Hi everyone! It has been a while since I’ve posted on my blog, but what else is new? Per my tradition, as the title states, I will quickly recap some significant events in 2023 and talk a bit more about my goals for 2024… you know, especially now since we’re in mid-February.

So, without further ado ~

I went skydiving!

Yep, you read right. I went skydiving for my 30th birthday, and it was a blast! Skydiving has been one of the biggest things on my bucket list (yes, you don’t have to be older to tackle your bucket list), and I’ve finally done it. I think this is one of the biggest things I’ll talk about when I talk about 2023.

For those who are interested, I went skydiving at Skydive Chicago. You can learn more about them at https://skydivechicago.com/. Here’s a quick video below of my free fall! You can also watch the highlights and videographer videos on my playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM8ON9W5J7_C2PsRcE8TQIUG-C0EI5PXO. It was my first skydive. I went all out and made sure everything was recorded!

I’ve Got My License and My First Car

Photo of my first car

This one is pretty big, but believe it or not, I finally got my driver’s license! Yes, I haven’t had one for the longest time, and many people questioned it, but I live in a city with access to public transportation. A car wasn’t needed at all until it became unavoidable. Following that, towards the end of the year, I finally got my first car, and now I am moving places much further than what public transportation can take me.

Two fun facts: I had a moped to get places nearby and love the thing, but the car helps transport equipment and people. The other fun fact is that around the second week of my license, I rented a car to drive to my skydive location!

Also, shout out to Freddy Yanez! Freddy was my driving instructor and helped me overcome the fear of the road. I highly recommend him if you are in Chicago or the Chicago suburbs. You can reach him by visiting https://imperialdrivingfy.com/.

I Started a Podcast

I’ve started a podcast called “Let’s Start From The Beginning” and learned a lot from doing this, including the time and commitment. My original goal was to have 12 episodes, one each month, but ultimately ended the first season at six due to schedule conflicts for the remaining six guests, which was fine! More to come on it this year!

For those of you who have followed the podcast, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continual support. You guys are fantastic!

Anyone curious can learn more on my podcast page here: https://www.tonyvle.com/podcasts/.

What’s in store for 2024?

So, what’s in store for my 2024? I have a few things planned! My main goals are:

  • From now on, I want to celebrate more personal wins, not just work/career-related stuff. Hence, all the highlights in this recap are personal!
  • I’m infamously known for continually rebranding my blog amongst my peers, and thanks to all the personal growth I’ve been doing and all the wonderful people I’ve met in my life, I am finally confident enough to stop this and lead the forefront as myself. The Exp Design Blog has now transitioned to Tony V. Le, a more personal touch and what speaks truly as me!
  • That being said, the goal for 2024 is for me to write more content and share more tutorials in my field. Teaching is what I love to do, and a fun fact! I am now teaching classes at the college I graduated from, Columbia College Chicago.
  • Instead of focusing on multiple wins a year, I want to focus on one big win each year to make that year more memorable. It doesn’t mean I can’t do multiple things; it just means I will have a bigger story to share when I talk about 2024 versus numerous small stories!

Happy belated New Year, everyone; I hope your 2024 is just as exciting as mine, and if not, that’s okay too! Stay healthy and safe, and I’ll see you in the next blog!

Author

My name is Tony, and I’m an Experience Designer with 8+ years of experience in design and development. At heart, I am a developer first and a designer second. I enjoy creating interactive experiences, but I also enjoy designing and learning about the user’s experiences.

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