I'm bad at Blogging

Don't judge. I know I'm bad at blogging. Actually I'm quite horrible at it.

Do not be surprised if there are LARGE time gaps in between blog entries. I'm sure you're already not surprised.

I do have a few updates for you though...

I was not awarded the scholarship, which is quite okay with me. I did however get offered an internship. I am SO excited to become a meltmedia superhero intern on Monday!!

More Meet-ups and A Scholarship Application

Okay, so hanging out with women coders is pretty dang awesome! But at some point I feel that to succeed I have to able to talk with all sorts of people to get ideas and suggestions.

It was at a RailsBridge workshop with Women Who Code that I was reminded that us women might be missing out on help from the nice guys in IT. That's when I decided it was time to expand the list of meetups that I go to.

I've now been to a few Phoenix JavaScript meet-ups, two AGIA Arizona meet-ups, and a Phoenix Versioning meet-up

Some of the information was way over my head, however sometimes it's good to be able to learn what's out there that you don't know about. Generally during these meet-ups I write a lot of notes that include "look up the term..." and that, my friend, is quite okay. It's quite interesting to see how much I don't know and then learn about it.

I have also been to one Rockit Bootcamp meet-up. I didn't learn too much, but I did get to see the teaching styles of one of the one of the instructors, which is a good thing since I've applied for a scholarship with Rockit Bootcamp. If you'd like to see my "pro" application video essay click on this link and be prepared to laugh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IrFPVHOABE

I'll find out if I got the scholarship on July 21st, but I sure did spend a lot of time on the 7 essays, video essay, and reading the fine print in the Terms & Conditions so it seems right that they take just as long to decide who to give the scholarship to, right?

I'll provide some more in-depth details about what I'm learning in my next post... see you there. In the meanwhile, here's a wonderful TED Talk I watched while at the gym the other day.

Code Academy, Girl Develop It, and Women Who Code

So far with Code Academy I've completed their modules on HTML & CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, AngularJS, and "Make a Website". It's been fun and interesting, but I don't really feel that I've mastered those skills quite yet. Although, I'm not sure I need to master those skills anyhow. What I do know is that I want to feel better about them. I also want to understand Web Development best practices, and how to set-up a real working environment. That's not something I can get through Code Academy.

One day a few months ago while I was visiting my former place of employment, the Desert Botanical Garden, I ran into the wonderful GIS Speicalist there. She wanted to know what I had been doing since I got back to Phoenix. I made mention about how my husband was giving me the opportunity to pursue my interest in technology, and that I was really hoping to learn how to do something with coding. I couldn't believe how excited she got about it. Apparently there really is a lack of women in the technology industry! She told me about a meet-up group called Girl Develop It. It's a group that supports women learning about coding and web development. Since I was looking for some real world experience she thought it would be perfect for me.

http://www.meetup.com/Girl-Develop-It-Phoenix/

I really need to tell her how right she was! To help me better understand what the daily life of a developer actually is, I needed a group where I could ask questions and learn!


With Girl Develop It, I've gone to demos on GitHub, JavaScript, jQuery, attended classes on development concepts, and CSS, and I've made a number of supportive techie friends. It's pretty cool!

Through Girl Develop It, I also learned about Women Who Code. This is yet another group that offers support and workshops. With Women Who Code, I've done a Ruby on Rails Workshop and gone to a mentor match-up event. Both events were really great. Once again I learned a whole lot, and met great people!

http://www.meetup.com/Women-Who-Code-Phoenix/

However, I think there is a least one flaw in just going to the meet-ups put on by these two groups; you don't really get to meet the men in the industry and see what it's like with them in the mix.

Since this realization, I've explored other opportunities. I'll talk about that next time.

Hour of Code, CodeAcademy, and Website Development

After the great realization that Brad was giving me the opportunity to pursue my interest in technology, I then had to decide where to start.

I knew from a few projects I had worked on at the Desert Botanical Garden that I was interested in programs like Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator. Both of these programs allowed me to be creative and solve problems/ fill needs. 

"We needed a staff manual for Flashlight Tours? No problem, I made it in InDesign. We needed a map the visitors can use follow the path at night? Great, I  edited the Illustrator file that the Exhibits department gave me. We needed a sign to promote a program? Fantastic, I formated a document in InDesign."

I loved those programs so much that Brad bought InDesign for me for Christmas! Little did I know that Illustrator probably would have been better for me. At that time though, I had already watched a tons of Lynda.com videos on InDesign and felt really comfortable with it.

