Finding My Way Back to Tech

The Last Time I Shared an Update

The last time I shared an update, it was August, and I was on fire with the idea of building a German school. I could picture technology supporting better language education, and I was excited to bring my teaching and technical experience together.

Then I started to doubt whether I was ready.

I saw a teacher on TikTok criticize people who were teaching German before reaching B2. I was still at B1. Even though the comments weren't directed at me personally, they got under my skin. I felt intimidated and started wondering whether I had any business building a school at all. I didn't know what direction to take, so the idea that had felt so clear began to lose its momentum.

A Change of Scenery

After a trip to Taiwan with my parents, I went on to Cebu and then Manila. While I was in Manila, I started applying to tech jobs. At the time, software development felt like the one skill I could confidently build a career around, so I decided to focus on it again.

I expected the job search to be a long, messy process: sending out hundreds of applications and hearing nothing back. The silence part was real. Most companies never replied. But Accenture did.

Within about a month, I landed an entry-level software engineering job there. The process moved quickly, and suddenly I was starting a new chapter I hadn't been sure was still possible for me. I was incredibly lucky, and more than a little surprised, to find myself joining a company I had once thought might be out of reach.

Finding My People Again

The job brought more than a chance to write software. I also found myself around people who genuinely enjoy programming: people who like talking through ideas, learning new tools, and figuring out how to make things work. Being part of that kind of environment again has meant a lot to me.

I had almost given up on finding my way back into a tech community. Now I'm building web apps again, learning alongside people with similar interests, and feeling that old excitement return. It has helped me get clear-headed about what I want to pursue and where I want to put my energy.

A New Direction, Not a Detour

I still care about language learning and the idea of making education better with technology. But I don't have to force myself to have the whole German-school plan figured out right now. For this season, I want to get better at software engineering, make useful things, and learn as much as I can from the people around me.

I can see this role as a training ground: a place to strengthen my fundamentals, work with a team, and understand how real software gets built and maintained. Those are skills I hope to carry into a future as a freelance software engineer.

For now, I'm grateful to be back in an environment that makes me want to build. The direction feels clearer, the work feels familiar in the best way, and my fire for tech is back. I'm looking forward to seeing what I can make of it.