Coding Bootcamp here I come

I went to summer camp once, for a week when I was in eighth grade. And I loved it. And when I was in high school some of my friends went to summer camp for a few weeks -- every summer. And they loved it. I've always wished I spent more time at camp. The meals in the mess hall, the scary stories in the bunks, capture the flag in the forrest. I did not get enough of that as a kid.

But I get a second chance-- I leave for computer coding bootcamp in two days!

I suppose it won't be exactly like a kids' summer camp. Instead of a cabin by a lake, I'll be at a house in the suburbs and the scary stories will probably be about infinite loops and losing unsaved projects, but I'm pretty sure I'll be bunking with lots of other girls around my age and sharing meals with them... and maybe while I'm there I can write a capture the flag game to play with my camp friends. In any case, I'm sure there will be just as much bonding and just as many inside jokes and stories. And I should definitely leave with a few extra merit badges on my sash: "Wrestled with Python", "serve a friend some hot java script", "picked her site up by the boostrap".

From what I understand coding bootcamp will be a lot of hard work. But that will be fun too. I miss learning. I didn't appreciate school enough when I was a kid. Looking back, I feel like going directly from high school to college may not have been the best path for me. I have learned so much more about what I want to do with my life since graduating college and if I had it to do over, I would have pursued a different degree. I am so glad that I now have the opportunity to continue my education and strike out on a different career path.

I am excited to cultivate the skills that will enable me to develop, apps, sites and software that will connect people with each other and with the things they need. The internet gets a bad rap for alienating people from each other. And I must admit, I myself am too often guilty of having the back of a cell phone for a face, but I am grateful for sites like Meetup, OK Cupid and Craigslist that have gotten me off my phone and into the real world where I've built a lot of strong relationships with like minded folks.

There is so much potential to unite people and strengthen communities via technology, and can't wait to find my role in that process.