This was my first proper web project while I was learning JavaScript. The idea was simple: fetch data from a public API and plot it on an interactive map. However, it quickly turned into a great exercise in understanding state management and asynchronous logic in vanilla JS. Handling multiple requests, managing loading states, and updating the DOM efficiently without any frameworks gave me a solid foundation for what React and other libraries automate today.
For deployment, I experimented with different AWS services. I started with Lightsail for its simplicity, then moved to EC2 to get more control over the environment. I configured a basic Node.js web server, set up security groups, mapped a static IP through Elastic IP, and connected the domain using Route 53. Along the way, I learned how Virtual Private Clouds, DNS routing, and instance permissions fit together to deliver a public-facing web app.
It was a small project in scope but a huge leap in understanding how front-end logic and cloud infrastructure connect.