One year ago, on 30 September 2023, I married the love of my life. It was a beautiful day, filled with all the joy and excitement you’d expect from a wedding. But behind the scenes, life had taken an unexpected turn. One month before our wedding, both my husband and I were retrenched. With the stress of planning a wedding, suddenly being without a job was terrifying.
We went ahead with the wedding, but the reality hit hard. We were newly married, and I had no job, no stable income, and no clear path forward. I was stuck in fight mode, scrambling to find something—anything—that could bring in money. For a few months, I tried my hand at wedding videography. It seemed like a decent opportunity at first, but it quickly became clear that it wasn’t for me.
The work involved long hours, dangerous roads, late nights, and a boss who was unreliable when it came to paying wages. Driving home on dark, winding roads at night felt like a risk I wasn’t willing to take anymore. More than that, the work itself didn’t light a fire inside me. I needed to find something that did.
Why Coding Became My Lifeline
By December, I knew I had to make a change. I needed a career, not just a job, and something that excited me. That’s when I remembered my interest in coding from my previous job. At the time, I had wanted to learn how to code to better handle the data I was working with, but I never had the chance. Now, I had the time, and I knew that coding could offer stability, flexibility, and the challenge I craved.
The problem was, I had no money to spend on courses. So, I turned to the one thing I had—resourcefulness.
Learning to Code for Free
With no income, I had to find free learning resources. That’s when I discovered freeCodeCamp, an incredible platform offering free coding tutorials. I immediately got started, learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Soon after, I found the SheCodes Foundation, which offers scholarships to women in developing countries to learn coding. I applied and, to my excitement, was awarded a scholarship.
These platforms became my lifeline. They gave me a structured way to learn coding without any financial burden, allowing me to progress through coding workshops and build my skills.
Balancing Work and Learning
In February 2024, I got a job at a vape shop. It wasn’t what I dreamed of, but it was work. The hours were grueling—66 hours a week, 7 days a week—but I needed the paycheck. However, I wasn’t about to give up on my coding journey. I was constantly on my feet, adjusting to the new role while trying to manage my time outside of work. I was determined.
Every free moment outside of work, I spent on coding. I followed the SheCodes workshops and freeCodeCamp courses, pushing myself to learn as much as I could while adjusting to the demands of my new job. It wasn’t easy balancing long work hours with learning to code, but I was determined to change my future. Every line of code I wrote brought me closer to a career I was passionate about. I knew that the short-term sacrifice would lead to long-term rewards. The new skills I was building gave me hope, and every small victory, like completing a coding challenge or building a project, pushed me forward.
Coding as a Newleywed: Finding Balance
At the same time, I was navigating life as a newlywed. My husband was supportive, but balancing marriage, a demanding job, and full-time coding studies was no small feat. There were days when I was utterly exhausted, but I reminded myself every day why I started. Learning to code was my way out of uncertainty and into a career I could love.
What I’ve Learned and What’s Next
Looking back, the past year has been challenging but transformative. I’ve come a long way. I’m now well into my coding journey, and I’m excited about where it will lead. If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that resilience and determination can lead to incredible change. Coding has given me a new direction, and I’m excited to see where this path will take me.
For anyone who’s thinking about learning to code, my advice is simple: start. Use free platforms like freeCodeCamp and explore scholarships like those from SheCodes Foundation. Coding has changed my life, and it could change yours too.
I’ll be sharing more about my coding projects and tips on balancing life, work, and learning in future blog posts. So, stay tuned, and thank you for joining me on this journey.
