Hello, My Name Is...

Life wasn't supposed to go this way. I was supposed to have kids, be a part-time artist, keep a messy but cheerful house. But instead I find myself closer to 50 than 40, divorced from a way too early marriage, a widow to the good man who showed up late, and getting through a world-wide pandemic that was spent 95% alone with two cats. So what to do? How to keep the lovely house and not have to work until I'm 85? Why not learn to code?

A trusted friend pointed me towards Flatiron School's Software Engineering bootcamp. 15 weeks and then employable in this new chosen field? Sure, why not. You can do anything for 15 weeks.

Well, you might not be able to do ANYTHING for 15 weeks, but it seems like I can do THIS. My overachieving brain has found its place. After a lifetime of making things - be it in the kitchen, garden, graphic design, photography, crafts - I found something new to build. It might not be tangible, but it's still scratching that itch I have for creating every day.

As of today, I've successfully made it through 3 of 5 bootcamp phases. It hasn't been easy, but there is a supportive community I didn't expect. And it's amazing to feel my brain working, to focus on something positive. As there's no alternative, I'm going to be a developer whether I like it or not.