Pizza, Wine, and Great Company!
Disclaimer: No animals (including Mules) were harmed during this Meetup.
A heat and drought advisory had recently been issued and Houston was HOT. But, on the day of the first hybrid MuleSoft Meetup at the Slalom office, it started to pour.
The city center has a special place in my heart, it’s where I go to wind down. I take a mental health day once every 3 or 4 months and go down to the city center, find a nice cafe, and settle down with a book. I pick the middle of the week because weekends are busy, both in the city center and at home with two kids. I had not been to the city center in a while as a result of both the pandemic and, well, life!
On this particular day, I was done with my work, dressed and ready, the kids were home with my husband. Did I already mention it started to pour? I was not happy about it; I dislike driving in the rain (psst.. I hate it, but my son does not like it when I use the word hate), and I knew it was going to be a long drive. Houston traffic gets backed up when it rains.
An hour and a half later, I finally arrived at the city center parking garage, next to the Slalom office. This was my first time at the office, and I was already late. So, instead of walking around trying to figure out where the entrance was, I called Jim Andrews. He picked up my call and greeted me with a cheerful “hello!”. If you have met Jim, you know what I mean. He gave me quick directions to the office. When I came in, Jim, Raj, and Marco were heating pizza.
I turned around, and there was my dear friend, Mariana. She had come from Mexico with her Husband, Marco, to meet us. This was the first time I was meeting Mariana Lemus, MuleSoft Community Manager, in-person. We have frequent conversations on Slack, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but in person is always special. After a hello and a quick hug, she handed me a t-shirt and asked me to wear it to have some pictures taken.
We took a few group pictures and selfies and then settled down for a conversation. Jim was hacking away at the projector to get the set-up going- this was hybrid, remember? We had friends tuning in from all over: AMER, LATAM, and India. This was Meetup number 18 for Houston and we wanted it to be perfect!
I could not help but reminisce on the first Houston MuleSoft Meetup. It was different and I was just starting, with only a few projects under my belt. I was a MuleSoft newbie with a desire to make a difference and I gave my first MuleSoft speech on API-led connectivity and how it helps businesses unlock data for reuse. Today, I was here to talk about my journey as a MuleSoft Mentor. It has been an interesting journey, Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur. Since my first Houston MuleSoft Meetup, I have been nominated as a MuleSoft Mentor, write blogs, and frequently speak at MuleSoft Meetups. On the personal front, I have two kids who make this all worth it and a husband who finds it amusing that I am a public speaker but can’t respond to his pointed question with a straight sentence. I was nudged back to the present by Marco who asked if I wanted a slice of pizza. I said yes!
Marco and I, along with other attendees, made a beeline to the conference room. I have always found professionalism to be a very powerful quality, and I was excited to present my speech to the Meetup community on the topic “Who are you as a professional?”. To me, it’s a means to inspire, impress, and allows you to do what you are passionate about in the best way possible. The Meetup began with Jim opening with introductions and a talk about Houston Meetups, and the agenda plan. After that, it was Mariana who took the stage, speaking about her recent trips, the MuleSoft mentorship program, and details about the growth of the MuleSoft Community. It was both amazing and humbling. The MuleSoft Community (myself included) is constantly looking for ways to give back because when each of us started, the community was there to help orient, inspire, and encourage us. The MuleSoft mentorship program is tailored to help individuals find the perfect opportunity for them, based on areas of interest and MuleSoft expertise. The program connects like-minded individuals who can benefit from mentorship. You can find more details here.
Next, it was my turn to speak. I believe that if you do not plan your journey right you may not like where you end up. I do not know if I will feel that way in a decade, Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur remember? But, what I do know is that right now I am happy with where my journey has brought me. It has brought me to you - the API and integrations community. It was a very quiet drive for me back home. It had stopped raining and the roads were clear. I felt refreshed, I had enjoyed great company. I learned something new about myself that day- I would like to continue to grow, with all of you, to inspire, lead and educate. I hope that, whenever I look back, I will always feel grateful for the experiences I have had.