Then one day while checking Facebook, I noticed that someone had posted a link to Hour of Code. There I played game after game and really got into solving puzzles using code.

I loved it so much that I followed one of the Hour of Code Links to Code Academy.

I get it! 

I want to go into Web Design/Development!

As you may remember from the last post, I had landed a full-time permanent job! The first ever in my life. Previously, like many people, I was piecing together part-time jobs and seasonal positions. I was so excited to feel like I would be making it! Brad and I gathered our belongings and set out to Los Angeles to start a life there.

Mountains Conservation Recreation Authority, Santa Monica Mountains HQ at King Gillette Ranch

Of course, I set out a little earlier than Brad to get us settled. I even found a decent apartment in Woodland Hills that was almost the same size as our condo in Arizona. Sure, it was triple the price and didn't have a proper garage, but hey, for L.A. it wasn't bad.

When we went to make the final move, Brad let his company in Arizona know that he was leaving, and it turns out that they didn't want to let him go. Apparently he is the best engineer they've had in over a decade. They decided that instead of let him go, they would offer him a deal we couldn't refuse.

So after 4 months of being in L.A., getting settled in my new job, and meeting tons of new and wonderful people, it was time to pack our things up and move back to A.Z. 

Some of the M.R.CA. crew

What was I to do? I wasn't fully prepared to go back to the Desert Botanical Garden, and I had nothing else lined up.

Thankfully my wonderful came to my rescue and said to me, "Why don't you go back to school for something you're interested in?"

I noticed years ago that I was interested in technology and was quite the quick learner when it came to learning new software. I believe that  had just never pursued it because it wasn't often used in the environmental education realm. I believe there is a place for it however, and I'm going to find it!

It's time to learn about the ways technology can be used to inspire environmental awareness!

I'll start with life events/ travels that have happened since Singapore and Malaysia (when I believe is the last time this blog saw any action), and in the next post I'll talk a little more about why I didn't just start a new blog.

Brad & I went to Bali. We absolutely loved our stay in Puri Lumbung!! (http://www.purilumbung.com/)

Relaxing and enjoying the rice patties

Brad & I did a tour of Victoria, Australia. It was great to see family! And we still talk about the Yabbies,  Cambell's Tank, goin' to Boni Dunn, the Mulwala Museum, the wonderful little town of Healesville, and a million other things! We had a great time touring Victoria and can't wait to go back sometime!

Yabbies This Way!

Lake Eildon in Bonnie Doon

Lake Eildon in Bonnie Doon 

Historical Marker: Campbell's Tank

Upon return to the U.S., I got to finally meet my (first) beautiful niece! It's exciting to be an aunt! 

And as it turned out, the other thing Brad and I both had when we returned to the U.S., was a lack of cash. Thankfully our wonderful parents and grandparent took us in. Unfortunately, that meant living thousands of miles away from each other. While living apart I took a trip to Ohio to see Brad and he drove to California to see me. (I met him in Denver to drive part of the way, and as a bonus I had an interview in Phoenix, Arizona.) 

Go Buckeyes!

The MG Midget next to Mexican Hat

It was a good little trip in the MG Midget, even if it was a little hot driving through the desert in the heat of the summer. (It was 115' F that day believe.) It was much better when we ended in California by the ocean.

MG Midget at the Pacific Ocean

That fall (2012) I had landed a job at the Desert Botanical Garden. One of the most interesting and beautiful places in Phoenix, Arizona. It also happens to have some of the best staff & volunteers you'll ever meet!

So many beautiful cactus flowers!

Some of the Education Department

Although I was only part-time at the Desert Botanical Garden, I really do feel like I did a lot! I was involved in everything from training the docents, to Flashlight Tours, to helping sell and take down the Chihuly glass exhibit. What an experience!

Wonderful volunteers at Flashlight Tours!

Chihuly Glass for sale!

Chihuly's Sapphire Sun lit-up at night

It was at the end of summer in 2013 that Brad proposed to me with the biggest rock! It was a super cool piece of Jasper.

The proposal set-up!

And by July 7th, 2014 Brad and I were married!

It was a small and beautiful wedding at a park I once volunteered at; Santiago Oaks Regional Park.

In the Fall of 2014 I landed by first ever full-time permanent job back in my home state of California, but it wasn't long before something else happened... Stay tuned!

I do believe it is time for an update. 

It's time, in fact, to recycle and restart this blog!