Today is the last day of 2024. On my way home, sitting in a subway car swaying back and forth, I suddenly remembered that I should write a year-end summary. I’m not writing this because there’s anything particularly worth summarizing, but simply because I never wrote one in previous years. This year, I should at least have something, even if it’s just repeating what others have written before.
Blog Setup
In November, I migrated my blog to Hugo, mainly for its static pages and the combination of local and GitHub storage, which gives me peace of mind. However, my old posts from Typecho weren’t migrated and are now collecting dust on my local drive. I don’t plan on migrating them either—no one reads them anyway.
For me, the blog is more like a personal notebook where I write whatever I want, with no constraints.
Q：Many people criticize your technical articles for being full of mistakes. What do you think?
Ruan Yifeng: I have always been an outsider and never claimed to be an expert. To me, a blog is primarily a knowledge management tool and only secondarily a means of communication. My technical articles are mainly for organizing knowledge I haven’t fully grasped yet. I only write about things I’m still learning, while topics I’ve mastered don’t really motivate me to write. Showing off has never been my goal—curiosity is.
Work Changes & Thoughts
Time flies—I’ve been at this company for almost three years, with only six or seven months left before hitting the three-year mark. Compared to my last job, this one is much more relaxed, but since the second half of this year, I’ve started feeling a subtle sense of unease. I’m still figuring it out, so I won’t elaborate for now.
Workwise, there’s nothing major—mostly just modifying existing projects, reviewing the quality of outsourced maintenance, handling various approvals, and repeating the cycle.
Technical Growth
Sometimes I feel overwhelmingly busy, but when I look back, I can’t quite recall what I was busy with. I dabbled in TypeScript for a while, then switched to Python, and at some point, I even studied C++. It feels like aimless tinkering, without any real progress. I can’t let this happen again next year.
Life
This year was quite enjoyable. I traveled with my partner to several places: Qingdao, Harbin, Tianping Mountain in Suzhou, and Faxisi Temple in Hangzhou.
In December, my health checkup results weren’t great (not surprising, given my unrestrained eating habits). So I started running—and unexpectedly, I stuck with it. Now, if I skip running for two days, I feel uncomfortable. The rhythm of breathing, the sound of the wind, and music in my ears—it all feels amazing.
Travel Log
| Month | Destination | Blog Post |
|---|---|---|
| August | Qingdao | Shandong Qingdao “Ha Beer” |
| September | / | / |
| October | Harbin / Hailun | Harbin / Hailun |
| November | Suzhou / | Suzhou Tianping Mountain |
| December | Hangzhou | Hiking to Faxisi Temple and Shilileidan in Hangzhou |
Four trips in 2024—not a lot, but still an improvement compared to staying home all the time.
Movie Log
I watched quite a few movies this year. Some I forgot immediately after watching, while others stayed with me.
| Date | Movie Title | Watching Partner | Rating (out of 10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-10 | 《第二十条》 | With Lao Zhao | 6.5 |
| 2024-03-09 | 《沙丘2》 | With Bao | 7.0 |
| 2024-03-23 | 《周处除三害》 | With Bao | 7.0 |
| 2024-03-31 | 《哥斯拉大战金刚2》 | With Bao | 6.5 |
| 2024-04-05 | 《你想活出怎样的人生》 | With Bao | 6.0 |
| 2024-05-04 | 《九龙城寨之围城》 | Alone | 6.5 |
| 2024-05-12 | 《猩球崛起：新世界》 | With Bao | 5.5 |
| 2024-07-21 | 《抓娃娃》 | With Bao | 8.0 |
| 2024-07-27 | 《金刚狼与死侍》 | Alone | 7.0 |
| 2024-10-26 | 《毒液：最后一舞》 | With Bao | 7.5 |
| 2024-11-23 | 《角斗士2》 | With Bao | 8.0 |
| 2024-12-01 | 《白夜追凶 1》 | With Bao | 8.0 |
| 2024-12-15 | 《白夜追凶 2》 | With Bao | 8.0 |
| 2024-12-17 | 《清明上河图密码》 | With Bao | 7.5 |
I don’t remember every plot, but I do remember how I felt while watching them. Maybe that’s the true meaning of movies.
Year-End 9 Questions
What did you do this year that you had never done before?
Hiking. In December, I hiked to Faxisi Temple in Hangzhou. That one trip got me hooked. Next year, I plan to hike around Shanghai on weekends.
Compared to last year, are you happier or sadder? Thinner or heavier? Richer or poorer?
Happier. Gained 8kg. Wallet thickness remains unchanged.
Who do you miss?
Sometimes I think of my late grandfather, especially when walking through old alleys in Shanghai.
What was the best experience of the year?
The hike to Faxisi Temple—beautiful views always wait for you on the road.
What was the most unforgettable thing you bought this year?
AirPods 4 (noise-canceling version).
What was your favorite place you visited in 2024?
Qingdao—drinking beer by the sea was simply perfect.
What do you want to achieve next year that you didn’t this year?
Skill: Obtain an intermediate or advanced certification Learning: Memorize New Concept English Book 2 Tech Stack: Master TypeScript, Next.js, Hono.js, Prisma Weight Loss: Goal: 65kg, Lower limit: 70kg
What would make you feel satisfied in 2025?
More travel.
Three wishes for 2025?
- Lose weight successfully
- Have a thicker wallet
- Family stays safe and healthy
2024 passed just like that, like a subway train rolling into a station—not too fast, not too slow, without surprises or mishaps.
Next year, I’ll keep walking, keep running, keep drinking beer, and keep laughing.
May 2025 be a good year for everyone.