The Best Birthday Gift I Ever Gave Myself
Building this website wasn't just about creating a digital presence—it was about reclaiming ownership of my story. I uploaded my first public article from 2009 and other milestone pieces, creating annotations for my reimagined life. These weren't just old posts; they were chapters of who I've become.
Introduction
What’s the most meaningful gift you could give yourself?
For me, it wasn’t something I could buy in a store or unwrap from a box. It was something I had been putting off for years—creating a digital home for all my scattered writings and thoughts from the past decade and a half.
Since my freshman year in college, I’ve been writing. But my content has been fragmented across various platforms, disappearing into the digital void. After stumbling upon a website-building guide, I had an epiphany: with AI advancing so rapidly, why couldn’t I finally consolidate everything into one place I truly own?
This is the story of how I built my personal website in three days, the obstacles I encountered, and what I learned about “vibe coding” with AI.
The Journey: From Idea to Reality
Step 1: Planning with Purpose (The MRD/PRD Phase)
I started by having deep conversations with Gemini, transforming my vague idea into concrete documents—something akin to Market Requirements Documents (MRD) and Product Requirements Documents (PRD).
But here’s where I hit my first major roadblock.
Despite my years as a product manager, I lacked deep knowledge of technical architecture and specialized platforms. I relied heavily on AI for answers, and initially, I took a wrong turn. Gemini suggested an “Astro + TinaCMS” combination that sent me down a rabbit hole.
I spent an entire weekend traveling and wrestling with TinaCMS, unable to break through. It wasn’t until I re-fed the key points back to Gemini that I discovered the simpler, more elegant solution:
- Astro - Static site generator
- GitHub - Code hosting
- GitHub Actions - Automated builds
- GitHub Pages - Website hosting
- Cloudflare - CDN and domain management
Lesson learned: When working with AI, if you’re stuck, don’t be afraid to restart the conversation with clearer context.
Step 2: Building the Foundation
Once I understood the correct architecture, I moved methodically:
- Installed the standard Astro template
- Connected to GitHub
- Wrote and pushed my first article
- Secured my personal domain—rexliu.io (at $45/year for long-term display)
- Bound the domain to GitHub Pages
Monday afternoon, approximately two hours later, everything was connected. When I saw my first article live on my own domain, the joy was indescribable.
Step 3: Designing the User Experience
Tuesday brought a new challenge: redesigning the frontend.
I gave Gemini my final directive: “Rex Liu’s Minimalist Life Essays Collection” was entering Version 2.0.
I panicked initially, thinking I’d have to start over with a completely new design. But Gemini offered a solution that saved me: instead of rebuilding from scratch, I could simply swap out the content engine to Astro Cactus—a minimalist theme that perfectly matched my vision.
Another crucial discovery: Version control is your safety net. Whenever the frontend threw errors, I could simply roll back. This feature provided immense peace of mind. Imagine losing everything at the finish line—the frustration would have been unbearable.
By afternoon, I had resolved most issues and successfully pushed everything to my live website. That moment of accomplishment? Pure bliss.
My Core Requirements (And How I Met Them)
✅ Content consolidation - All my writings now have a permanent home
✅ Psychological satisfaction - The pride of building something myself
✅ Data and code ownership - Complete control over my digital presence
✅ Alignment with my rebirth journey - A fresh start with deep roots
The Complete Vibe Coding Philosophy
Through this three-day journey—the first two days stumbling, the third accelerating—I developed a framework for successful AI-assisted coding:
1. Plan Your Architecture Before Starting
Think through your implementation and confirm the architecture before diving in. Avoid repetitive, wasted effort. The time you spend planning will save you double the time debugging.
2. Save Important Documents Constantly
Long conversations with AI can lead to “hallucinations” or context drift. Both Claude and Gemini helped me tremendously here, but I learned to save critical information externally.
3. Use Cursor for Local Editing
Copy and paste code directly rather than letting the AI auto-generate within the chat. This gives you more control and prevents unexpected “creative liberties.”
4. Embrace Incremental Progress
Learn to roll back and save frequently. Add one feature at a time. Don’t try to accomplish everything in one heroic push.
5. Done Is Better Than Perfect
This principle carried me through. I awakened memories that had been sleeping for years. I remembered how I once needed programmer friends for every little feature. Now, I can solve problems myself.
Your Turn: What Will You Build?
Building this website wasn’t just about creating a digital presence—it was about reclaiming ownership of my story.
I uploaded my first public article from 2009 and other milestone pieces, creating annotations for my reimagined life. These weren’t just old posts; they were chapters of who I’ve become.
Here’s my challenge to you: What have you been putting off because it seemed too technical, too complex, or too time-consuming? What would having your own digital space mean for you?
The barriers that once seemed insurmountable—coding knowledge, technical expertise, expensive developers—have dramatically lowered. AI tools don’t replace human creativity; they amplify it.
Final Thoughts
The best birthday gift I gave myself wasn’t the website itself. It was the confidence that comes from building something with my own hands (and a little AI assistance).
It was the satisfaction of knowing that my words, my thoughts, my journey now have a home that I control—not at the mercy of platform algorithms or corporate decisions.
It was the realization that in 2024, anyone with determination and curiosity can bring their digital visions to life.
What will your gift to yourself be?
Start with one small step. Have a conversation with an AI assistant. Sketch out your vision. And remember: completion beats perfection every single time.
Ready to start your own digital journey? The tools are waiting. The only question is: are you?