Blog Post #3

This has been a monumental couple of weeks for the project. Things have really taken off for both the backend and frontend. The backend team has been furiously working through hosting options, API structures, and the ever present hurdle over odd errors. But they were able to successfully host their service on Google Cloud.

The frontend is also expanding in it’s own rite. More importantly, our frontend has successfully been reaching the backend endpoints. The frontend has also fleshed out basic routing between pages (sign in, sign up, forgot password, user profile). Also, we have established a rudimentary authentication for user sign in with an error message for invalid logins.

It certainly is starting to feel like we are cresting the first major push of this quarters project. Seeing many of the basic functions fall into place definitely gives me a ‘sigh of relief’ to the doubtful thought of ‘are we going to be able to actually do this?’

As the team continues to plan and build out our project, I can’t but help to think we are getting to the ‘fun part’ of the quarter. I’ll be honest about my feelings at the beginning of the quarter. The project seemed like a big task, I didn’t know the tech stack we had chosen, and frankly I’m pretty burned out of doing college courses for the past three years while working full-time. I truly feel at my wits end with schoolwork, but there is HOPE! This is the FINAL class — and all I have to do is keep pushing forward.

I bring this up to say that the progress we’ve seen this week means THAT MUCH MORE. Knowing we’ve gotten the first (and possibly heaviest) lift of the project is such a relief. I truly believe the rest of the project will be enjoyable and less stressful.

Enough about the project —

As I look towards the horizon of this quarter, I’m filled with a mixture of emotions. First, is complete relief and happiness. Like I said, I’m a bit burnt out from doing schoolwork in my free time.

I’m also a TINY bit sad. While I often feel I am painstakingly completing my coursework, I can’t help but enjoy the learning process. I’m a believer in pushing personal challenges onto myself. I haven’t had to worry about pushing myself these last three years because every quarter was a new challenge.

Completing my C.S. degree at OSU will have been like climbing a mountain. I’ve dreamed of the peak for so long, lost sight of it a few times along the way, ignored the desire to quit, and relied on my discipline to persevere. I think there was a part of me that stopped thinking about the peak because it seemed to far away. I had to rely on the day-by-day mindsight. I can’t think about one month, 3 months, 8 months for now. I really just had to focus on what I needed to do TODAY.

Well, that’s brought me here. I’ve been heads down to the point where I think I forgot how to look towards the peak. Cresting the progress this week in our project really made me realize how CLOSE the peak of the mountain is. I can basically see it. It’s in REACH!

But what will I do when I get there?

I don’t think I can answer that well enough yet. Something tells me I’ll rest for a bit, and enjoy the view. Knowing myself, I’ll be looking for a new mountain to climb before long.

“Now, bring me that horizon.”
– Captain Jack Sparrow