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feat: update about me content
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@Brennvo
Brennvo committed Oct 28, 2023
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10 changes: 6 additions & 4 deletions src/assets/css/global.css
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Expand Up @@ -70,10 +70,12 @@ details summary:hover {
cursor: pointer;
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details > :nth-child(2) {
margin-left: 5px;
margin-top: 20px;
padding-left: 15px;
/* expanded content
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.expanded-content {
margin-left: var(--space-xxs);
margin-top: var(--space-sm);
padding-left: var(--space-sm);
border-left: 3px solid lightgray;
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81 changes: 44 additions & 37 deletions src/pages/about.md
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Expand Up @@ -9,17 +9,15 @@ description: About Brennan Arvo

I created this website to document my journeys and serve as a way for others to get to know me. Although a variety of social media platforms exist to accomplish the same thing, I appreciate the creative opportunities that having my own website offers me.

## A Mini Autobiography

I first want to make note of all of the people in my life who enabled me to "be a kid" during my childhood. Writing this section of my website gave me an extra sense of appreciation for everything that was done to give me the life I was so privileged to be able to write about here. Thank you.
## A Little Bit About Me

<details>
<summary>I was a shy elementary schooler.</summary>
<summary>I was a shy elementary school student</summary>

<div>
<div class="expanded-content">

<p>
I went to a small, parochial school nested in the woods of Clifton, Virginia. At this point in my life, I was a timid boy who was afraid to speak up and make any mistakes. By the fourth grade, and after having grown closer to my classmates (I had the same class mates up until sixth grade), I was much more confident in myself. The timing couldn't have been more perfect, because just two years later, I started middle school in an entirely different school system with kids I had never interacted with before.
I attended a small elementary school in Clifton, Virginia. I was quiet, shy, and a homebody who couldn't wait to get home after a long day of school to devour a sleeve of Oreos while watching television.
</p>

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<details>
<summary>My childhood revolved around baseball.</summary>
<summary>The Internet was my childhood playground</summary>

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<p>
I started playing baseball within the Little League Baseball organization at an early age. I traveled around the state of Virginia with my teammates to compete in a variety of tournaments, which heavily influenced my free time and social circles. Baseball practically became a separate lifestyle on top of school.
Unlike most of my peers, I didn't invest much time into video games (except for RuneScape, which will always have a special place in my heart). Instead, I was usually surfing the web whilst creating my own digital footprint.
</p>

<p>
Come high school, I was solely focused on <a target="_blank" href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcher">pitching</a>. I liked this position for its art form; although the idea of throwing a baseball to the opposing player is straightforward, it's up to each pitcher to craft their own technique that works best for them.
In particular, I created my own computer graphics, partook in message boards (online forums), and even created my own message board for my elementary school classroom so that we could keep in touch when we got home.
</p>

<p>
While baseball could be stressful and time consuming, I walked away with a solid group of friends and some small life lessons along the way. One of my favorite sayings from a former coach was: "If you're on time, you're late"
In retrospect, it's fitting that I ended up with a career in web development.
</p>

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<details>
<summary>I liked the Internet more than video games.</summary>

<div>
<summary>Baseball was a big part of my youth</summary>

<div class="expanded-content">
<p>
Unlike most of my peers, I didn't invest much time into video games (except for RuneScape, which will always have a special place in my heart). Instead, the web browser was my gaming console, and the World Wide Web (web for short) was my favorite game.
I played Little League Baseball starting in my early years of grade school. I traveled around the state of Virginia with my teammates to compete in a variety of tournaments, which heavily influenced my free time and social circles. Baseball practically became a separate lifestyle outside of school.
</p>

<p>
Much like this website, the web fulfilled my desires for exploration, creativity, and community. I created my own computer graphics, partook in a number of online messaging boards, and consumed a variety of content on YouTube. In fact, I was so inspired by what people were doing on the web that I decided to create my own messaging board for my classmates so that we could keep in touch after school.
In high school, I primarily played as a <a target="_blank" href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcher">pitcher</a>. On the surface, this might seem like a repetitive and unexciting task, i.e., simply throwing a ball to an opponent. However, I found that there was a strategy and technique behind each pitch (or "throw") that I came to enjoy.
</p>

<p>
I want to believe it's this exposure to the web that has influenced me to pursue web development as a career.
Although baseball was a stressful, time-consuming activity, I walked away with a great group of friends, a good sense of perseverance and discipline, and a quote I still think about to this day: "If you're on time, you're late".
</p>

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<details>
<summary>I studied information technology at Virginia Tech.</summary>

