Getting Started with Node.js

After getting comfortable with React on the frontend, Node.js was the natural next step — running JavaScript on the server opened up full-stack development.

What I Learned

• Event Loop & Async — understanding non-blocking I/O and callbacks vs Promises vs async/await
• Module System — CommonJS, then ES modules, and how to structure a project
• File System & Streams — reading/writing files and handling data efficiently
• npm — managing dependencies, scripts, and publishing

Building Real Projects

I paired Node.js with Express to build the API layer for Your Place. Handling asynchronous requests, error handling middleware, and connecting to MongoDB gave me practical experience with real-world backend patterns.

Where I Am Now

Node.js is my go-to for backend work. I understand the runtime well enough to debug issues, optimize performance, and structure maintainable server-side code.