Looking back at 2016

I didn't write this before 2016 finished because, well, I was just so busy with celebrations and visits! But I figured it would be a good idea to look back and consider the achievements from last year before I get carried away by the new year.

Personal wise:

  • I'm very happy—I have a wonderful partner who's kind, understanding, compassionate, clever, funny, and intelligent. We 'get' and care for each other. It's great!
  • I've also taken up a martial art. I had started judo and aikido in the past but never continued because I kept getting hurt. This time it seems to stick as the gym is super welcoming and encouraging to women and people of all sorts. I'm still such a noob, but compared to myself a year ago I'm way stronger and flexible now, and my back aches are all gone. Also: there's nothing like a punching bag to let steam off. I bet if more developers did it, we would have less debates on tabs vs spaces or any other irrelevant trivia 😏
  • I've biked and ran less—partly because I was close enough that I could walk to the office, and partly because I was tired the day after the gym! Also after the office move it takes a bit to find the new optimum routes, so I've taken the tube a few times...
  • I have also started to do meditation. I was curious about this for a long time, although I thought it would not work and often while doing it I think "this isn't working" but I can tell you there is a difference between the days I do and do not do it (I am using a service called Headspace).
  • I learnt the basics of Italian! I now know enough to shyly order food and very slowly read normal books. Very exciting!
  • Finished a sketchbook I had started in October 2015. A good improvement from the previous sketchbook that took 3 years to finish! And I am back to drawing daily again.
  • I haven't drank a Coke since June and... I really don't miss it. As experiments I also stopped drinking coffee and alcohol for a month, but I do really like coffee, and the occasional good quality alcoholic drink. I've also learnt a bit more about alcoholic drinks, though not enough to be a total snob (yet), but I know more of what I like and why.
Work wise:

  • I worked on a lot of different topics: MediaRecorder, Let's Encrypt, DevTools, Web Audio, the past and future of the Web, Servo... wrote lots of articles, and gave a lot of talks in many different countries. I also went to the Southern Hemisphere twice in different continents, which I didn't expect to do at the beginning of the year. This was very gratifying but also very exhausting. I was glad that I...
  • ... moved to a different team, in a new role, and with a more "sedentary" profile. I've only been 3 months on this and I was still finishing tasks from the previous team, so I can't talk much about it yet, but I'm very happy so far.
  • Also recorded a few podcasts and tutorials. These are fun—please contact me if you want to feature me!
  • And put in words what many women-colleagues and friends were thinking each time you asked us to talk at your conference, and Quartz asked for permission to republish, which I never anticipated.
Things I did for the first time:

  • Visited: Greece, Uruguay, Norway, Denmark (twice!), Thailand, Singapore
  • Drank Greek coffee (not my thing) and ginger tea (definitely my new favourite thing)
  • Tried orange wine (quite a strange thing), also sherry and port—I decided I like the sweetest varieties
  • Tried carne cruda in Italy (not my thing) and Uruguayan beef (truly my thing)
  • Used a lounge shower. It felt like absolute heaven after a long flight in which I was also cramping like there was no tomorrow. Oh, the joys of womanhood!
  • Tasted and learnt about proper balsamic vinegar in Modena.
  • Went to the opera in La Scala in Milan... dressed in heels! (!)
  • Tai chi, yoga and pilates... at 7 AM (!!!)
  • Experienced the English Christmas dinner with turkey and everything. Very yummy although I did miss the Spanish sweets. Mince pies are so not my thing.
Other highlights:

  • Walking on a low tide beach in Thailand and looking at all the lurking small animals and the distinctive vegetation

    • I saw a sea urchin!
    • Also: all things coconut while there. Coconut water, coconut soup, coconut dessert...!
  • The Pet Shop Boys concert in the Royal Opera House. Such a beautifully designed concert! So many hits! It was a party from beginning to end.
  • A visit to the Down Street disused tube station. Eerie!
  • The two trips to Italy, for pleasure, not work!

    • and there: the disused FIAT test/race track on top of the Lingotto building in Torino.
  • Visiting a fountain pen shop in Singapore where the very knowledgeable owners confided me with All The Tricks to using fountain pens while flying, All The Secrets about flexible nibs and also insisted on thoroughly cleaning my Lamy Safari which had almost exploded on my way to Singapore. Such nice people.
  • Wandering around Melbourne's Fitzroy area when it was hot, finding an edgy indie boutique and having a nice talk with the designer-owner of the shop.
All in all it has been a very good year for me: I'm doing more of what I like and identifying things I do not like (in order to stop doing them) and discovering new things I like (but didn't know about). So I'm... READY FOR 2017!!