Bold steps

In 2023, I said goodbye to the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE). I am grateful. I left a different person, having learned a lot about digital policy, digital rights, stakeholder management, and community building. I am glad I served a cause I believe in, technological autonomy, to the best of my ability.

Volunteers are the coolest

Not only Linux and various Free Software programs became part of my everyday life, but I got to hear strong positions on overly specific technical aspects. At times, daily! I met Free Software volunteers, maintainers of federated social networks, feminist hackers. They have my admiration. Also, the FSFE’s support of the community was eye-opening. Bringing people together and inspiring them to work towards a common goal is priceless.

The bubble of our office

A colleague had said in the office "you are so nice. I go outside and wonder why the world is not like here". That, another colleague replied, is the bubble of our office. 🫧

Before I left I told each of my colleagues something about them that impressed me. Public speaking skills, zen, journalistic work in Ukraine during war, style, a confession of the difficulties of pregnancy. Most of my colleagues came from the global South, and I feel so too. We all came to Berlin from far away for a better life. And the further away someone comes from, the more heroic they are in my eyes.

"You give such pep talks, Fani, you should be a boss."

"If I become one, I'll take you all!"

Data Science

I've taken a new path: that of data science.

I want to learn how to use information, to have a new way of answering questions about large and complex topics. For the last three months I've been learning Python and related libraries (pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib) and SQL. In the last few days we've started machine learning. I've been studying and coding night and day to keep up with Le Wagon's programme. My classmates are engineers and mathematicians—I come from the academic field of history.

It's an exciting journey that, regardless of the outcome, I'm proud to be on.

Transitions

It's worth saying that for the past 9 years, no two years have been the same. There have been good reasons—new countries, new disciplines, new jobs—and bad reasons—my grandmother’s stroke, a pandemic. Transitions are all I know.

Wishes

My grandmother's caregiver says that in Georgia they drink to love, to peace, and will use any excuse for a toast. If we run out of ideas, here's one:

To nice office bubbles! And to bold steps. As long as they are needed, as long as we can.