It is important to focus on specific goals when undertaking any large project. I consider four months away from work to travel a major project, so here are my initial thoughts on what my goals are for Coding Across America.
1. Gain a greater understanding of tech culture across the United States
There is only so much you can learn about other locations by reading about them. Sometimes you have to experience things for yourself. I'm working to combine three methods of learning to gain a better understanding of tech culture in the US. First, through reading and research from articles and blog posts on the Internet. Second, by visiting each city, exploring its locations and talking to people who live there. Third, by synthesizing and writing about my research and experiences.
Much of the reading and writing will take place before I begin the trip in March 2013. That way I can have an understanding of where I am going and attempt to spend my time as efficiently as possible in each destination. I may not get everything right, but it should yield better results than just "going for it" without thinking through what I want to accomplish.
2. Code
"Coding" is the first word in the title of this project for a reason. I'm not traveling the country just to see the sights. I want to take a lot of the free time I have and develop software.
3. Bring my experiences back to Washington, DC
I strongly believe that while there is a pervasive negative attitude towards the work that goes on in Washington, DC that things can get better. I found myself spiraling towards cynicism after a few difficult government consulting stints. However, my experiences at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have led me to understand that government can truly serve the American public in an open, honest, and efficient way. No agency is perfect, but from what I've seen if the attitude of employees and consultants at CFPB could be brought to bear on other parts of the government it would profoundly improve how operations are run. More on this in a later post.
What does this have to do with Coding Across America? If I've found positive potential through my experiences in DC, I firmly believe I can find further knowledge in other parts of the US. That's the hypothesis anyway.
In Summary
These are my high-level goals for Coding Across America. Each one may on the surface appear independent, but they are intertwined. The world is now being shaped by software and if we are to have a well run functioning government, we need to be better at developing our ideas of how to put ideas into code. Gaining a greater understanding of tech culture across the US and spending time talking to people in cities both large and small will help to shape my ideas around the subject so I can hopefully spread those positive ideas when I return to our nation's capital.