There are so many people sharing their stories today about the harassment they've received and the doubt (both self and externally generated) they have about being in the field. In spite of it all, they continue to do incredible things and persevere.

Today, I am reminded that my experience as a woman in tech has been different than others.

My development team is made up 3 women (myself included).

My entire team is made up of 15 people. 13 of them, including most of the leadership are women.

My online interactions have largely been positive. I do not receive unsolicited comments on my appearance. My expertise or position on a technical topic has rarely been questioned or dismissed because of my gender.

But I've seen the harassment and abuse that the women in my community endure on a regular basis. I've heard their stories of being isolated or overlooked in professional settings. I've seen them be questioned about those experiences, and disregarded because "there's no way that happens" to women.

Those experiences are very, very real. I wish my experience was the norm, and that more women were truly supported by their colleagues and their communities.

So I will continue to code in 2019 because...

I want to make the larger tech community more like my own. Continuing to code and actively engaging with all of the wonderful content produced by other women is the best way I know how to do that. I will continue to offer support and encouragement to them, because I am totally inspired by them on a daily basis. I'm so grateful that they continue to be a part of the community and produce amazing content we can all learn from, even when their experiences are sometimes impossibly difficult.

I hope to see the tech community...

Help me make my experience the norm, so all women can feel as supported as I have felt in this field. So all women can continue to grow and learn and make mistakes without fear of being targeted and held back because of their gender.