2023 in review... What a year, again and again!!

I have no words except: what a year!

This year was not easy but this year was incredible and very very "sporty".
There is no doubt that I am tired but I met so many awesome people and I am proud to what I have achieved this year.

2023 in short

• 29 talks/interventions!!! with 10 differents talks/workshops & 9 talks/workshops in english
• (including 6 keynotes!!!!)
• (Travelled in France, Europe, Morocco, USA & Canada!)
• 1 Live Twitch (live at Very Tech Trip)
• 4 podcasts episodes
• Co-organized "Le Camping des speakers" tech conference
• Published a visual book about Docker physically
• Updated my visual book about Kubernetes
• Written several articles on Dev.to
• (one of) Docker Captain of the year
• Re-elected Google Developer Expert
• Re-elected CNCF Ambassador
• Became a WTM Ambassador
• Member of Deaf and Hard of Hearing CNCF Working Group
• Became a Track Chair for the KubeCon + CloudNative Con EU 2024
• Still maintained https://developers.events/ the tech conferences listing (1.4k on GitHub)

Recognitions

This year I had several nominations and recognitions, thanks <3.

• Nominated for "Community Most Active Mentor Award" at the Google Community Mixer

• Re-elected Google Developer Expert

• Began a Women TechMakers Ambassador

• Re-elected CNCF Ambassador

• Docker Captain Hat' 2023

• DEV Top Authors 2023

• CFP Program Comitee for KubeCon + CloudNative Con EU 2023

• CFP Program Commitee for KubeCon + CloudNative Con NA 2023

Focus on my main challenges (& success?)

My second published book

After Kubernetes, I worked a lot about a second paperback book: Understanding Docker in a visual way.

More than 240 pages explaining Docker concepts, including Docker compose, init and extensions.

When I started to sketchnoted and written about Docker I feel that I didn't know much but day after day I realized that I can explain Docker too in my way, in a visual way.

I'm happy to have finished this book and to have it published in early 2023 :).

First time in Canada

When I received the mail telling me I will be a speaker at KubeHuddle 2023 at Toronto, I do not believe it.

Several problems and decisions almost spoiled my fun but I still made the decision to go anyway, my bank account still remembers it but I did well to go :).

I had one talk:

and surprise ... one panel (with awesome women!):

and the conference allowed me to have my own table for my books :)

Unlike other book authors who just sign their name as a "book signing", I personally love making little drawings and taking time to chat & discuss a little with the person. I find it a unique moment to experience and I take time to become interested in the person.
And during these little moments I had surprising requests for special drawings! ^^

I really loved my first stay in Canada. I met some great people, I really loved talking with Julia, Christophe, Lin, Bailey, Marino, Engin, Buu, Kunal ... and the conference was in cocooning mode.

This stay allowed me to improve my English a little further and given that I was on paid leave I took the opportunity for once to wander around the city and walk more than 110 or 120km!

I hope I can come back to Canada in the future.

Keynote JUG Summer Camp

This year, I had the opportunity to be a Keynoter several times, it is a huge honor each time.

In September I was able to do the opening keynote of the JUG Summer Camp and I also had a second talk the same afternoon ^^.

And we can never say it enough but having friends in the front row who smile at you is very important (and who wait until the end to tell you that instead of putting 2023 you wrote 2024 in your first slide :-D).

Thank you to those who recognize you <3.

For the little story, I received the message requesting Keynote at a very complicated time this year, thank you again for thinking of me for talks and keynotes.

Speaker at DockerCon

Yes, I still don't believe it but I was a speaker at DockerCon in Los Angeles. Unbelievable!

I was lucky enough to be able to go to Los Angeles as Docker Captain with a brand new talk, specially created for the DockerCon and a workshop, which I only did and will only do at DockerCon I think.

The first day was the special Docker Captain day with the other captains and Docker employees which was a great start. We were able to work as a group to provide our feedback, our pain points, and what we imagine for the future of Docker.

The next day the conference started, that's it, I'm asked to sit in a special place during the keynote, without any other information... weird, well I'm attending the keynote, and I look at my watch because my talk is right after the keynote ^^.

And there...surprise, I won the Captain Hat award (one of the 3 Docker Captains of the year, wow!)

I still can't believe that Docker knows me, allows me to go to DockerCon and I'm also one of the Captains of the year... I confirm, unbelievable.

