Start the spring with an organizational project.
Single-Board Computers
The ESP32 does everything a Pi Pico does, but costs less and lasts 100x longer on batteries
The Pi has hardware limitations that don't make it suitable for every job.
The Pi Picos are tiny but capable, once you get used to their differences.
Your Pi is way more capable then you think it is.
It's why DIY smart home projects suddenly got cheap (and actually doable)
The Pi Zero isn't designed to do the same things—don't expect it to do the same jobs.