Time for reflection. This post serves as a summary of my year. I didn’t list everything that came to my mind when thinking about 2018. Some of the major trends or events were personal, so they were left off.

Here’s what happened in 2018, in no particular order:

• Read 13295 pages across 43 book. That’s slightly lower than the year before. The important thing is that I continue to enjoy reading, prioritize it as activity and find time for it. I’ll highlight 3 books I’ve enjoyed:
  • Persepolis Rising. It’s the seventh book in “The Expanse” series. The first two books in the series were amazing. The latter books were good, but I didn’t enjoy them as much. With this seventh book, “The Expanse” is back to being amazing. Can’t wait for the final two books, which should come out over the next two years.
  • Scaling Teams. I’ve been focused on hiring and growing Vinted’s engineering team. This book provided a bunch of practical principles and tips, which I’ve put to good use.
  • Maus. A graphic novel about one person’s struggle within the Holocaust and how it affected him for the rest of his life. A must read and experience.

• There’s one more book I want to mention, yet it deserves a separate bullet-point. I’ve completed The Food Lab, which, as I wrote in my review, changed my life.

• The three movies I’ve enjoyed the most in 2018: Phantom Thread, Mission: Impossible - Fallout (run, Tom, run), Memories of Murder.

• While we might disagree on the movies each of us enjoyed the most in 2018, I and my significant other agree on TV series. We’ve both highly enjoyed Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects.

• Vinted, the company where I serve as Head of Engineering, celebrated its 10 year birthday. I’ve celebrated 6 years with Vinted. Second-hand will become the first choice worldwide.

• I didn’t go to any conferences, neither as an attendee or a speaker. After I did a bunch of talks in 2016 and 2017, going to a conference didn’t excite me in 2018.

• I didn’t do a lot of coding either. I’ve tried out a couple of languages, a couple of different things, but didn’t do much with it.

• I’ve started and maintained seeing a psychotherapist. It helps me to understand myself better. Therapy feels like a weekly workout for the brain.

• I’ve beaten the record I set in 2017 and wrote the largest number of words in this blog. Always on Vacation was the most popular blog post.

• I started learning to swim after reading Total Immersion. I already feel more comfortable in the swimming pool than I’ve ever felt in my life.

• I moved in with my significant other. I’m delighted in our relationship❤️.

• I don’t own a gaming console. I rented out a PS4 to play and complete God of War. I had to, it’s a masterpiece. The gaming medium has come a long way.

• I’ve played multiple sessions of Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve played another role-playing game before, but these were my first D&D sessions. I’m a geek and proud of it.

• Me and my significant other went to see and hear Kendrick Lamar in Cologne. It’s my favorite concert I’ve ever attended.

• Vilnius Tech Leads continues strongly. The goal stays the same: building a community of tech leads and improving tech leadership in Vilnius.

• I’ve started a new weekly habit. Each Sunday I write a weekly summary to send my family. It helps me stay in touch with them and it’s an exceptional tool for personal reflection.

I feel great about my 2018 and here’s hoping that 2019 will match the trend!