Barcamp Gesture Notes

I returned yesterday from spending all day Friday in NYC with Chris, Tara, Noel, and a bunch of their crew. The 24 hour stint in the city was the PERFECT blend of business and pleasure.

I started working with the CitizenAgency crew on our newest venture together, then after a long day of conversing, researching, and documenting, we hit the town for dinner and then drinks.

Let’s take a quick step back here. That’s right, I’ve been graced with the pleasure of an official opportunity to work along side The Citizens themselves on one of their ventures, as a development and technology consultant. This first bit of work that we began yesterday is part of a “phase 0” initiative, but ultimately, this opportunity is huge on a number of fronts.

I’m Moving to San Francisco

First and foremost, relocation. Ryan and I are going to be moving to San Francisco Bay Area in January, to be physically accessible by the partner’s team. Silicon Valley is about to be our new home.

Yikes. In the best way possible, yikes.

The coworkers I always wanted

So the first day (and first time actually working face to face) with Chris and Tara (and Ben, via internet chat) was awesome. I really came away from the experience feeling like I’ve worked with them for ages…it was such a comfortable fit of personality, work style, work ethic, interests, and really..everything. This is it folks. This is what I’ve been working towards!

Adventures in NYC

So after work (which, while exhausting, was almost too fun to feel like work), the three of us hit a greek place in Greenwich Village, and met up with Glenda and her friend Alec over some lamb and a bottle of wine. Then from one lamb to another Lamb, The Slaughtered Lamb, our beverage consumption site of the evening.

Much geekery and drinking ensued, and it was excellent. It’s really something else when you can find yourself surrounded by your working peers in a social setting…the dynamic is so much fun…maybe that’s just our industry? I think Noel put it best, “we’re a bunch of geeks who live our lives on the internet 20 hours a day, and then spend 4 hours offline drinking”.

My final thanks goes out to Noel for his good company, awesome red pants/green shoes combo, and couch-sleeping-arrangement-providing skillz.

Today to my mom’s and then some old family friends’ for X-mas eve feast-ivities. Tomorrow to Ryan’s family for X-mas day feast-ivities. I’m gonna need to really watch myself with all of the feasting, I’ve been so good (lost 20 lbs in the last month…muchos gracias to eating better + high stress levels), I’d hate to blow my new years goal on a couple of days of gorging. But thats what the holidays are for, right?

I’ll probably only get a couple more posts in before the end of the year with all of the travel and running around we’ve got…but that post (presumably from South Beach, Miami) will wrap up one of the most amazing years of my life, and kicking off one more for the books.