Some context

I'm currently writing this blog from an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean. That's where this journey begins. I have been deployed for a total of three months so far, but this is my last deployment. I've been a naval aircraft mechanic for 18 1/2 years at this point. My family and I have lived all over the world (my son was born in Guam!) and I've seen some awesome places, but, I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty burnt out. That is why I have decided that this deployment is going to be different. I am going to focus on what I would like my life to be like after the navy. It's a big leap, it's both exciting and horrifying, but I'm not going anywhere.

A little background

I've been in this job since I was 18 years old smoking weed and living out of my car in lower Appalachia. I've never applied for a job (besides Pizza Hut), I've never been to a job interview, and I've never really done anything else. So looking into the abyss that is the real world is a little daunting. My answer was to harness that fear and excitement and use it to figure out what I wanted to do when I "retired". I looked into a few things (drafting, sales, government contracts), but it all seemed a little flat. Then I started looking into coding. I was hooked. It pays well, there is plenty of upward mobility, there's a good chance that I could get a decent job, and I might be able to work from home! Yep, sign me up.

The plan

Then I looked at what I needed to know (keep in mind that I am deployed and have no access to the internet on my personal computer or WiFi of any kind). I needed to choose a language, then a stack, then version control, etc. I began to look into breaking it down. Here's what I decided:

1. Learn HTML. Everything that I saw that interacted with the web began and ended with HTML and or the manipulation of it so I knew this would be first.

2.Learn CSS. Again, styling websites and using "classes" to manipulate things was a core essential. Need to learn that too.

Now what? Python, Javascript, Java, any other language. This seems really important. I've looked up pros and cons, I've read other blogs, I've looked in to what can be done with each and I've looked at in-demand jobs. In the end I decided to pick one and stick to it. I chose Javascript.

3Learn Javascript. This is where I am currently. I feel good about my choice and hopefully by the end of deployment I'll know enough to build applications.

It hasn't been easy so far. I've had my wife send me books, I've downloaded programs like VS Code while in port, and I've done copious amounts of research. Oh and I've coded. A lot.

What is all this about?

This blog is to put some information out into the world that I wish I had. I want to share with people my journey of trying to learn how to become a developer without regular access to the internet, while working 12 hours a day on a ship in the middle of the ocean. I hope that it helps anyone who may find themselves in my position (as niche as it might be) and we can go through it together.