Wow what a couple of weeks!!! I wish I could have gotten some posts out these past two weeks but it was one technical difficulty after another. It has been nothing less than a roller coaster. Between making history, playing jump the server, and my normal life functions, I am just happy to still be standing here.
WordCamp Austin was a huge milestone for me. It was the first WordCamp that I have had the pleasure of speaking at. I was so painstakingly nervous that I even had nightmares that I would not have my slides done in time. I am not sure why I was like this, but I was. Chris Lema spoke on the Impostor Syndrome at the first session. It was exactly what I needed to hear before I made my WordCamp debut. I want to thank Jackie Dana and Brandon Kraft for believing in me. A big special thank you to Chris and Joy Weigman. If not for them, I would not be speaking at a WordCamp, nor have a love of WordPress, nor have anyone to have picked me up at the airport in Austin and a place to sleep. You two are the bestest friends anyone could ever have.
By far, I think WordCamp Austin was not only one of the best WordCamps I have ever gone to, but literally it was a life changing event. The WordPress community in Austin is some of the most amazing people. I met so many great people during the WordCamp, formed some forever friendships, and I was able to make the Southern Illinois WordPress Meetup a bona fided WordPress Meetup Chapter. That has been a goal of mine this past year to really get the Meetup going. The two times I have been to WordPress events in Austin, it feels like home. This is one WordCamp that will be on the agenda every year.
WordCamp Nashville was also a weekend of firsts. I sat on my first panel speaking with some wonderful ladies about helping women feel included in the WordPress community. It was a very uplifting and learning experience for me. I had never encountered anything like what some of these women were saying. I am very blessed to be where I am and to not be judged for my gender. It was a great feeling to share my story and to help others rise above their worries of stepping more into the community and to aspire for higher roles.
I was also the beginner’s track keynote. At first I was very nervous about being in that time slot. I just knew no one would be in to listen to my presentation and everyone would be in with the main keynote. This by far was the most humbling moment in my WordPress career thus far. When I walked into the room and say that it was practically standing room only, there was an overwhelming range of emotions. One of them was to tuck my tail and run. Instead, it was one of the best presentations I have ever done.
I met many amazing people in Nashville and I look forward to going back to visit their Meetup, time permitting. They were a great crew and they put on one very awesome WordCamp.
I apologize to everyone on not putting out any posts recently. The past two weeks I have been dealing with one of the messiest server moves I have ever dealt with in my life. It was one catastrophe after another. More about that in a different post. A word of warning, NEVER decide you are going to move a site the day before a major event. Everything will go wrong!