The Long Way Home to Code: My 30-Year Programming Odyssey

It started with a spark of envy in 1988. I remember the first time I saw a computer at a friend's house. Watching them play games wasn't just entertainment; it was a revelation. That tiny glowing screen represented a world of infinite possibilities, and I wanted in.

The Golden Era of Syntaxes: GW-BASIC to Pascal

By the time I reached high school, the curiosity had turned into an obsession. I persuaded my parents to enroll me in a computer academy. It was there that I began learning the "sacred alphabets" of the era: GW-BASIC, FORTRAN, COBOL, and Pascal. Each language felt like a new tool in a craftsman's kit. I wasn't just typing lines of code; I was building a dream of becoming a professional programmer.

The Unexpected Detour: Electronic Engineering

Life, however, rarely follows a linear script. While my heart was set on Computer Science, I found myself entering the Department of Electronic Engineering.

The disappointment was profound. Feeling disconnected from the software world I loved, I drifted away from programming for a long time. The logic of circuits replaced the logic of algorithms, and the spark dimmed.

The Final Sprint and the Professional Pivot

As graduation loomed, the old flame flickered back to life. I dove into C and ASP, desperately hoping to pivot back into the software industry for my first job. I wanted to build applications, to create logic that lived in the digital ether.

But fate had one more curveball. My career eventually aligned with my major, leading me into the world of Circuit Design.

Reflections from the Circuit Board

Today, while my professional life revolves around hardware and physical pathways, the "Almanac" of my mind still stores those early days of coding. Programming remains the "one that got away," yet it continues to influence how I solve problems and perceive systems.

Whether it’s a line of code or a trace on a PCB, the logic remains the same: creating something from nothing.