Going into the depths

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Since starting at npm, inc. in June, my web development focal point has moved off of almost exclusively front end development
and into dealing with more backend work. This means server-side code. This means operations. This means a whole heck of a lot
of code running in the Node.js runtime.

Understanding the runtime for your JavaScript is important for development. As a client-side developer, understanding how your
browser works and the subtle nuances to each engine can save you days of banging your head against the wall when you run into
a bizarre bug. In 2016, I plan to extend my knowledge of the inner workings of my runtime to Node.js. Up until this point, I've
been able to use Node as an abstraction, keeping the gritty details and gears underneath out of my view, but now I want to go
deeper and really understand what is happening.

To dig in, I am learning a lot from Thorsten Lorenz and Brendan Gregg's talks. They both focus fantastically on the internals
of Node. I'm also setting aside some time to read through the source code. This might be tough because I'm, at best, a novice
at C++.

I hope I'm not biting off more than I can chew over a year, but taking things one step at a time is always a smart bet for learning.
Here's to knowing more in 2016!