[Annual Review] 2024

Saint-Tropez, Maximilien Luce – 1893
Saint-Tropez, Maximilien Luce – 1893

I know I say it all the time, but every year is the best year of my life. I will always do my best to achieve everything I set out to.

The past few years were dedicated to exploration and understanding—2024 allowed me to reap the rewards of that journey. I can't pinpoint exactly what shifted–maybe it doesn't matter–but for the first time, everything feels right.

I feel in control.

This clarity has reflected positively in all my relationships—with friends, love, and family. Building an understanding of what you want and what you will tolerate makes things easier for both you and everyone around you.

Goals

Comparing my 2023 journal to 2024, it's obvious there's nearly no structure lol. This was intentional as I only had two primary goals for the year. For the smaller ones, things didn't always go as planned, but I'm okay with that.

Code

My creative aspirations this year kind of ended up on a back burner. While I initially set out to complete six projects; it was not a priority as I was traveling. I managed to bring three and a half projects to life which I'm super proud of.

I have a massive project that's close to completion, but it's been ongoing for so long that I just can't get myself back into it. I'll keep trying.

An unexpected highlight was that Places to Read went viral through an Instagram reel. The response was overwhelming – over 300 submissions from strangers across the globe, each sharing their own favourite reading spaces. It was a good reminder of why I believe being able to code is a superpower.

Photography

My concert photography declined significantly this year, mainly because I felt burnt out. I shot fewer than 10 shows this year—I haven't kept exact count. While it's personally fulfilling, it offers few tangible benefits right now.

In contrast, I photographed +40 acts last year including festivals and didn't make a dime (not that $ is the priority). It's tough.

I'm at a crossroads: though I'm confident in my skills, I'm unsure how to grow this work into something bigger.

Cooking and relationships

I love cooking for people. I hosted a potluck, partly to see if I could make food people enjoy.

More importantly, there was something deeply satisfying about creating a space where different friend groups could come together over a shared meal, each person bringing their own piece of themselves to the table.

Highlights

New Demos 1

The year started off with New Demos 1, where I got the opportunity to present my project Montreal in Motion.

The night after, I landed a contract gig that funded my travels.

ND1 kicked off a domino effect in Toronto that brought 1,000s of people together for the sake of progress and growth. It also sparked countless new meaningful friendships which shaped my summer back home after my travels.

I'm forever grateful to internetVin and Tommy Trinh for what they've done for the city of Toronto.

The Last Rodeo: Four months of travel

Travel has been a core part of my life for the past two years and I wanted to do one last, long backpacking trip, specifically one where I wasn't tied to a job or major responsibilities that affected how I travelled. I don't know if I'll ever do this again, but I'm so glad I did it one last time.

Part of me still misses travelling, though I do recognize it as a form of escapism. While I'll always deeply cherish the lifelong friends and memories I've made, I'm glad to be back home. I mean, I can't lie, it's pretty cool I can randomly bump into travel friends in so many places of the world.

I missed out on a lot in Toronto, and it was a trade-off I was willing to make. I knew this trip was something I had to do.

I could write a million words on my adventures, but that would be cliche. The overall goal was simple: travel until I land a full time job.

Vercel

While travelling, I landed a role at Vercel as a Design Engineer. This was a dream company and I'm grateful to be here. It's an absolute honour to be working alongside the people I've always looked up to.

Next.js changed my life, and that's probably an understatement.

2025

A goal I've been trying to achieve for nearly two years is almost in fruition. That's my main priority for the next little bit.

Every year is quite significantly different from the last, but 2025 is when I introduce stability into my life and I am excited for that.

Hyperbolic Time Chamber from Dragonball Z
One year inside the chamber equates to just one day in the outside world. The air grows denser, and the temperature fluctuates more intensely the deeper one goes into the training area.

Previous years [2023]