As a self-taught programmer, figuring out which 'lane' to go through has been challenging. Trying not to play with the new shiny language or framework isn't easy, and I've hopped around a bit more than I'd like to admit. From Golang, to Python, to Javascript(typescript as well yuck), to even Rust(yeah i know). Seeing all of the discussion and arguments in the community around all of the options, I've come to the conclusion that web dev sucks. But i would be lying if i said i wasn't having fun.
I spent a few weeks poking at Golang as my first "real" coding experience. Thanks to the great resource Project-Based-Learning, I was able to follow along with a few projects and learn the basics. But i wanted to challenge myself to do something i felt was out of my depth. I decided to build my first interactive website. I started with a questionaire page, that used most of the basic form options as different question styles. It was built with vanilla html, javascript, and css. It was the hardest thing at that point as i basically went in blind. I knew HTML and CSS, but i had no idea how to add the javascript to make it functional.
Day by day, i would learn more and more about javascript, and i began to understand why the language was seen as both a joke, and essential to understand. But, i wanted to learn more. This is where I began my journey into React. I started with a todo app (as we all do). AI and tutorials were my guide. Attempting to understand all of the modern and new concepts needed for the project, and what I wanted to achieve was difficult, but I was able to do it.
It's been frustrating, but engaging. Of course, I still have much to learn, but web dev has shown me that, ultimately, most languages and frameworks suck according to someone. So, pick whatever you want, stick with it, and have fun.