Lessons Learned and Farewell

It’s hard for me to believe that this blog has gone on for as long as it has. Since September 17, 2012, I’ve written here every single day. In total, 2,470 posts. That’s over six whole years of blog posts, without counting the days before that. A lot has changed since 2012, and as today is my last day of being a teenager, I think that it is poetic to end the daily posts today. With that, I’d like to end off with something that isn’t technology-related: What I’ve learned from writing here everyday for almost seven years.

I think writing everyday has given me invaluable experience, while also teaching me the importance of discipline. It keeps me thinking of new ideas and gives me a responsibility every day. Throughout the day, I might remember a new tip for iOS or hear a news story that I’d like to share my take on. There are a lot of times where I think of an idea in a class or while driving, and I end up forgetting the idea altogether. 

And all of that ties into the idea of how writing everyday can interfere with daily life. Sometimes, you’re just really tired and would rather go to bed instead of thinking of something to write at 11:38 p.m. You weren’t able to think of anything during the day, so you check if there are any interesting news stories. But then you realize it’s Saturday and there’s literally nothing. At this point, you rack your brain for anything that can be used, and I’ve somehow managed to come up with something, even if it isn’t the most interesting topic. 

Sometimes the opposite is true, where life can interfere with writing everyday. I’ve been in multiple situations these past few years where I’ll be camping without access to the internet, so I have to write up to five blog posts in advance. When I studied abroad in Japan last year, I had to account for the time change and make sure I wrote my posts by 4:00 p.m. Japan time. With a responsibility like this, where you can’t just call in sick, you have to be really careful with how you plan events or commit to them. It’s similar to taking a medication in some regards, where if you’re going on vacation, you have to bring x amount of tablets with you. 

The blog has also helped me become more open-minded. I find it interesting how I have changed over the past several years. I find that I’ve changed from an Apple enthusiast to an Apple critic. I find that I sometimes write critical pieces of Apple several days in a row, and I worry it gives off the wrong idea. I write critical pieces because Apple is my favorite technology company and I want what I believe is best for it. I’m still very committed to the company. I recently got an iPad Pro and have been loving it so far. 

With all of that said, I believe it is time for me to move on to bigger and better things. As this book closes, another begins to unfold. Tomorrow, I begin my IT Software Engineering Internship with Viasat, a telecommunications company, and I am excited to start. I remember when I first got 100,000 page views and being amazed. Today, the blog stands at over 400,000 page views and I could not be happier with its progress. And with that, I’d like to thank you for reading my blog. Whether you’ve stayed along for the entire ride, or just read one post, I’m glad you’ve stumbled across this site in the vast sea of websites. Thank you so very much. It’s been an experience.

- Alex Baratti