Another year has come and gone, seemingly in the blink of an eye. For me, it's been one to remember.
2012 was a year of great learning for me. My position at CDOT has given me more than just steady pay and something to do. I've learned so much, met so many, and accomplished things most developers with my experience would be jealous of. I really couldn't thank the higher-ups at CDOT enough for supporting me. A special thanks is definitely in order to David Humphrey, who initially offered me the chance at the position back in 2011, and has been my project supervisor ever since.
During my time here, I've had the chance to work on two significant pieces of software, Popcorn.js and Popcorn Maker. Today, I'm proud to say that I've helped ship TWO pieces of 1.0 software, an achievement that I don't take for granted. A big, thankful shout-out must go to the Mozilla Foundation, who headed the two projects. Without those guys ( and gals ), Popcorn Maker would not have become a reality.
Two of the most exciting events for me this year involved traveling to San Francisco and London. In San Fransisco, I spent two days at the Mozilla offices meeting with people from around the continent (maybe the world) who use Popcorn,js. We spent our time there brainstorming the future direction of the framework. I was sent to London for the Mozilla Festival, where we unveiled Popcorn Maker 1.0 to the world.
2012 has been a year of loss for me as well. A friend who I had met through my girlfriend, suddenly and tragically passed away in September... he was only 23. As devastating as this loss was, I have found it helpful to think back on all the great times we shared with him. Death is a sad thing, something I learned very well when my father passed away in 2008 after a courageous battle with cancer. These experiences have really shown me how precious every day we have on this planet really is.
I'm really looking forward to 2013.With about 6 months left at CDOT, I'll continue to help out Mozilla with Popcorn.js and Popcorn Maker, and possibly assist in other Mozilla Webmaker initiatives. After that... well, I don't quite know yet. The knowledge I've gained and skills I've honed here at CDOT are sure to serve me well in the future. For now though, I think I'll focus on making the tools I've poured countless hours into even better than they currently are.
With all that said, Happy new years, and good luck to all!