My first conference

Today I want to say how I felt about this first conference called Unconf 2020, When I arrived the email, It was very strange, they tell me, somebody recommends me, for I will be a part of a conference, The first I thought to be this message is real?, I used twitter for looking for about this conference, I didn’t anything about this, then I thought it’s not real, Then I told my wife that I had been invited to a conference about tech o remote work, but I think is false, My wife told me, but you are looking for in google, then I googled this conference and I found it, It was a feel a little strange, but It was real.

Then I join my personal data, I selected which subject I want to talk, then arrived a second email. It said the conference will be in English. It’s not possible, they told me that it was like a conference TED 5 minute, a little introduce me, then my wife told me you have to do, Then I started to write in Spanish my speech, I have to think about what I want to write, then I tell myself I want to talk about remote work, I had a lot time before pandemic worked whit this method then I think I can talk about this.

I wrote my speech while the days pass, I have thought yet may be false, Who invited me, I choose no write in my twitter about this, I don’t want feeling dispoinment.

June 20th, 2020, I wake up early, I practice my speech in English over and over, My speech will be at 11:00 am Venezuela, then I joined in the zoom, I was the last people who talk this day, I was very nervous, the other people speak English very well, I don’t speak English yet, but I don’t give up I’m going to try all times, obviously I had a lot fear but, when was my turn I said what I had to read and this was my speech:

“ Hi, my name is Carlos Rivas I’m a developer from Venezuela, I was thinking about what I can talk about, code maybe, javascript, php, but the first thing I really thought about was because I, I did that someone recommended me, who recommended me or if this was true, It’s obviously true, but what I mean is that impostor syndrome called me again.

And not only that, the mail that arrives to me says that the presentation is in English, I do not speak English, but I promised not to give up and here I am from Venezuela, against all adversity and prognosis, with bad internet, with bad electrical system, with daily problems, but happy. I can do what I like: program. Thanks to the COVID new job opportunities appeared and I am not afraid to try every day, to strive every day to be better professional, better person. Thanks to technology we can communicate better, we can be better professionals and we can compete with us to be better every day and surpass ourselves.

So what am I gonna talk about? I decided it was work from home. It’s the most wonderful invention from the light, having a couch to lay on, a shoulder to cry on or a warm hug to motivate you, which we don’t usually have working from an office for fear of the one they’ll say, maybe, because someone’s gonna look weak, or take advantage of you, because let’s be realistic it’s very common! but in the house, you can be as strong as the arms that embrace you or as confident as the good morning or as motivated as the children wanting to be Messi or Ter Stegen, you can be your, with your fears, failures and self-destruction, but with your joy, your dreams and illusions, it’s obviously hard to have a meeting with kids running around, or screaming because one hit the ball to the other, but that’s also you, the father, the friend, the husband, the student, the one who knows nothing when I miss a semicolon or the one who knows everything when the code compiles at first. All those you, you get stronger every day, maybe someday I’ll go back to work in an office, but I don’t really want it.

Let’s always remember that our office doesn’t have to be a particular place, I just know that we should stay comfortable with our space, if you have a great space better, but if you have a small desk that meets all your needs that will guarantee you better concentration and performance in your activities.

In the end what I want to convey is that we must value that which many thought was the best thing to separate the work from the house, so as not to carry unnecessary burdens from one side to the other, But maybe that mix is the one that will give you more peace of mind, more opportunities and more courage in facing the new problems, says a Venezuelan who asked for all the problems for us.

So remote work for me was what I looked for so long, I looked for happiness and found remote work.

And as Muhamad Ali said, “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”

Thank you.”

Now I am very proud, I do not give up, this day I chose I have to help many people who are afraid to try. If I can, you can.

Because I am a dev like you!