Wow this is awesome thank you so much! I am barely getting into front-end development but this article is truly inspiring. I will definitely mirror your methodology when attempting to truly grasp the back-end side and I think it will be a great experience. I am firm believer that being able to teach others, is a vital part to truly understanding the material and your thought process along the way.
Thanks! So glad you're inspired! And yes, teaching what I'm learning has helped me just as much (if not more) as it has helped others.
Good luck learning the back-end stuff (and the front-end)!!