Packing my bags and taking…? Absolutely no idea, but definitely not a winter jacket. That’s not happening—I’ve been telling myself for years that I don’t want to spend another winter in Berlin. The last few have been brutal. I’m craving a real adventure.
Currently on plane number three, with plenty of time to think, read, and write because, honestly, one of the things I love most about flying is not being connected. I’m the person who won’t spend over $10 on an hour of Wi-Fi, and right now, I love that my phone is off. No messages, no notifications. It’s kind of crazy these days—every morning, I wake up to 100 messages. I’m always telling people how toxic phones can be, yet even I can barely stay away from mine lately.
Right now, squeezed into the middle seat on a 10-hour flight from Toronto to Buenos Aires, I’m starting to question what I’ve gotten myself into. Yes, Toronto. There are people who can afford a direct flight, and then… there’s me. Berlin to Frankfurt, Toronto to São Paulo (just a quick tech stop), and finally, Buenos Aires.
Nearly 30 hours of travel. It’s fine, but yeah, I’m kind of jealous watching the business class people, lounging literally just in front of me. My legs are burning; sleep is impossible. I don’t even know what day it is anymore.
Flying’s changed so much. It’s ridiculously expensive and uncomfortable now. It’s like today’s business class is what economy used to be ten years ago. Now, we pay extra for everything. I miss when flying felt like a bit of an adventure itself, back when they’d let kids visit the cockpit (I have been there) —impossible now, sadly.
So here I am, taking a moment to share some personal insights from last week, preparing for this LATAM-Nostr Tour:
The last few weeks have been intense, to say the least. My last official workday was at the end of September, and of course, I got super sick right after. My body was practically screaming for a timeout that my mind didn’t want to give. I kept thinking, “Just four more weeks—Amsterdam, sorting my life out in Berlin, subletting my flat.” Well, clearly, that didn’t quite go as planned. So hey, if anyone needs a cute little flat for a few months, let me know!
Excited, overwhelmed, and freaking out all at once. I just hope everything works out: that I haven’t forgotten anything, that the booths will be ready, the schedule will come together, people show up, speakers are prepared, volunteers are there, tickets are sorted. There’s still so much to do, and the conference pace is making it tough. For example, SatsConf still hasn’t sent the final design specs, and I just got the measurements for the graphics. Trying to sort that out while traveling is sending me into a bit of a tailspin. It’s like my inner German is in crisis mode, haha.
I know what I’m doing, and I know what I’m capable of—but this is a whole new world. I really want to meet everyone’s expectations here. I miss my usual team so much because I know how they work, what to expect, and I can trust that everything will be handled. Here, I just have to let go, trust, and see what happens.
And then you meet people. You realize they’re kind, helpful, and excited, and together, it feels like we can actually make something happen. Last week, I went to the Nostr Berlin meet-up, chatting with some guys who also happened to be flying to BA. I suggested they help at our booth, and in return, we could sort out tickets. They were thrilled—it’s the kind of support that makes all of this feel worth it.
Even though I don’t know exactly what’s in store or what to expect, I’m truly looking forward to it. The team is incredible, and I know I’ll be looked after. As the only woman in the core team, it’s been an experience. I love working with men, but there are times I wish I had another woman alongside me, someone with a similar mindset and, yes, someone to do the “girly stuff” with.
But here I am, embracing the unknown, ready for this journey, and just hoping that somewhere between Buenos Aires and Berlin, this leap will pay off in ways I can’t even imagine. South America, let’s see what you’ve got!!!