This week I will be 🛫 flying down to New Orleans, the Big Easy, for my first RubyConf. I am fortunate to have been selected as a RubyConf Scholar this year, meaning that the conference has graciously chosen to cover the cost of my attendance and connected me with a Guide, a more seasoned participant who can help shape my experience (I even got two guides: 👋 Hi Stella & Caleb!). I would not have been able to attend RubyConf without this generosity, and even if I would have been able to, my experience would certainly not be as rich and meaningful without the additional support and programming, so I am immensely grateful.

This will be my first technical conference in almost 15 years. Back in 1999 I co-founded an information security conference in San Diego called Toorcon, which is still going strong, but a few years later my life took a different direction and I've only recently returned to coding. If you're interested more in my background you can read my blog post on Why Would A Rabbi Learn To Code? on my blog.

As I get ready to leave for RubyConf tomorrow, I thought it important to share some of my goals for this conference to both hold myself accountable and to share with others who might also find themselves in a similar situation. My fellow Flatiron School alum and friend, Yechiel Kalmenson, shared his reflections just a few days ago as well and they are excellent. At this conference I hope to:

• Make at least 2 meaningful new connections each day ☑
• Attend 1 session a day that will be out of my current depth and expand my knowledge ☑
• Attend 3-4 sessions a day that will deepen my existing knowledge ☑
• Not be afraid to skip a session to make a new friend ☑
• Blog about my new learning at least 1 time ☑

If you are also attending RubyConf this year let me know and we can grab some beignets and coffee!