. Another thing I love about Expo is that it lets you build and test apps without needing an emulator or simulator—you can even test directly on your phone with the Expo Go App. It’s been a game-changer for our development workflow.
The Toughest Tech: C/C++ & Figma
Looking back at the technologies I’ve used, the toughest ones have definitely been C/C++ and Figma—for very different reasons.
C/C++ was challenging because of its low-level memory management and stricter syntax, but I appreciate it now because I can use it to build computer graphics (which is really cool).
Figma was tricky simply because it has so many features—but once I got the hang of it, it became a tool I genuinely love for designing UI wireframes and prototypes.
Now for the drama… đź“ş
Of course, no blog post would be complete without a little TV talk! Lately, I’ve been loving:
- XO, Kitty (Forever a TATBILB girlie, obviously. đź’Ś)
- Chef & My Fridge (Chef Edward Lee is my absolute fave! 🍽️)
- Bones (Currently on a rewatch—because sometimes, you just need comfort TV.)
- Sweet Magnolias (Patiently waiting for the new season!)
