When you got an email notification about this article or bumped into it on Hashnode's homepage, you most likely said, "It's been a while since Didi published an article on her blog." I know! That was the same thought I had before I started writing this article.
It's not that I haven't been writing at all; I have! But not on my blog. In truth, I keep adding "publish an article on my blog" to my ToDo list, but something else always comes up that takes up my time or laziness kicks in, so I kept deciding to wait for the perfect time to start writing on my blog again. This morning, I realized that there's no perfect time, and if I kept giving excuses, this year could end without me publishing any article on this blog. So, I opened Google Docs and started writing.
This isn't a technical article; it's me telling you I'm back, what I've been up to, and what's next for me. I also want to know how you have been, so don't hesitate to share in the comment section. 😃
So, what have I been up to?
Last year, I transitioned from the Web Development field to the Cloud Native field. I'd always been fascinated by Kubernetes and other Cloud Native opportunities, so I jumped right into it when the opportunity came. 😅
To be honest, it's been one of the most excellent decisions I've ever made. Of course, that doesn't mean it's been super smooth - I've questioned the decision before and felt like an imposter. But I mean, who wouldn't?
Here's a quick overview of some of the things I've done:
I wrote and passed a Kubernetes certification exam, making me a Certified Kubernetes Application Developer.
I spoke at KubeCon, the biggest Kubernetes & Cloud Native conference in the world.
I've worked with my fantastic colleagues at Ambassador Labs to create a Kubernetes learning resource for application developers and platform engineers. You should check it out.
I'm a Kubernetes contributor and release team member. I love making Open Source contributions, so doing this makes me happy.
Transitioning to a new field involves a lot of learning, and even though learning something new is great, it can also be very frustrating. But I'm thankful that I've reached a point where things now make sense to me. Of course, I still have a lot to learn, but I'm so happy with my progress.
I know I'm biased, but I've been writing some insightful articles on my company's blog about how to pass the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer exam, my Cloud Native journey, Telepresence, and Emissary Ingress. You should check out the Ambassador Lab's blog; it contains a lot of insightful resources.
What's next for me?
I'm still thinking about what the remaining months of this year will look like for me. But here's what comes to mind as of today:
Write more Cloud Native and DevOps content on my blog
Start a Tiktok or Youtube channel. Creating video content is definitely something I want to do, and just like writing on my blog, I've not been able to delve into it as much as I wanted to, but I definitely won't let this year pass by.
I've been thinking of starting a newsletter where I'll share different DevOps content. I already figured out the name. All I need to do is start. 😅
I love my job at Ambassador Labs, so I want to contribute more to the company in diverse ways. By the way, we launched a guest writing program where we pay authors $300 to write a Kubernetes or Cloud Native article for us. Learn more and apply!
Of course, I have other plans that are not career-related, including staying fit, travelling, and being more intentional about building relationships. I just want to live my best life!
As I said, I'm still thinking through what I want to do before this year runs out, but the thoughts above summarize some of my thoughts at the time of this writing.
How have y'all been?
I've missed interacting with you! How have you been? Please let me know by dropping a comment. I promise to respond to all of them.
Until next time 👋🏾
I recently stumbled upon this quote that states, "You can! You just believe you can't, and that's what is limiting you", and it just reminded me of all the things I've wanted to do but backed out of because I thought I couldn't.
I'd end this article by reminding you to go after those dreams, ideas, and career goals because You Can. You can. I thought I wouldn't be able to publish an article this month because of my schedule, but I said no, I can, and I will. And here you have it, an article on my blog.
Thank you so much for reading this article and sticking with me until this point. Until next time - I promise not to disappear again.