For myself, 2023 was quite a challenging period of time. Some of these challenges faced were related to relationships, computer management and finance.
Despite the challenges, I have learned a lot from the events in my life during 2023.
Project Developments
Project development has been slow in 2023. As far as I know, no hardware projects have been developed in 2023.
Networking
In March 2023, I set up OpenVPN on ROUTER1, having the port forwared by the ISP router. This allowed me to access my network from anywhere. This was a major step in my life as I was able to access my network from anywhere, including files, to-do lists and personal wikis. This greatly improved my lifestyle as this had me more comfortable with leaving the house.
ContactList
ContactList along with ToDoKiosk (see below) are the only software projects I have released in 2023.
The first version of ContactList was released while in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. It's functionality was limited, having the ability to add, edit, and delete contacts with a predefined set of fields.
ToDoKiosk
ToDoKiosk was created on October 31, 2023, taking less than several hours to complete. As of March 17, 2025, it is still in use. It is a simple to-do list web application that has the sole purpose of reading from a CalDAV server and displaying the tasks.
Trips and Vacations
I had several influential trips in 2023.
June 2023 Short trip to Micro Center in Northern Virginia
Around June 1, 2023, I went with a friend to Micro Center in Northern Virginia to get some computer parts for his build. I was mostly there to help him with anything.
June 2023 Return to Fort Myers Beach
In June 2023, after a painful incident earlier in the month, me and my father returned to the Fort Myers Beach area to cover insurance damage for the first time since November 2022.
July 2023 North Carolina Outer Banks Trip
On July 8, 2023, me and my parents went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a weeklong vacation.
July 14 Airplane Ride
On July 14, 2023, after suggesting that we should go on a airplane tour, we went to Dare County Regional Airport on one of the last days of the trip.
The aircraft was a Cessna 182 Skylane. The first time I have flown in an non-commercial aircraft or even a propeller-driven aircraft.
This was one of the major defining events of 2023 for myself, as it was such a memorable experience.
September 2023 Return to Fort Myers Beach
For a second time in 2023, me and my father went to Fort Myers Beach, Florida to cover insurance damage to a hotel that we worked on in our initial visit in November 2022.