YOUSOFABOUHALAWA

Uno

Introduction

Hey, glad to see you here! I’m Yousof, a software dev and digital art enthusiast. I’m also currently studying to become a doctor. This is my first blog post on my website, and the first blog post that I write ever. If you’re reading this, I’m grateful that you showed that much interest! In this post, I want to tell you a little bit about myself, blogging, why I’m writing a blog and why perhaps you might want to follow me on this journey.

About Me

My name is Yousof Abouhalawa, I’m Egyptian and currently living there. I’m currently in my second year studying to get a degree in Medicine, to work as a doctor. About 4 years ago, I started learning web development because at that time, it was the “thing”. As a young Gen Z teenager living in a third world country, hearing about the salaries that web developers make per year, being digital nomads, travelling the world, while making tons of money, I was hooked. I wanted in. So, I began my journey like many do, learning HTML, CSS and later on, Javascript using MDN Web Docs. My plan was to learn Web Dev, make enough projects by the time I’m 18, so I can start working as a freelancer. By the time I was 18, I only had one project: my website. But through a stroke of luck and blessing, I landed my first job, the day I turned 18. As soon as I was of legal age, I signed up on Upwork.com.

If you’re not familiar with Upwork, it’s an online platform for freelance workers to find jobs. Anyone can post a “gig” (small job) detailing their requirements and the ideal candidate for the job. Then, freelancers can bid on the project and write a proposal. If they’re lucky enough, the person posting the job, will pick them based on their portfolio, experience, etc. I said earlier that it was a stroke of luck and blessing, which is true, and I’ll tell you why. I bid on a project that needed a MedusaJS starter. MedusaJS is a backend “framework” for ecommerce built on Express.js. At the time, I had never touched backend before… But somehow I got the job, and I started working.

I was pressed for time, didn’t sleep for days, trying to figure out how to achieve the requirements using a new framework with little documentation as someone with 0 experience in backend. But somehow, it worked out, I guess. At some point, I had to leave the project, because I had exams, but it was the first time I actually made some money with my own skills. It wasn’t much at all, but I was exhilirated, I thought to myself “I provided value to someone”. I wouldn’t call that code “valuable” at all now, but it was my first time working any job, so it felt good regardless.

After a while, I was able to get more higher paying jobs on Upwork, until I got to the client that I’m working with now. We moved outside Upwork, and now I’ve been working for over a year with them. It’s been amazing, and I’m able to support myself and my family through college. That’s an opportunity that not many people have, especially where I live, so I’m truly grateful. What started as a way to make money, still is, but it grew into a passion. Now I want to learn programming to be a proper, highly skilled developer. I want to work on many cool projects, like making games. I also want to combine programming with medicine. All that leads me to this blog. Why write a personal blog now? I will answer that, but before, let’s talk about personal blogs first.

Are (Personal) Blogs Dead?

In my opinion, no. It’s true that blogs and reading in general have been on the decline, but I don’t think they’re going to disappear completely anytime soon. Unfortunately, with the rise of AI, the internet has been plagued with AI written articles that do make it to the top of the search results. However, there are still many high quality blogs out there, written by real people sharing real experiences, and I want to be one them.

Why I’m Writing This Blog

I will admit, I was not a reading or writing enjoyer when I was younger, but recently I got into reading fiction and non fiction books, and I realized just how much power words can hold. You will surely realize that this is my first post, as the writing quality is not great, but I want to change that. In a world, that is transitioning away from written words, I want to develop and master the skill of writing. So, hopefully you’ll stick around with me on this journey, and if you’re interested we can connect!

Conclusion

If you made it this far, I’m truly grateful for your time, I hope it was worth it for you, as it was for me writing it. I’m looking forward to writing way better pieces, so if you’re interested, stay tuned!