My experience getting stuck on API Gateway integration with SAM and GitHuband how moving forward leds to understanding.
🧠 What I Learned From Struggling With API Gateway + Source Control
As part of the AWS Cloud Resume Challenge, one of the hardest parts for me was figuring out how to connect API Gateway to my codebase using Infrastructure as Code and integrate it with GitHub source control.
It wasn’t just about making the API work — it was about making it work the right way, using SAM, GitHub Actions, and automated deployments.
🧱 The Problem
Manually, I got everything working. My Lambda function connected to DynamoDB. My API Gateway tested fine in the AWS Console. But when it came time to define the resources in my template.yaml and trigger everything through a GitHub Actions pipeline, I got lost.
💡 The Breakthrough
The breakthrough didn’t come from solving everything at once. It came from moving forward.
I decided to shift gears and work on other parts of the challenge:
- Finalizing my resume in HTML/CSS
- Hosting on S3 and enabling CloudFront/HTTPS
- Building out the visitor counter in JavaScript
And something interesting happened...
As I worked on other pieces, my understanding of the missing links started to form.
🔧 Key Lessons
Here’s what I took away from the experience:
- You don’t need to understand everything to move forward. Sometimes action brings clarity.
- Infrastructure as Code is a skill. And just like coding, it takes trial, error, and repetition.
- GitHub Actions and SAM work beautifully when configured right.
✅ End Result
I need to study how Github Actions work.
🔗 Takeaway
If you’re working through the Cloud Resume Challenge and hit a roadblock, especially with API Gateway + SAM + GitHub keep moving. Understanding will come, piece by piece. You’re learning the cloud the real way — by doing.
