Prepare for 'Day One'
True success isn't measured by how others are doing — it's measured by the distance between who you were and who you’ve become.

Here it is — my first day as a Software Development Engineer.
Since high school, I’ve dreamed of succeeding in the Olympiad in Informatics, getting into the best university in Romania, and landing a job at a big company during college. I did it.
Thanks to God, I achieved all of these things — and most importantly, I didn’t lose my soul in the process. I’ve always tried to help others and be a good person along the way.

But what was the cost?
I’ve worked like hell these past years. In high school, I solved so many algorithmic problems that, by the time I had to prepare for university, I barely needed to learn anything new.
In the last year, I can count on my fingers the number of nights I stayed up past midnight, and the mornings I woke up later than 8:30.
During university, I also dedicated my time to teaching students informatics. I became a workaholic — when I wasn’t at university, I was probably learning something new. When I wasn’t learning, I was at the gym. And when I wasn’t at the gym, I was working my part-time job.

Of course, I also need breaks — to spend quality time with my girlfriend and family, hang out with friends, or just relax and watch a movie.

Over the past year, I’ve learned to calibrate things — to find balance between work and rest.
Maybe that’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned recently.
Now, I try not to push myself more than 8 hours a day on hard tasks.
In the morning, while preparing breakfast, I like to listen to podcasts — it helps me get focused for the day ahead.
After a study or work session, I like going to the gym to unwind.
All these small habits helped me reach this point.

I know I can afford the luxury of doing these things. Many people don’t have the same opportunities — some have to do even more just to survive.
That’s why I choose to stay humble, take a step back, and be thankful for everything I have.
Every time I feel frustrated that I can’t do something, I remind myself that there are people who can only dream of having what I have. And that thought helps all the anger disappear.

That’s a big difference between the 2025 version of me and the high school version.
Now I realize I need to be wiser, more aware, more grateful for everything I have.

So, here is my Day One.
Not the high school version of me, who only believed in non-stop working and focusing on one subject.
Not the primary school version of me, who just wanted to finish homework quickly to go have fun.
This is a mature version of me — one who learned from past mistakes, one who knows how to live in a big city after growing up in a small one, one who can come home after 10 hours of work and still cook a healthy meal instead of ordering junk food, one who knows how to live alone, and also how to live with a partner.

I can honestly say I’ve been preparing for this Day One for a long time.
All the work, the people I’ve met, the books I’ve read, the experiences, the podcasts — everything brought me here.
I’m very excited to do a great job in this internship, and I look forward to writing my impressions once it’s over.