No time to take advantage of this moment, head to my room to present my brand new talk "Understanding Docker in a visual way". I was stressed, normal, I didn't know if this talk telling my story and explaining some concepts of Docker "in visual way" would please and I thought not but I was very pleasantly surprised by all the great feedback I received. have had.

And big ups to Julien Maitrehenry who was there to support me and ask the first two questions <3.

Attending my first DockerCon was great and being there with Julien and Rachid (Xinity) was even better, thank you :).

Go Ducks, Go! (And congrats to the Kings ^^)

First time in Morocco

I was lucky enough to be accepted at Devoxx Maroc with my talk on tips to fight the imposter syndrome and I really saw how much this syndrome affected the Moroccan community. This is the first time where I have had so much interaction after my talk, questions and above all advice and anecdotes. Thanks for this moment <3

A great meeting, I loved meeting the Moroccan tech community. I think they don't know how awesome they are. They were my favorite and I loved this edition of Devoxx Morocco, my first. It was way too short, but I hope to return to it in the future.

And for the little story I had the opportunity to help a little my colleague Thierry during their workshop with Stéphane (who unfortunately could not come)

A little Aurélie at Chicago

It was not planned. But I was lucky enough to be able to go to KubeCon + CloudNative Con NA, in Chicago, as a CNCF Ambassador and CFP Program Committee.

The plane trip was more than... chaotic, with several twists and turns and problems, but I was finally able to land in Chicago (half a day later ^^) and enjoy this KubeCon.

Few weeks ago I had the opportunity to discuss and mentor/coach Julia for her talk and ... I can say that I am proud of what she done. I listened to her, I gave to her several advices, about the slides, the storytelling until the last minute and finally the talk was very good! Congrats miss :)

And bonus track, she said a sentence I repeat again and again <3.

For several months I have been part of the CNCF Working Group "Deaf and Hard of Hearing" and during KubeCon I was also able to meet, in real life, several people from this group: Catherine Paganini, Destiny O'Connor, Rob Koch, Jay Jackson, Leon Adato...

I loved our meeting and I am happy that this group is working so that future conferences can provide means to allow the deaf and hard of hearing to be able to attend.

Like at every conferences, I enjoy these moments to discuss with people & share awesome moment.

I had a lot of adventures from start to finish, and I even encountered a water bug on my last night.

Beuuuuurk!

My 2023 in photos

Even if the year went by at 1000 miles per hour and there were not only highs, there were moments that marked me.

Touraine Tech - January:

SnowCamp - January/February:

Very Tech Trip - February:

KCD France - March:

KubeCon EU Amsterdam - April:

Devoxx France - April:

Sunny Tech - June:

DevBCN - July:

JUG Summer Camp - September:

VMUG User Con France - September:

DevFest Nantes 2023 - October - (rare photo where I allow myself to be a "clown"):

Forum PHP 2023:

Agile Tour Bordeaux - October 2023:

Data Community Conference - November 2023:

DevFest Stockholm - December 2023:

My third book

In parallel with everything I was able to accomplish this year, my travels, I wrote a book, non-technical, retracing my struggles and my adventures in transports, planes, trains, hotels... in sketchnotes :)

I didn't think I would spend so much time on it (all my evenings), and on planes, on trains ^^ but I wrote and drew again and again to tell my stories from 2019 to now. The "ponpon" was my trip to Chicago but I won't spoil it for you, if you want to read it the book should come out in January (in French initially, tell me if you would like an English version)

Conclusion

This year was... very sporty, unbelievable, with lots of great encounters and moments that will remain engraved in my memory.

Not everything has been "rosy", quite the contrary, quite a few struggles too, but I only want to remember the good times and I hope that I will have more in 2024.

My wish for 2024 and more:

• Publish my third book (soon!)
• Continue to meet great people (I say it again and again, it is these moments of sharing exchanges, smiles and discussions that make me move forward on a daily basis)
• Return to Canada
• Return to Morocco
• Discover new countries and cultures
• Being able to show my books on a booth at KubeCon (EU or NA, in Paris it would be the perfect place I admit) and having a "book signing" moment on one of the booths, this idea has been on my mind since last year so I really hope I can do it
• ...

And again thanks for thinking of me for the talks and other opportunities :).