BuzzLine started as my ambitious answer to 'What happens when you learn Node.js and want to build something that actually matters?' Spoiler: you build a messaging app that becomes your biggest learning adventure yet.

Fresh off learning Node.js, I was itching to create something real. A messaging and calling app felt like the perfect challenge. It felt big and complex enough to push my limits.

First stop: Figma. I'm no designer, but I spent a few days crafting a design that hit that sweet spot - modern and sleek, but simple enough that your grandma could probably use it without calling for tech support. Once I had something I was genuinely excited about, it was time to dive into the fun part: bringing it to life.

The backend became my playground for exploring some seriously cool tech. Express.js anchored everything as a solid REST API foundation. For authentication, I went with Passport.js and JWT - creating this neat token dance where users get both access tokens (20-minute lifespan) and refresh tokens (7-day marathon runners) to keep everything secure and smooth.

But here's where things got really interesting: Socket.IO. My first real dive into real-time communication, and wow, did it humble me! Lots of late-night Stack Overflow sessions later, I had real-time messaging, notifications, online status tracking, and even those little 'typing...' indicators working like magic.

For file uploads, Cloudinary SDK became my best friend - handling avatars, images, and voice clips without breaking a sweat. Everything wrapped up nicely in TypeScript because life's too short for runtime surprises.

The frontend was where I went with Next.js (my go-to framework) paired with some exciting new tools. Axios and TanStack Query handled API calls beautifully, though implementing automatic token refresh with Axios interceptors was one of those 'stare at the screen for hours until it clicks' moments. Zustand kept my state management clean, while Peer.js opened up the world of audio/video calling through WebRTC - technology that still feels like magic to me.

Looking back, this project absolutely kicked my butt in the best possible way. It threw authentication, WebSockets, WebRTC, cloud uploads, and state management at me all at once. But that's exactly why I'm so proud of it - every challenge taught me something I'll carry forward. The things that push you the hardest are the ones that shape you the most.

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