PyCaribbean was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from February 16-17, 2019. I was blessed with the opportunity to deliver not just one talk but two at the conference! Typically, I write lengthy chronological reflections of my conference experiences, but this time, I’m going to share my big takeaways.

Python has GREAT people.

Python is truly just as much about the community as it is about the language, and conferences are one of the best ways to become part of that community. Everyone at PyCaribbean was excited to learn, grow, and be inspired. Here’s a short list of Twitter handles for some of the awesome folks who made a direct impact on me at the conference:

• Leonardo Jimenez – conference organizer extraordinaire
• Ordanis Sanchez – awesome dev from the DR
• Shailyn Ortiz – another awesome dev from the DR
• Leslie Gordian – another awesome dev from the DR
• Michelle Brenner – serverless champion
• Grishma Jena – NLP champion
• Heidi Waterhouse – awesome dev advocate and speaker
• Rivo Laks – all the way from Estonia
• Lorena Mesa – keynote speaker and inspirer
• Tim Allen – this guy blew my mind with Python Web frameworks
• Kojo Idrissa – loads of great experience to share
• Christian Heimes – security champion from Germany
• Thomas Debrunner – this guy is so chill and so knowledgeable

There were many others, too. I felt like I really got to connect with these folks, not just meet them in passing.

The Dominican Republic has GREAT people.

First of all, many thanks to Leonardo Jimenez for organizing the conference! He did so much not only to bring together an excellent program of speakers and events, but he also got the support of the local software community and even the government in the DR.

PyCaribbean really showed the best of the software world in the DR. Everyone there was hungry to learn and share. I had no idea how vibrant the software industry was becoming there, too. There’s a bright future ahead.

Don’t wait to make proposals to conferences.

I consider myself especially fortunate to have attended PyCaribbean because I almost didn’t get to go. I submitted my talk proposals one night on a whim after seeing the PyCaribbean Twitter handle appear on my feed. After submitting two talks, my third one got blocked with a message saying submissions had been closed. Had I delayed a few minutes, I would have been too late!

Join the PSF.

The Python Software Foundation (PSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that holds the intellectual property rights behind the Python programming language.

https://www.python.org/psf/

The PSF does awesome things for the community, such as running PyCon. Anyone can become a member, too! There are different membership classes for varying levels of involvement. Lorena Mesa, one of the PSF Directors, encouraged me to join during the conference. If you care about Python, then I encourage you to join as well!

Beach trips are fun.

The day after the conference ended, a bunch of us (mostly speakers) took a day trip to Be Live Collection Canoa at Bayahibe. This was my first time at an all-inclusive beach resort. The water was a clear light blue, and the sand was white. Mixed drinks and Presidente beers were unlimited – you could even order them from a bar in the swimming pool! The buffet lunch was also on point. Plus, the trip offered the perfect chance to get to know the others on a deeper level. I almost didn’t get to go, but thankfully Delta rearranged my flights due to weather delays and gave me an extra day in the DR. I needed that day at the beach to just be me, but relaxed. #WorthIt

Music brings people together.

One of the conference highlights was the electric violin performance on day 2. I don’t know the name of the musician, but he shredded it! He played “Wake Me Up” by Avicii, “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars, and “Corazon Espinado” by Santana. As I sat in the auditorium listening with the others, I just thought to myself, “This is really nice. This is a once-in-a-life performance for incredible renditions of these three awesome songs.” Everyone else there seemed to agree with me.

Passionfruit is delicious.

I ate passionfruit for the first time in my life in the DR. It was delicious. The edible flesh of the fruit is basically a gooey collection of black seeds in a yellow mucus. It tastes tart but slightly sweet. I normally don’t eat breakfast, but I devoured about four halves on the morning I first discovered them. They had them at the beach resort buffet, too!

I need to stick up for myself.

During my trip, it was very obvious that I was a tourist – a white American who spoke no Spanish and wandered around just to look at things. Unfortunately, because of that, some people tried to take advantage of me. I was clearly overcharged for my souvenirs, even after attempting to haggle. A guard at Independence Park took my phone to take pictures of me and then demanded money. On my return flight, a guy sat in my seat on the plane and refused to yield it to me.

These experiences really frustrated me. I’ve always been somewhat shy in social circumstances, and that leaves me vulnerable to others who would take advantage of me. Reflecting on how I handled these situations has made me determined to be more assertive. I won’t become a jerk, but I don’t need to be afraid to stick up for myself. I should use my inner strength and discernment instead of folding.

The world is a fallen place.

One thing truly broke my heart during my trip: I’m 99% sure I witnessed prostitution on multiple occasions. I won’t go into details, but it was shocking to me. Call me naïve. Let’s work to make a better world where this sort of thing doesn’t need to happen.

I know so little.

My PyCaribbean trip was challenging but rewarding. It was my first time visiting the Caribbean and Latin America. Not only did I gain some software experience, but I also gained some life experience. I’m thankful I got to go and that all the details fell perfectly into place. Hopefully, I’ll get to return to learn even more!