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Five years ago, I had applied to many jobs. I quickly learned that my skills weren't in high demand. The role I was in had no opportunities for advancement. So I started learning to code again. This time was different - I was on a deadline. In 6 months, I would quit my job and complete a coding bootcamp. The moment I saw something appear in my terminal because of my code, I was hooked on coding. That's what got me through all of the scary stuff that came with leaping way outside of my comfort zone. Every mountain and molehill I climbed on that journey bolstered my self-confidence. Somewhere on that path, I found my voice - first in technical writing and then as a speaker at meetups and conferences.

As I look back on the last five years, I’ve been thinking a lot about why I do what I do. What filled my bucket? What burned me out? What do I still love about coding? I’ve noticed that I enjoy discussing my topic with attendees more than I enjoy giving the talk. I miss the conversations I used to have in the comments of my blogs. I’ve found I can’t rely on any one platform to reach you, dearest reader. Recently, someone called you my community, and I realized that I want us to feel a little bit more like a community. I’m hoping this newsletter will achieve that. (You can always reply to this newsletter or email [email protected] directly.) I’m also hoping that looking for things to share with you each month will get me to engage more with the newsletters and other content I follow.

Why am I calling this Abbey Normal Tech? In high school, my coach, a former drill sergeant, was frustrated when I showed him that my accuracy went up when I skipped practice. After that, any time I surprised him, he called me Abbey Normal (a Young Frankenstein reference). It stuck immediately. He wasn't the first person in my life to comment on the fact that my brain worked a little bit differently than expected. He was the first adult to encourage me to lean into it. For over a decade, “Abbey Normal” has been part of the brand for every creative project I’ve started. Now, I want to embrace the fact that my tech content is also a little bit abnormal. My writing in the last year has been a little more personal than technical. This newsletter won't just cover technology, but everything we bring to our tech role.

I’d also love to hear from you - what part of a tech career do you wish was discussed more?