Yes, I Do Like a Challenge
A reflection on a mid-life career change to tech as a complete newbie, and the frankly hilarious case of user error as I get my tech blog journey going
“Remember that visual novel, how it was such a good concept, but the writing was kind of terrible?” my roommate asked one day.
I did but that wasn’t why I was currently downloading Ren’py and learning how to code a visual novel. Not specifically. But it really was a weird coincidence.
She continued on to say something about how she was pretty sure we could make something better, but she didn’t really know where to start. I angled my laptop screen to let her see what I was working on. We laughed.
I ended 2025 on a poor note and the beginning part of my 2026 did not fare much better. I got laid off from my job just before getting surgery that required 8 weeks to recover from. In the middle of that recovery, I started my Winter Quarter at North Seattle College to learn Linux and begin my journey into tech and cybersecurity - a role that I never imagined for myself before. Even as I write this post, my unemployment benefits haven’t been approved while I anxiously wait to see if my Training Benefits application is good enough. I recently became single and now have to plan to move in August. My grandmother passed away. I had a bad reaction to some new medication and then suffered withdrawals just as I was working on final projects for my Winter Quarter.
Whichever combination of stars and planets is out to get Taureses this year, can you let me know what we can do to turn things around?
But in the midst of all of that, I decided to learn how to code in Python so I could make visual novels. I got a drawing pad to learn how to do pixel art and then I downloaded Krita to work on more traditional art in the digital canvas. I was really, really, really enjoying my linux class and getting deep in the weeds of bash coding to create projects.
I was an English major. I got a degree in Creative Writing. My best IT advice was to turn it off and turn it back on. I could barely tell you what RAM was let alone explain what Linux was.
I never thought I wanted to learn how to code, I figured that it would always look like Greek to me.
Now, when asked to create a Technical Blog Journal for my class I looked at the options and went: yeah, I can learn how to make a Jekyll based blog with github. Let’s try the challenge.
Once I decide I’m doing something, I’m all in. I dove into research mode, finding all the how-tos and pitfalls and templates, sorting through until I had the optimal configuration of everything I needed. I chose Chirpy as my template as it was refined, came with a dark mode, and still allowed for a little customization. I cloned that repository, set up the name like I was supposed to [username].github.io…
Failed build. Red x. Something went wrong.
Okay. I went into the configuration file, changed the title and committed the change to see if that would reset things, force the build to go again…
Nope. Error code 1.
I’ve got a headache building. The day before I spent over 12 hours driving across four states. I’m trying to wrap my mind around my new Spring Quarter schedule and prepare for an interview tomorrow.
I delete the repository. I start over. It’s still not building. I tear out pieces of the code trying to get it to stop making the checks that are causing failure, after failure, after failure. I tried taking out the chirpy architecture and try changing the theme to one of github pages defaults.
My headache is now forgotten. Because I’ve sunk so much into this now. I’m not swerving to something “easier” when this is a thing that is supposed to work. And if all of the troubleshooting in the world isn’t fixing it…
I stare at my github username as it dawns on me. The most basic of errors. User error.
I was writing my username wrong. Of course.
Sure enough, the fresh repository, the correct username, the build was a success.
Of course this meant I really couldn’t not do this for my technical journal. The next day I kept following the Chirpy instructions. I’ve now got Docker and VS Code on my computer. I’m updating my Windows PowerShell in the command window.
This is how I chose to relax after an interview, long hours of trying to troubleshoot resources for my classes, and had therapy. I decided to take a break by learning, like, three different things on the fly just to be able to get this far.
I’m tired, my monitors look like a mess of way too many windows and chrome tabs, that headache from yesterday might be coming back, but if you’re reading this then it means I succeeded. There’s going to be more failures and mistakes and headaches tomorrow, more things I’m going to have to deep dive research or learn on the fly. But hey, I guess I love a challenge.
I confided in my mom this last week, I don’t recall the exact wording, but I mentioned being worried about falling into my old pattern of not completing things. Of quitting before they got too hard, protecting myself from anxiety and rejection and failure.
“Hey!” she said. “You finish things! You just don’t continue with them afterwards.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I was feeling bad and down on myself and compared myself to very hold habits I’ve grown out of. But preparing myself for Cybersecurity, the classes, the certificates, the projects for portfolio pieces - that’s something I really do want to continue.”
Well, I can safely say today, I chose to continue. If I grew up out of one habit, never finishing anything, then it’s possible to grow out of the other habit. So I expect to continue tomorrow as well.
That’s really the point, anyways. Not finishing, but continuing.
Here’s to tomorrow.