<div>
<summary>I studied information technology at Virginia Tech</summary>

<p>
I realized that I enjoyed learning in college. And no, I don't mean memorizing information to prep for an exam, or even reading a textbook to complete homework. I mean actually learning with the purpose of retaining new information to build upon prior knowledge.
</p>
<div class="expanded-content">

<p>
Anyways, the first class I ever remember being excited to attend in the harsh winters of Blacksburg was my introduction to Java programming course (taught by "Twitter famous" <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/johnlewis?s=20&t=lUOvcnwxS3418s1tNL-qaQ">John Lewis</a>. Given my past experience playing RuneScape (a Java-based computer game) and overall interest surrounding the Internet, it felt like the perfect orchestration of everything I had ever enjoyed outside of my baseball hobby. What a perfect way to figure out what I wanted to do for a living.
I was what people would probably consider "no fun" in college. I spent a significant amount of time buried in my studies; I was hungry to learn and fascinated with what I was reading. School curriculum finally felt applicable.
</p>

<p>
This intrinsic motivation to learn, coupled with Professor Lewis's teaching style, gave me an extremely strong foundation to pivot to almost anything in the programming realm.
At the start of my junior year, we began writing software applications, which I quickly developed a passion for. Creating my own software put me in a state of flow that was borderline therapeutic, and something that I knew I wanted to continue to pursuing.
</p>

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<details>
<summary>I got a job building web applications.</summary>
<summary>I landed my first job as a web developer in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area</summary>

<div>
<div class="expanded-content">

<p>
I worked with some fantastic colleagues at my first job out of college. They were critical thinkers, communicators, and most importantly, empathizers. There were a number of people who specifically went out of their way to support my endeavors and give me the platform I needed to grow in my career and as a person. From the perspective of a student fresh out of college, that was all I could've asked for. There are too many people to thank, but I hope they can read this on their own accord.
When searching for my first job out of college, I did everything I could to ensure that I would wake up excited to go to work everyday. For me, this meant finding something that would have me contributing to any semblance of a software application used by people.
</p>

<p>
That aside, I quickly realized in my first year on the job that user interface engineering (also known as UI engineering, front end development, etc.) was where I wanted to be. I was comfortable coding in JavaScript, and given the outrageous amount of time I spent on the Internet as a kid, I could easily relate to the users I was writing software for.
</p>

<p>
I joined the web development community right around the time that web application architecture was shifting across the industry. With this change came many new tools, and consequently, many hours spent learning these new tools. Although quite overwhelming, it's been a fun journey to continue learning after graduating. After all, I can say with a straight face that I wake up excited to go to my job.
Sure enough, I ended up on a team in which I spent my first day happily and willingly staying after work with a colleague to inspect our <a target="_blank" href="https://chat.openai.com/share/4649cf74-641b-4feb-956e-5cee35169fbb">web application's network traffic</a>, solely to appease my own curiosity and fascination. This memorable moment was when I knew I had gotten what I was after.
</p>

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<details>
<summary>I relocated to Austin, Texas.</summary>
<summary>I relocated to Austin, Texas</summary>

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<div>
<p>
Even leading up to college, I knew that I eventually wanted to relocate. Where exactly I wanted to move was always up in the air (although I do recall being content with the idea of living in Oregon), but I had an itch to get out of Virginia and try someplace new.
</p>

<p>
Two years into my first job, I felt like it was finally time. I deemed Austin, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona as my two candidates. After some phone calls, research, and nerves, I decided to move to Austin, and I couldn't be more happy.
</p>

<p>
Right now, I'm happily living on the east side of Austin. I've switched jobs (still building web applications), and ultimately feel like a new person. Additionally, thanks to my girlfriend, I've enjoyed traveling, drinking all sorts of coffee, and trying new foods. She's converted me to a foodie pretty quickly, but most importantly, helped me become more confident in myself.
In no particular order, here are some of my favorite things about where I live:
<ul>
<li>The people</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Bird_Lake#Ann_and_Roy_Butler_Hike-and-Bike_Trail_and_Boardwalk">Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barton_Springs_Pool">Barton Springs Pool</a></li>
<li>Coffee scene and culture</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.annabellechairlegs.com/">Local music</a></li>
<li>Amount of dogs you see throughout the city</li>
<li>Relatively warmer winters</li>
</ul>
</p>

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<details>
<summary>I enrolled as a part-time student at Austin Community College</summary>

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<div class="expanded-content">
<p>
Although I have a degree in information technology, I've always wanted to peel a layer of the onion back and better understand the fundamental theories and principles of computation. As such, I enrolled at Austin Community College in hopes to enroll in classes in a computer science department (regardless of where it is) in the future.
<p>
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