Introduction

JavaScript is one of the world's most popular programming languages. It is best described as the "programming language of the web" and has been recognized to have applications in other aspects of tech such as game development and data science.

I cannot particularly say that I chose JavaScript, I cannot say it chose me either. I imagine It was just there waiting for me to discover its greatness.

Pre-JavaScript

When I got into programming for the first time, I started with Python, which of course is not a bad language at all. Back then, I had just not been able to appreciate it. Because it was my first encounter with a programming language, I could not understand it. The whole concept was so foreign to me. Also, the fact that I did not know why I was learning It did not help matters much.

JavaScript

JavaScript was a language I had heard of quite a number of times, but it was not something I had ever thought I would pick up. To me, it had seemed like such an out-of-the-world concept that I would never get to encounter. Like the Bermuda Triangle or even a unicorn.

My first experience with JavaScript was in the Udacity Frontend Developer Nanodegree Program, which I had enrolled in for a month for free. Of course, I had not been able to complete the program in a month. However, my quest to somehow attempt to finish it cost me my basic understanding of JavaScript. I had thought it was the weirdest language ever. The semicolons, the curly braces, dom manipulation...what were those?!

Not only could I not understand it, I downright despised it.

After failing to complete the Nanodegree program, I decided to pick up JavaScript again using FreeCodeCamp. I guess that was when the language started to make a bit of sense to me. It wasn't the easiest language to learn, but it helped me to understand what programming truly meant. Getting to understand the core concepts of variables, functions and data types was a true eye-opener for me. I became heavily invested in it and was determined to master it as best as I could. I spent hours reading the MDN documentation, books, articles, watching tutorials, and yet, it felt like I wasn't really making any progress with the language. It made me frustrated, but somehow I could not bring myself to stop.

A breakthrough

I started to really appreciate JavaScript and understand it when I began to play around with simple projects that involved dom manipulation. It was exciting to see just how much the dynamics of a webpage could change with lines of code. I sought out more projects to get my hands dirty with, and with each project I completed, my love for JavaScript grew. It made me smile, it made me sad, it almost pushed to the verge of tears sometimes and it made me laugh. It was like that annoying friend you couldn't help but love.

All that being said, there are many reasons why JavaScript is a language truly worthy of love.

• JavaScript is built right into the browser, so it is relatively easy to get started with.
• It is used everywhere - the client-side of web development, server-side, robotics, virtual reality, mobile, e.t.c
• It has a large community base.
• There are many career opportunities for JavaScript developers.

There is a large pool of JavaScript resources available and platforms where JavaScript can be learned. Some free examples are: FreeCodeCamp, CodeAcademy, Udacity and MDN.

Conclusion

I believe there are still many more things to appreciate about the most versatile programming language in the world, so many more concepts to explore. Knowing this continues to drive my motivation to one day become a true master of JavaScript.