jidrew

Resources

A curated library of tools, books, and references I wish someone had shared with me earlier. No affiliates, no ads—just things that actually work.

Language Learning

Tools and references for learning languages thoughtfully

Apps & Tools

  • Anki - Spaced repetition that actually works. Steep learning curve, worth it.
  • Pimsleur - Audio-first approach. Great for pronunciation and natural phrasing.
  • Language Transfer - Free, logic-based courses. Surprisingly effective.

Books

  • “Fluent Forever” by Gabriel Wyner - The science of language learning without the fluff.
  • “How to Learn Any Language” by Barry Farber - Old-school advice that still holds up.

Tips from Experience

  • Start speaking early. Perfection is the enemy of progress.
  • Focus on high-frequency words and phrases first.
  • Immersion works, but you need structure too.
  • Find content you care about in your target language. Boredom kills motivation faster than difficulty.

Tech & Dev

Tools, libraries, and references I actually use

Languages & Frameworks

  • Astro - Static sites that ship less JavaScript. Perfect for content-focused sites.
  • Tailwind CSS - Utility-first styling. Once you get it, you can’t go back.
  • TypeScript - Type safety without the Java ceremony.

Tools

  • Vim/Neovim - Text editing at the speed of thought. (After the learning curve.)
  • tmux - Terminal multiplexing. Essential for remote work.
  • ripgrep - Grep but faster. Use rg for everything.

Learning Resources

  • Josh Comeau’s CSS courses - Finally made CSS click for me.
  • Astro Docs - Actually readable documentation. Rare and valuable.
  • MDN - The canonical web reference. Trust it over blog posts.

Philosophy

  • Ship fast, iterate faster - Perfect is the enemy of done.
  • Read the docs - They’re usually better than Stack Overflow.
  • Use boring technology - Unless you’re learning, stick with proven tools.

Travel

Practical tools for slow, intentional travel

Planning

  • Rome2Rio - Multi-modal route planning. Shows options beyond flights.
  • Seat61 - Train travel guides worldwide. Detailed and opinionated (in a good way).
  • WikiVoyage - Community-edited travel guides. Less commercial than alternatives.

On the Road

  • Maps.me - Offline maps that actually work. Essential for remote areas.
  • Google Translate - Camera translation for menus and signs. Still imperfect but useful.
  • XE Currency - Quick conversions without data connection.

Gear

  • Osprey Farpoint 40 - Carry-on backpack that holds more than you’d think.
  • Kindle Paperwhite - Hundreds of books, one device. Essential for long trips.
  • Anker PowerCore - Battery that lasts. Cheaper options die too fast.

Philosophy

  • Travel light. You’ll buy things. Leave room.
  • Stay longer in fewer places. Depth over breadth.
  • Talk to locals. The best experiences aren’t in guides.
  • Learn basic phrases in the local language. It opens doors.

Got suggestions?

This library grows through use and experimentation. If you have resources that genuinely changed how you learn, build, or travel, I'd love to hear about them.