You can also use $CDPATH to jump easily between directories e.g. :
Imagine you have this folder ~/dev/python/my_awesome_project
If you set CDPATH to '.:~/dev/python', you can easily jump to your project just by doing cd my_awesome_project, it doesn't matter where you actually are in your FS!
I use it heavily with cd -, you should give it a try!
I really like $CDPATH, but there are tons of sloppy scripts out there that assume "cd $FOO" has no output and break when $CDPATH is set. Drives me nuts.
If you set CDPATH to '.:~/dev/python', you can easily jump to your project just by doing cd my_awesome_project, it doesn't matter where you actually are in your FS!
I use it heavily with cd -, you should give it a try!