The year 2025 couldn’t have started on a better note. What began as an idea to create my personal website and blog turned into an epic journey of learning, trial-and-error, and small victories. Today, as I type this blog post on my freshly launched website, I can’t help but smile at the rollercoaster ride it took to get here.
In this post, I’ll share the full story—the ups, the downs, and the ultimate satisfaction of seeing it all come together. Whether you’re planning to build a website or just love stories about tech adventures, buckle up and enjoy the ride!
The Beginning – An Idea Takes Shape 💡
It all started with a simple mission—to create a personal website that reflects my work, projects, and passion for learning. I also wanted it to double as a blog, where I could share my thoughts, experiences, and interesting projects.
I knew I wanted something flexible, customizable, and affordable. WordPress felt like the perfect choice, and with a bit of Googling, I decided to host it on AWS EC2. Little did I know, this decision would kickstart an adventure filled with learning new tools, solving unexpected problems, and yes—plenty of late nights. 😅
Setting the Foundation – AWS and WordPress 🛠️
The first step was launching an AWS EC2 instance. It sounded simple in theory, but as I quickly learned, there’s nothing simple about AWS when you’re doing it for the first time. From choosing the right instance (shoutout to the t2.micro for being free!) to configuring security groups and elastic IPs, it was like stepping into uncharted territory.
Then came WordPress setup, a breeze until SSL certificates decided to throw errors. Thanks to Cloudflare and a bit of DNS wrangling, I finally got my site secure with HTTPS. 🎉
The Design Phase – Astra, Elementor, and Headaches 🎨
Choosing the Astra theme felt like the right call for flexibility, and Elementor promised an easy drag-and-drop builder. But reality hit hard—premium features everywhere! 🤦♂️
I spent hours tweaking layouts, adding a blog section, customizing grids, and even debugging pagination issues (thank you, WP-PageNavi plugin). Through trial and error, I learned the art of patience and persistence, and slowly but surely, the design took shape.
Email Setup – Gmail SMTP and Free Workarounds 📧
One thing I hadn’t anticipated was how email delivery would become such a pain point. My contact forms refused to send emails, and WP Mail SMTP pushed for a paid upgrade to enable OAuth. 😤
But with a bit of digging, I found the App Password trick for Gmail, and boom! Emails started working without spending a dime. That moment felt like pure victory. 😎
The Projects Section – Telling Stories That Matter 📖
This was probably my favorite part—showcasing my past projects with short, impactful stories. From leading a digital transformation for Priyadarshini Handlooms, to building a zoo ticketing SaaS platform, to working on a tiger conservation project, each story brought back memories of challenges and wins.
Adding a LinkedIn button at the end of each project made it easy for visitors to explore more, keeping the experience interactive and professional.
Final Thoughts – Lessons Learned and Looking Ahead ✨
Building this website wasn’t just about learning WordPress or AWS, it was about building resilience. Every error, every broken layout, and every moment of frustration taught me something new. And the end result? A platform I can proudly call mine, ready to share ideas, stories, and lessons for the world to see.
This is just the beginning. With this blog, I’ve made it my mission to write about everything interesting, starting with this journey. Whether you’re building a website, launching a project, or just following your curiosity, my advice is simple: Keep going. It’s worth it.
Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed this post, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to see more of my work and projects! 🚀